This year’s first European leg of the World Tour reaches its final destination this week at the Orléans Masters 2026. The Super 300 tournament will take place from Tuesday 17 to Sunday 22 March. 

With the European Championships in Huelva just three weeks away, the event gives one last opportunity for players to compete against the world’s top players before one of Europe’s highlight of the year.

And on home soil, France surges with a strong line-up, ready to delight the Orléans crowd.

The men’s singles draw surely gives a highlight for home fans. Alex Lanier, the second seed, starts with an all-French clash against Arnaud Merkle. Lanier, now in the world’s top 10, will look to start with a solid win, but Merkle is more than capable of making life difficult with great skill – and the match guarantees at least one French player in the next round.

Another big French contender is Toma Junior Popov, the fourth seed, who continues looking for a deep run on the World Tour, with the most recent being the German Open at the start of the month – having met brother Christo in the final. This will also be a great chance for Popov to build momentum heading into the European Championships.

In women’s singles, Anna Tatranova starts off in the main draw and will have a tough opening match against sixth seed Natsuki Niraida. It is a huge test, but it could also be one of the early surprises of the tournament.

Men’s doubles could also provide strong French results. Eloi Adam/Leo Rossi arrive after reaching the quarterfinals at last week’s Swiss Open, while fellow French pair Baptiste Labarthe/Quentin Ronget stand ready to challenge them. Julien Maio/William Villeger come to Orléans with confidence following an outstanding run at the German Open, where they finished as runners-up.

In women’s doubles, Margot Lambert/Camille Pognante will be the sixth seeds and will open their campaign against Julie Macpherson/Ciara Torrance in an important European clash of the week.

However, France’s biggest title hope may come in mixed doubles, where top seeds Thom Gicquel/Delphine Delrue lead the draw. Gicquel/Delrue enter the Super 300 tournament after a stellar performance at the All England Open, where they finished as runners-up after defeating several of the world’s best pairs. With high confidence and home support behind them, they will be among the favourites to lift the trophy this week.

And beyond the French hopes, the Orléans Masters features as always a strong European line-up in all events, with many players using the tournament as the final tournament preparation before the 2026 European Championships in Huelva.

One thing is for sure – a thrilling week awaits in Orléans.