Carlos AlcarazOh1st place in the ATP rankings) and Novak Djokovic (nOhrunners-up in the ATP rankings) are the joint favorites for this year’s Roland Garros tournament and could meet in the semi-finals.
Carlos Alcaraz He is slightly favored (odds at +148), followed by Novak Djokovic (Odds at +180), according to the bookmaker. They are followed by Holger Rohn (odds at +875), Daniel Medvedev (odds at +1025), Yannick Sinner (odds at +1150) and Stefanos Tsitsipas (Odds at +1250).
The outcome of Roland Garros this year is more uncertain since then Rafael Nadal14-time winner at Roland-Garros and nOh15 in the ATP rankings, he has withdrawn due to injury and may not play again until next year.
The draw will take place on Thursday 25th May and the main draw will start on Monday 29th May.
“I don’t see Novak as the favourite,” he said. Jim Couriertwice winner of Roland-Garros, during a conference call organized by him Tennis Channel. “I think he and Alcaraz are the two favorites in men. Everything will depend on the draw: Will Djokovic, 22-time Grand Slam champion and two-time winner of Roland Garros, be in Alcaraz’s table segment?
Medvedev, the world number two who just won the Masters of Rome title against Rooney, will be in the opposite segment for Alcaraz, and he could also meet Djokovic on his way.
“I think the most interesting aspect of the draw ceremony will be deciding which half of the table Djokovic will occupy,” said Jim Courier. “Medvedev won Roma, putting him back in second place. It’s obviously important. I’m sure neither Alcaraz nor Djokovic want to see a semi-final as a possibility. They obviously realize they might have to play against each other for the title anyway. And does it really matter if it’s in the semi-finals or the final? It’s not real.”
While the possibility of playing the Alcaraz-Djokovic final in Rome caused a lot of ink to flow, neither player went that far. The custodian was beaten Fabian Marzan (noOh135 in the ATP ranking) at 32H Finals, which is undoubtedly the biggest surprise this year.
Djokovic lost to eventual runner-up Ron in the quarterfinals (6-2, 4-6, 6-2), but Jim Courier said he didn’t seem bothered by the right elbow injury that forced him to wear a compression cuff. In Monte Carlo, where he lost to the Italian last month Lorenzo Musetti.
“I thought Novak’s health was very good in Rome,” said Jim Courier. “He didn’t look like he was wearing the belt as usual. His serve and his forehand and backhand looked good. It all looked natural. So I think overall his health and confidence are going in the right direction.”
Aside from the big names, Jim Courier is an American Sebastian Korda (noOh29 in the ATP rankings) as an outsider and a potential finalist in Nadal’s absence. Korda has never reached the fourth round in Paris (2020) or the quarter-finals of a major tournament.
Jim Courier also appreciates Ron, the Italia WN vice-championOhRanked 6 in the world, as well as Sinner, the Italian ranked nOh8th in the world and three quarter-finalists in 2022 (but not in Paris). “I love the fact that these two guys believe in themselves,” he said. “I might give Ron a slight edge in this area, just because he’s younger and fresher, and when you’re young and fresh like that, you don’t really worry about what might happen. […] It is a real added value. »
One thing is certain: without Nadal at Roland Garros, someone else will lift the trophy on June 11th. “The absence of Rafa from the draw makes the tournament more open,” Jim Courier said. “We don’t know what level Rafa would have reached had he been healthy enough to take the chance, but he’s still Rafa and there’s a clear bullying factor.”
Translated article from the American magazine Forbes – Author: Adam Zagoria
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