It has been a week of the top players limiting their media contact after urging for a bigger slice of the pie from the Major events, but the hope for fans is that we can now focus on the Tennis.
You cannot begrudge the top players feeling like they deserve more money, but for fans, the sport is already expensive enough and ultimately it will be those fans who end up having to fork out more.
Hopefully some sort of arrangement to make everyone happy can eventually be made, but the next fortnight is going to be all about winning a Grand Slam title for all entering the main draw.
Of course the Men's draw feels like it is Jannik Sinner vs the rest after Carlos Alcaraz was forced to withdraw with an injury.
The Italian is the clear favourite and it is going to take something special to prevent him winning the French Open for the first time and completing his own Grand Slam just months after Carlos Alcaraz joined an elite list.
We have to expect the Women's tournament to be very open- Aryna Sabalenka has not been in the best form in the build up, but she has shown she is capable of turning things on at any Grand Slam, while the likes of Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff are certainly going to filled with belief having won titles here.
There are more threats around in the Women's event compared with those lining up to stop the Sinner-train, which could end up making the former event the more intriguing for the fans, at least in the lead up to the business end of this Grand Slam.
The First Round of the French Open is split over three days and that means more of the top names get an opportunity to play on the main show courts.
Picks from Day 1 can be seen below as this Grand Slam gets underway.
Belinda Bencic - 4.5 games v Sinja Kraus: The Grand Slams played in the second half of the year have been when Belinda Bencic has put together her best results having previously reached the Semi Final at both Wimbledon and the US Open.
Her worst results have been at the French Open with a couple of Third Round runs as good as it has got, but Belinda Bencic is the World Number 11 heading into Paris and she has produced enough positive performances on the clay to believe she can get through this opening match.
She has only played eight matches on the clay in 2026, but Bencic has won five of those and the reality is that she has been playing in bigger events, which means facing higher quality opponents compared with this opponent.
Sinja Kraus has to be given a lot of credit for coming through three Qualifiers and the World Number 101 has the motivation to look for an upset that would propel her into a career best World Ranking mark at the end of the tournament. Improving that World Ranking would see the 24 year old earn direct entries into future Grand Slam events and some of the 1000 and 500 events that are also played with continued improvement.
The Austrian is very comfortable on the clay courts, which makes her dangerous having won three matches here, but Belinda Bencic should have the experience to weather the storm and eventually begin to showcase her superior quality.
A key to the outcome is the serve- Belinda Bencic should be the one with the first serve that can offer up a few more cheaper points and that may be the difference on the day.
MY PICKS: Belinda Bencic - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)
Season 2026: 103-87, + 10.30 Units (255 Units Staked, + 4.03% Yield)
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