Roland-Garros 2026: Will Belgian David Goffin make it through to the main draw?

Tennis fans are counting down the days. So is GoldenVegas Sport, the Belgian sports betting site that has been following every ball. Next week, the finest fortnight in tennis gets under way as Roland-Garros officially opens its gates.

The world's best players will descend on Paris for one of the sport's most prestigious Grand Slams — a tournament that stands apart for its gruelling clay court conditions, where power alone is never enough.

But the action has already begun. The courts have been alive since Monday, with the Roland Garros qualifying rounds already well under way. The qualifying draw is in full swing — and among the hopefuls, one Belgian legend is fighting tooth and nail for a place in the main draw.

David Goffin's Last Dance

A former quarter-finalist at Roland-Garros back in 2016, David Goffin is no longer the force he once was. Plagued by chronic foot and knee injuries, the greatest Belgian tennis player of all time will hang up his racket at the end of the season.

Before that final curtain falls, the man from Liège must navigate the clay court qualification battle, his ATP ranking no longer sufficient to earn direct entry. On Monday, he won his opening match against Taiwan's Tseng — and the emotions were already running high.

"It sounds like a speech you'd give at the end of a tournament, and I've only just won the first round of qualifying," he laughed, before adding: "It was as if I'd been building myself up for this match for weeks. Given how the past few weeks have gone, I wasn't entirely sure I could produce a performance like that. In the end, I'm absolutely delighted."

Can he go one better against Frenchman Samuel Toby this Wednesday and set up a decisive third-round clash? The bookmakers, it must be said, do not fancy his chances.

*Odds are subject to change. Event ends: 20 May at 10:00.

Other Belgian players chasing a French Open spot

While we wait to see whether Goffin can join the race to succeed defending champion Carlos Alcaraz — who has pulled out of this year's tournament — other Belgian players at the French Open are also pushing hard through qualifying.

On the women's side, Sofia Costolas made light work of Croatia's Tereza Mrdeza, wrapping up a comfortable win in one hour and two minutes. The player from Limburg will face Japan's Mai Hontama in the second round.

Another well-known name in Belgian tennis, Greet Minnen, needed twice as long to see off Russia's Anastasia Gasanova. Whether she can navigate the tricky prospect of Lola Radivojevic remains to be seen.

*Odds are subject to change. Event ends: 20 May at 10:00.

While the main event is still a few days away, tennis fans in Belgium can already catch the action via our Live Streaming service, with tournaments such as the ATP Challenger in Bengaluru available to watch this week.

A 25% BetXtra boost is also on offer for every live bet placed on a tennis match.