French Open 2016 Prize Money: Complete Purse and Earnings from Roland Garros

The 2016 French Open kicked off Sunday morning at Stade Roland Garros in Paris as the top players in the world begin their pursuit of the season's second major title. Serena Williams and Stan Wawrinka arrived as the defending champions.

One notable absence is Roger Federer. Christopher Clarey of the New York Times noted the 17-time Grand Slam singles champion pulled out of the event as a result of an unspecified injury, ending a record run of 65 straight major appearances. He last missed the 1999 U.S. Open.

Most of the other marquee players in both draws are in attendance with hopes of capturing one of the season's most coveted titles. Let's check out the prize money they'll be fighting for over the next two weeks along with predictions for which players will raise the championship trophies.

2016 French Open Prize Money

Round	# of Players	Money
Total	128	€12,032,000 (Each Draw)
Champion	1	€2,000,000
Runner-up	1	€1,000,000
Semifinals	2	€500,000
Quarterfinals	4	€294,000
Fourth Round	8	€173,000
Third Round	16	€102,000
Second Round	32	€60,000
First Round	64	€30,000

Tournament Predictions

Men's Champion: Novak Djokovic

Djokovic is the owner of 11 major titles, including at least two from each of the Grand Slams not named the French Open. He's reached the final in Paris three times in the past four years but has been unable to close the deal, leaving the career Grand Slam out of his grasp.

It's the type of void on his otherwise outstanding resume that creates a little more pressure each year he doesn't win the tournament. Greg Garber of ESPN.com passed along the Serbian sensation's thoughts about the longtime pursuit.

"I don't like the word 'obsession' because it doesn't come from the right emotion," Djokovic said. "But of course, being the only Grand Slam I haven't won gives me even more incentive to give my best there this year."

His clay-court campaign got off to a shocking start as he lost to Jiri Vesely in his first match of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. He's bounced back nicely, however, winning nine of his next 10 matches with the only loss coming to Andy Murray in the Rome Masters final.

Djokovic doesn't have to worry about another meeting with Murray unless they both advance all the way to the title match. Otherwise, his draw sets up favorably, as Jon Wertheim of Sports Illustrated noted:

All told, the top-ranked player in the world has won the last four majors other than the French Open. Therefore, winning on the clay in Paris is more of a mental hurdle than anything else at this point. It's one he'll finally jump this time around.

Women's Champion: Garbine Muguruza

The women's draw is intriguing. As always, the debate comes down to Serena Williams or the field. Since the American hasn't been quite as dominant since her Grand Slam quest came up short in the U.S. Open last year, there's a good chance somebody else claims the French Open title.

Yet, it's not like anybody else has stepped up to assert herself as the heir apparent to Williams' throne over the past six months. It creates a situation where, if the No. 1 seed doesn't win, the door is open for a multitude of players.

Matt Cronin of Tennis Reporters discussed the tournament backdrop:

Muguruza has flashed high-end potential but has lacked consistency. She's had some nice victories during the clay season, including wins over Timea Bacsinszky and Ekaterina Makarova in Rome, which showcased how well she can play when clicking on all cylinders.

On the flip side, in order to capture her first major title, she must trust her all-around game against fellow big hitters. Two of her recent losses on clay came against players who could match her power in Madison Keys and Petra Kvitova.

Paul Newman of the Independent noted she still expressed a high comfort level on the surface leading up to the event.

"I spent a lot of hours playing on clay when I was younger," Muguruza said. "I was brought up on clay, so every time I go back to it I feel: 'This is my territory.' I know some people think that my game style is not ideal for clay, but I think I play well on it."

Ultimately, in a tournament that's up for grabs, Muguruza has the tools necessary to steal the spotlight. If she can get on a roll during the first week—and the draw gives her a chance to do exactly that—she'll be a serious title threat.