Andy Roddick suggested Carlos Alcaraz may have changed his French Open prediction.
The American has been closely watching the latest edition of the clay court Grand Slam which on the men’s side is more up for grabs than it has been for several years.
There were question marks around the fitness and form and the top three seeds Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner and Alcaraz.
But the 2003 US Open champion thinks the Spaniard looks the strongest of the three, and explained his reasons why.
Why has Andy Roddick changed his French Open winner prediction?
Roddick initially predicted Jannik Sinner to win his first French Open title. The Italian is undefeated at the majors this season after claiming the Australian Open title in January.
He has dropped just one set in the tournament so far but after watching Alcaraz, who has also only lost one set, the 41-year-old thinks the Spaniard may now be the front runner for the title.
“I don’t know if I’m as confident with my Sinner over Alcaraz prediction because he has just been running through people,” Roddick said on his Served podcast. “He has looked fantastic and maybe there is a lesson here where he adopts that [idea] of playing a more skeleton schedule.
“Is he turning into the guy who feels he doesn’t need matches all the time, like Novak? He has looked phenomenal.
“Alcaraz looks like he is in full flight and as the weather gets better, it only makes him better. He has been doing this in slow, cold, gross conditions with a forearm injury. If we get a bit of heat, that only makes Alcaraz better.”
Who does Carlos Alcaraz play next?
After securing back to back straight set wins over Sebastien Korda and Felix Auger-Aliasime, Alcaraz will now play Stefanos Tsitsipas in the French Open quarter-finals.
The ninth seed has looked strong in Paris as he tries to win the first Grand Slam title of his career.
The pair clashed in the same stage of this tournament a year ago, which Alcaraz won in straight sets.
He has won all five of his matches with Tsitsipas and will feel confident about his chances of making it a sixth successive win.
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