The clay-court season is here, and there is just so much to look forward to over the coming months. From Monte-Carlo, to Madrid, to Rome, to Paris, some of Europe's best and most picturesque locations will play host to glorious venues and hopefully some equally attractive tennis.
The storylines are tantalising too, with plenty of narratives on the ATP and WTA Tours. Flashscore takes a look at what is not to be missed.
Alcaraz vs Sinner head to clay with so much on the line
The rivalry between the world's best two male players, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most compelling narrative on the ATP Tour, and they both head to the clay with so much on the line over the coming months.
Sinner missed the first two big events of the clay court season in Monte-Carlo and Madrid last year, as he was serving his drug suspension. Meanwhile, Alcaraz won titles in the former, Rome and at the French Open.
As a result, Alcaraz has a hell of a lot of points to defend, while Sinner has the opportunity to massively close the gap to Alcaraz at the summit of the rankings, and even overtake him as world number one as soon as Monte-Carlo.
The Spaniard will do all he can to fend off the Italian on his favourite surface, but Sinner is coming into the clay season oozing confidence, after winning the 'Sunshine Double' in Indian Wells and Miami.
There is even more impetus for Sinner on the dirt, as the French Open is the only Grand Slam he hasn't won. He can join Alcaraz in completing the Career Grand Slam after his rival won the Australian Open at the start of the year.
Sinner stood on the brink of winning Roland Garros in 2025, failing to take three match points in the final. Alcaraz managed to pull a rabbit out of his hat to produce a miraculous win in one of the greatest matches of all time, and boy, would we like to see another contest like that again.
Struggling Swiatek's quest to find form
It is strange to see Iga Swiatek struggling like this.
The best female player of this generation and a six-time Grand Slam champion, the once relentlessly suffocating Pole has become strangely unreliable over the last 12 months and, consequently, has made a coaching change.
Swiatek parted ways with Wim Fissette and appointed a former coach of Rafael Nadal's, Francis Roig, in an attempt to rise back up the rankings after dropping to fourth in the world.
She now enters the period of the season which she usually dominates with someone new by her side. Swiatek adores the clay and is a four-time French Open champion. However, last year, she didn't win a single tournament on the red stuff, illustrating her struggles.
You would be a fool to write off someone as good as Swiatek on clay, no matter how out of form she is. If Roig can inject some confidence into her and she returns anywhere near her best, a fifth Roland Garros crown is not out of the question.
Sabalenka's desire to conquer Parisian clay
There is very little doubt that Aryna Sabalenka is by far and away the best female player in the world. However, her performance and results in big finals haven't always been stellar, and she has yet to win a Grand Slam on surfaces other than hard courts.
After losing in the Australian Open final to Elena Rybakina at the start of the year, the Belarusian rebounded in incredible fashion, winning the Indian Wells and Miami titles. She now heads to the clay feeling on top of the world.
Sabalenka is an excellent clay-court player. She has won the Madrid title three times and lost to Coco Gauff in the French Open final last year. She was devastated to not get her hands on that piece of silverware, though, leading by a set before imploding against Gauff's tenacity.
She is desperate to get her hands on a Slam that isn't the Australian Open or the US Open. She is playing the best tennis of her career and has improved her arsenal for the clay. Can anyone stop her this time around?
Improving Gauff's French Open defence
Since she won the French Open last year, it has been hard to watch Gauff at times. With her serve falling apart and her forehand extremely brittle, it has been a struggle for the two-time Grand Slam champion.
But her generational athleticism and retrieval skills have always kept her somewhat competitive, and after reaching the Miami final, her game looks to be heading in a positive direction.
And that has perhaps come at the perfect time. Hitting winners past Gauff on clay is such a task, which is part of why it is her best surface.
She can grind anyone down when she is in her groove, and if that is the case, absolutely no one will want to face her.
Specialists return to home comforts
The change in surface from hard to clay is always an entertaining storyline in itself. Players have to adapt to the slower, loopier conditions and adjust their style. As a result, those who are clay-court specialists and have a particular set of skills become big factors during these few months.
The likes of Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev, Lorenzo Musetti, and Jasmine Paolini are hugely dangerous, while Stefanos Tsitsipas - who is a three-time Monte-Carlo champion and French Open finalist - will be desperate to get any momentum at all after enduring a torrid few years and dropping down to 49th in the world.
Additionally, it'll be interesting to see those who perhaps aren't as comfortable on clay but started the season so well make the move across surfaces.
Rybakina has enjoyed an amazing start to 2026, winning the Australian Open and reaching the Indian Wells final. She is a good clay-court player, but she is certainly better on the quicker surfaces. Can she continue her run?
Other in-form players include Jessica Pegula and Daniil Medvedev. Neither is known for being great on clay, especially the latter. But they won't want to just fade away over the next few months. How will they adapt?