French Open 2024: Defending champions Novak Djokovic and Iga Sviatek appear among players to watch at Roland Garros.
The second Grand Slam of the year is almost here, but who has impressed on clay?
Often referred to as ‘terre battue’ – literally ‘beaten earth’ – the art of playing on the slippery, crushed red brick courts in Paris can be a challenge in a season that ends with hard courts, until we reach spring and summer .
Andrey Rublev was victorious in Madrid, while Alexander Zverev’s credentials coming into Roland Garros look pretty good after his second Internazionali d’Italia title.
World No 1 Iga Swiatek made it nine straight singles final wins with her third title in Rome in four years having already won in Madrid – both victories coming against her nearest rival Aryna Sabalenka.
So who are the contenders for the men’s and women’s singles titles at Roland Garros? We take a closer look…
ATP
novak djokovic
This season is probably the most open there has been. As the sun sets on Rafael Nadal’s career, with a 15th Roland Garros title having extended his potentially elusive record, you’d think the path would be clear for Novak Djokovic to take sole ownership of the mantle of most Grand Slam titles.
However, Djokovic has struggled to find his stride this season as he is yet to challenge for a title in 2024. After being hit on the head by a spectator’s bottle in Rome, he bowed out meekly in the third round before another shock defeat in Geneva. He will now head to Paris to prepare to defend his title.
Rafael Nadal
The participation of the 14-time champion remains in doubt even though he is, by his own standards at least, injury-free. Nadal has played just four tournaments this year and won just four games in his last match, against Hubert Hurkacz in Rome.
However, an unsettled Nadal is a daunting prospect in the early rounds and, if he can upset fourth-ranked Alexander Zverev, the 37-year-old will start to think the No. 15 title is a possibility.
Casper Rudd
Reaching two back-to-back finals and sharing honors with Stefanos Tsitsipas, Rudd looked to be the man in form on clay, but after backing up the Monte Carlo Masters final with the title in Barcelona, the Norwegian came out on the round. of 16 in Madrid and in his first first round in Rome.
Rudd is a two-time Roland Garros finalist but faced both Nadal and Djokovic at the height of their powers – but if he can pull off disappointing performances in the Madrid and Rome doubleheaders, he could benefit from a potential switch . of the guard.
Stefanos Tsitsipas
Tsitsipas has flirted with Slam glory, having Djokovic on the ropes in the 2021 Roland Garros final, leading the Serb to two sets before Djokovic fought back to deny the Greek his first Slam title.
Like Rudd, a solid early start to the clay season ended with an opening defeat in Madrid and his campaign in Rome ended in the quarter-finals.
Carlos Alcaraz
Roland Garros organizers will be breathing a sigh of relief after seeing Alcaraz and Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner withdraw from Rome. While Sinner may still be a doubt for Paris, Alcaraz could be preparing to stake his claim for a third Grand Slam title.
However, the Spaniard will be undercooked, having only played one tournament, Madrid, ahead of the French Open.
Jannik Sinner has also been plagued with injuries in the build-up, so the men’s draw could be wide open this year.
Jack Draper
With Andy Murray out and Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans struggling for form, Draper looks set to be Britain’s pick at this year’s tournament.
Now ranked 35th in the world, the 22-year-old left-hander appears to have put his injury-plagued early years behind him and is ready to take the next step from exciting prospect to genuine title contender. Roland Garros would be a good place to start.
WTA
Iga Swiatek
The world No 1 already has three Coupe Suzanne Lenglen trophies to her name and will be looking to make it a ‘three-peat’ and with her current form, who’s to say she can’t do it?
She already has a Stuttgart semi-final and Madrid title under her belt and will clash with Aryna Sabalenka in Rome in a repeat of the Madrid final to put the finishing touches on her title defense in Paris.
Arina Sabalenka
Like Swatek, when Sabalenka’s form is on, she is very consistent and despite a quarter-final exit in Stuttgart, she has made the most of the extended schedule in Madrid and Rome to now reach two back-to-back WTA 1000 events. back.
She had her best run at Roland Garros last year, reaching the semifinals.
Coco Gauff
It’s been a slow build-up on clay for the reigning US Open champion, but Gauff had her first shot at Slam glory in Paris 2022, losing to Swiatek. She fulfilled her promise and potential at the home of the Slam in 2023 and closed her preparations in Paris with the semi-final in Rome.
Elena Rybakina
Provided Rybakina can take to the court, her run to the title in Stuttgart and the semi-final in Madrid would firmly place her as one of the favourites. But she has been dogged by illness and has pulled out of both Indian Wells and Rome as the defending champion.
If she is fit enough to start in Paris, she will look to go further than her best run to the quarter-finals in 2021.
Danielle Collins
American Collins is enjoying a remarkable late-career renaissance after declaring that this season will be her last. The 30-year-old’s run to the semi-finals in Rome – where she lost to Sabalenka – took her to 19 wins from her last 21 matches, including tournament wins in Miami and Charleston.
An imminent return to the top 10 – having been ranked 63rd in February – makes Collins’ impending retirement even harder to fathom.
Katie Boulter
What a season it has been so far for Boulter, who climbed into the top 30 after a second WTA Tour title in San Diego in March. Therefore, she will win at Roland Garros, even though this is her first appearance in the main draw –
an indication of both her rapid rise and her earlier aversion to clay.
The 27-year-old is still much more at home on faster surfaces, but has shown some encouraging signs on the red stuff.
How to watch the French Open on Sky Sports
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As well as coverage from Paris, there will be analysis from our team of experts, draws, schedule and order of play.