Benoit Paire and Gilles Simon to Face Off in a Specific Game at Roland Garros

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The Roland Garros eSeries by Renault, the world’s largest tennis esports competition, is set to return for its 2026 edition, featuring a new format and familiar faces. Organized by the French Tennis Federation since 2018, this year’s tournament has already set new participation records, attracting 561,000 players from 221 territories during the qualification rounds held from March to April. Nearly 11.5 million matches were played on the virtual Philippe Chatrier court. The final phase of the competition will take place on May 22 and 23 at the Tenniseum auditorium within Roland Garros, coinciding with the Yannick Noah charity day. This year, former French professional tennis players Gilles Simon and Benoit Paire will serve as captains, reprising their roles from the previous year. They will lead teams composed of five players who reached the finals or semifinals in the 2025 tournament: Omer, LEX, Hizir, Anindya, and Areidy. The 2026 tournament format mirrors that of 2025. It will begin with a Swiss Stage preliminary round and team competition on May 22. This will be followed by an individual double-elimination bracket on May 23.

The eight finalists, representing eight different nationalities, will compete for the championship title. Among them is the defending champion, Colombian Samuel Sanin Ortiz, also known as Sasmis, who aims to defend his crown after last year’s victory. Joining him are competitors from Israel, Indonesia, Italy, Chile, Romania, Turkey, and Germany. Gilles Simon, a former world number 6 and a historical figure of the Roland Garros eSeries, brings extensive experience to his captaincy. He knows the competition’s universe well, having participated in several editions as an ambassador, commentator, or captain. Benoit Paire, a former ATP Top 20 player recognized for his talent and unpredictable personality, joins this edition with the expressed desire to enjoy the experience as much as to win. Paire humorously remarked, “We won’t hold back, especially not against Gilles.”

Roland Garros eSeries Finalists Battle in Swiss Stage and Team Competition Ahead of Double-Elimination Bracket

On Friday, May 22, the eight finalists will compete in the preliminary Swiss Stage to determine the teams for each captain. Subsequently, on Saturday, May 23, Paire’s and Simon’s teams will engage in a collective competition before the individual double-elimination bracket commences. A prize pool of 5,000 euros will be shared between the two finalists. The final match will be broadcast live internationally. In France, viewers can watch the stream on France TV from 11 AM to 2 PM. Globally, the competition will be available on the official Roland Garros YouTube channel. In Brazil, the broadcast will also be accessible via Disney’s ESPN. The event will be hosted by Laure Valee, with commentary from Quento and Benny (GP365), a former world number 1 player on Tennis Clash.