Where to watch French Open 2022 in India?

With the wait for the 2022 French Open slowly coming to an end, fans are eager to find out who will reign supreme in France. Defending champion Novak Djokovic goes into the tournament as a favorite after winning in Rome, while Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal round up the top-3 favorites for Roland Garros.

Among the women, Iga Swiatek is on a 28 match winning streak and has won five titles on the trot, making her the overwhelming favorite.

Here's a closer look at what you need to know ahead of the tournament:

What is the French Open?

The French Open, also known as Roland Garros, was inaugurated in 1891 in Paris. At the time, the event was exclusively reserved for French or foreign tennis players licensed in France.

The first tournament took place over one day and five players participated. The tournament was expanded to include women in 1897.

The Roland Garros stadium was inaugrated in 1928. The stadium is named after French aviator Roland Garros, who fought in the first World War. Roland Garros is the second Major of the year and the premier claycourt tennis tournament.

When is French Open 2022?

The qualifying rounds are being held from May 16-20, while the draw will be announced at 7 pm local time on Thursday, May 19. The main draw action kickstarts on May 22 and will continue until June 5.

Here's a detailed look at the schedule:

Men’s and women’s first round - May 22, 23 & 24

Men’s and women’s second round - May 25 & 26

Men’s and women’s third round - May 27 & 28

Men’s and women’s fourth round - May 29 & 30

Men’s and women’s quarter-finals - May 31 & June 1

Men’s and women’s semi-finals - June 2 & 3

Women's final - June 4

Men's final - June 5

Which channels will show the French Open 2022 in India?

Roland Garros will be broadcast in India on the Sony Pictures Sports Network.

The broadcasting channel is Sony Ten, while matches will also be streamed on SonyLIV.

Who has won the French Open the most times?

Rafael Nadal has won the tournament a record 13 times in his career. Bjorn Borg previously held the record, winning at Roland Garros on six occasions.

On the women's side, Chris Evert has won the Paris Major seven times. Steffi Graf came close to equalling that record, but finished with six Roland Garros titles.

Chris Evert Wins French Open in 1983

Who are the defending champions?

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is the men's singles defending champion while second-ranked Barbora Krejcikova won the title last year in the women's singles.

Who are the players to watch out for?

Carlos Alcaraz is arguably the most in-form player in the world right now. He is one of the leading contenders to win at Roland Garros. The Spaniard will be high on confidence after bagging back-to-back claycourt titles at the Barcelona Open and Madrid Masters. He also got the better of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in back-to-back matches at the Madrid Masters.

Top seed Djokovic seems to have finally found his stride after initially struggling for form. He is the favorite to win Roland Garros for the second straight year, having triumphed at the Rome Masters last week.

2021 Roland Garros finalists Stefanos Tsitsipas and Novak Djokovic

A fully fit Rafael Nadal will always be in contention to win this event, but the Spaniard aggravated a foot injury at the Italian Open. As such, his chances of winning a 14th title in Paris seem slim.

Last year's finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas will look to win his first ever Grand Slam off the back of an impressive claycourt swing where he defended his title in Monte-Carlo and reached the final in Rome.

On the women's side, World No. 1 Iga Swiatek remains the favorite to win her second French Open title. With five titles and 28 wins on the trot, the Pole heads to Paris in the best form of her career.

Simona Halep is a three-time French Open finalist and won the tournament in 2018. She is one of the top contenders to win the title as well.