The French Open, known to most as Roland Garros, begins on Sunday on the clay courts of Paris. Never like this year, the second round of the Grand Slam season, on the eve, is full of interesting ideas and hypothetical developments, especially in an Italian key. In fact, there is one of the most anticipated players Jannik Sinner. The 22-year-old from San Candido, current number two in the world, returns to the circuit after retiring in Madrid and withdrawing from Rome, caused by problems with his right hip. His physical condition, even though he declared in the press conference today that he “is ready” and that his hip doesn’t worry him, represents an unknown. The same goes for Spanish Carlos Alcaraz, who after losing in Madrid against Rublev he withdrew from the Italian Internationals due to muscle edema in his arm. Furthermore, for Sinner there is a concrete possibility of becoming number 1 in the world. The current leader of the ATP rankings, Novak Djokovicwill have to defend the 2000 points achieved in Paris last year, when he won the men’s tournament, beating in the final Casper Ruud. Thanks to the points obtained this week in Geneva, the Serbian would maintain the top of the international ranking only if he managed to reach at least the semi-finals at Roland Garros (and Sinner was immediately eliminated). In the event of an early defeat, however, he would certainly be overtaken by the Italian tennis player, who last season surprisingly stopped in Paris in the second round and therefore practically does not have to defend points (he takes away 50). If a hypothetical final between Djokovic and Sinner were reached, the Italian would become the 29th world no.1 even if he lost (currently, excluding the points from the 2023 Roland Garros, he has 760 more than the Serbian: the Roland Garros finalist gets 1300 points while the winner gets 2000)
While the games for the top of the ATP rankings seem easily predictable, the prediction on the winner on the eve of the match is much more uncertain. In addition to Djokovic, who had disappointed expectations in Rome, also thanks to the infamous ‘flying water bottle’, and who in Geneva lost in the semi-final against Machac, and the returning Sinner and Alcaraz, all sharing a good deal of uncertainty about their respective performance physics, there is a fourth ‘big’ at the start to keep an eye on. It’s about Alexander Zverev, fresh winner of the Italian Internationals and on the hunt for the first Slam title of his career. A very difficult debut for him: in Paris he immediately faces the King of Roland Garros, that is Rafael Nadal – who certainly hasn’t impressed in his latest outings – against whom he lost the semi-final here in 2022, i.e. the one in which the German broke his ankle tendons, only to find his best tennis again this year.
Ten Azzurri will be at the start in the men’s draw, on the pitch between Sunday and Monday. In addition to Sinner, who will challenge Eubanks in the first round, he is also among the top seeds Lorenzo Musetti, number 30 in the seeding, opposite to Galan’s debut. With them Fabio Fognini (contro Van de Zandschulp already debutto), Luciano Darderi (opposto a Hijikata), Flavio Cobolli (waiting for a qualified or lucky loser), Luca Nardi (who challenges Muller), Matteo Arnaldi (Fils’ opponent) e Lorenzo Sonego (with Humbert in front). They were finally promoted from the qualifiers as well Giulio Zeppieri e Matthias Bellucci, who are waiting to meet their rivals in the first round of the main draw. There are five Italian representatives in the main draw of the women’s singles. The expedition of the Italian team is led by Jasmine Paolini, the twelfth seeding force, opposed to her debut at the Saville. With her Martina Trevisanwhich awaits a tennis player coming from the qualifiers, Lucia Bronzetti, who challenges the former world n.1 Naomi Osaka in the first round, Elisabetta Cocciaretto, who faces Hadad Maia on her debut, and Sara Errani, good at passing the qualifiers and in waiting to meet her opponent in the first match of the main draw.