PARIS | With Rafael Nadal missing the French Open for the first time since 2005, the door to crowning a new champion on the Parisian clay stands wide open. Contenders are numerous but youngster Carlos Alcaraz and veteran Novak Djokovic dominate the list.
Here are five players to keep an eye on over the next two weeks.
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Carlos Alcaráz
- Spanish
- 1st worldwide
- 20 years
For the first time in his young career he is among the favorites in a major tournament. Nadal or not, Alcaraz is not lacking in ambition. “Even if ‘Rafa’ had been there, I wouldn’t have given myself less of a chance of winning,” he recently told journalists in Paris. But Alcaraz has it all, as they dominate on clay, have won 20 of their 22 games on clay this year and won four titles.
Novak Djokovic
For a long time at the top of the ATP, “Djoko” did not play as much as he would have liked during the pandemic due to his vaccination situation. His status as third favorite doesn’t bother him at all so the pressure is on Alcaraz. But Djokovic is not in Paris to play the tourist. He wants to use his experience to secure a 23rd Grand Slam title that would allow him to overtake Nadal.
Daniel Medvedev
Clay is not his favorite surface, but he reached the fourth round in Monte Carlo and Madrid before surprising everyone in Rome by triumphing over the young Dane Holger Rune after notably beating Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev. “I may have more expectations than usual at Roland-Garros, but I know it can be a trap,” he qualified.
Stefanos Tsitsipas
Tsitsipas, a finalist at Porte d’Auteuil in 2021 against the victorious Djokovic, has yet to win a trophy this season. And he comes to Paris with one coach fewer after confirming the end of his partnership with Australian Mark Philippoussis. He chose to continue with his father Apostolos. “I’m at a turning point in my career. I need a single coach who can give me all the information and analyze everything I need to improve my game,” he said.
Felix Auger-Aliassime
- Canadian
- 10th worldwide
- 22 years old
The chances of the Quebec native lifting the Musketeers Cup in two weeks’ time are slim, especially considering he’s had a bumpy season and is feeling pain in his right shoulder. Other players like Casper Ruud, finalist at Roland-Garros last year against Nadal, Rune, Andrey Rublev and Jannik Sinner could go far. But we should never consider Félix beaten at a Grand Slam, he who pushed Nadal to the limit in the round of 16 at the Paris Ocher last year.
women to look at
PARIS | It would be easy to hand the championship trophy straight away to Iga Swiatek, who has won two of the last three Roland-Garros, but the competition will be fierce with the new women’s ‘Big Three’. Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina are far from the status of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic but their growing rivalry is good news for the WTA. Here are five players to watch at Roland-Garros.
Iga Swiatek
- polishing
- 1st world
- 21 years old
Credit to all, Swiatek is rightly considered a favorite in Paris. The clay court queen started her season on her favorite surface by beating Sabalenka in the final in Stuttgart, Germany. However, the latter took revenge in Madrid. However, Swiatek was eliminated in Rome in the quarter-finals by Rybakina due to pain in his right thigh. Luckily everything seems to be back to normal. However, her table is not easy as she could face big tournament winners like Barbora Krejcikova, Victoria Azarenka or Bianca Andreescu and Coco Gauff.
Aryna Sabalenka
- Belarusian
- 2nd of the world
- 25 years
The winner of the last Australian Open has never reached the quarterfinals at the Porte d’Auteuil. But his recent appearance on ocher bodes well. Similar to Swiatek, Sabalenka is motivated by this new rivalry. “I love playing against Iga or Elena. It’s always tough, close fights. It pushes you to look your best. No game is easy. If she needs extra motivation, Sabalenka can look to the world no.
Elena Rybakina
- Kazakh
- 4. worldwide
- 23 years
Finalist at the Melbourne Major last year and champion at Wimbledon. Also in 2022 she lost in the quarterfinals of Roland-Garros. That season, she triumphed both in Indian Wells against Sabalenka and on Rome’s soil. It should therefore not be taken lightly. In the first round, Rybakina has to watch out for her opponent from qualifying, Brenda Fruhvirtova. At just 16, the Czech is ranked 146 in the world but on the rise, as is another teenager of 16, Russia’s Mirra Andreeva, 143.
Leylah Annie Fernández
- Canadian
- 49th in the world
- 20 years
She’s not having a good time like the four other Canadians who competed in singles at the French Open. However, she is capable of improving her game even further in major events, as she did in 2021 when she reached the US Open final. Leylah has played no fewer than 10 games on clay in the last few weeks and it could finally be paying off. On Sunday, she started her tournament on the right foot by defeating No. 21 seed Magda Linette of Poland.
Bianca Andreescu
- Canadian
- 42nd worldwide
- 22 years old
It’s been four years since she triumphed at the United States Open. Though his star has since faded, the former fourth-placed man in the world is often spectacular and his determination enchants fans. If she stays healthy, Bianca could surprise in Paris. However, his history in the French capital is not exactly brilliant as he never made it through the second round. In addition, she only played two games on clay: two losses. Also, her first-round rival is none other than former WTA No. 1 Victoria Azarenka.