The French Open 2024, one of the most watched and prestigious sporting events in the calendar year, is the only Grand Slam to be played on clay, a surface that tests the endurance and skill of players to the max.
With Rafael Nadal’s dominance on the event seemingly heading towards an end, this year’s tournament looks more open than at any stage over the past decade on the men’s side.
Plenty of leading candidates will fancy their chances of a deep run on the French clay, if they can find their top form.
Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Andrey Rublev and Danill Medvedev will be among the favourites to triumph in Paris next month.
But Ivan Ljubicic, the former coach Roger Federer, has suggested that he feels Italy’s Jannik Sinner will come out victorious.
Ljubicic, speaking to Italian publication La Stampa, praised the current world number two for his recent consistency and suggested that he has everything in his arsenal to win an event like Roland Garros.
Ivan Ljubicic picks Jannik Sinner as favourite to win French Open
“By now, we understand how Jannik Sinner works,” he said. “He is not focused on a single objective but on constant improvement. Becoming number 1, when it happens, and it will happen because he is the strongest, will please him.
“But its not to get to no.1 that will upset his program. Nor do I imagine that afterwards he will take six months of vacation to celebrate. Nowadays, if he loses, and he rarely loses, its because something goes wrong.
“At Indian Wells, Carlos Alcaraz changed his pace a bit, at Monte-Carlo, there was the episode of the wrong call. A tennis player, especially a young one, can always improve something. But Jannik lacks nothing to win Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros.”
Jannik Sinner — the one to beat
Sinner’s journey to the top this year has been nothing short of inspiring. The 22-year-old has delivered a series of remarkable performances, propelling him to the forefront of men’s tennis.
Towards the back end of 2023, Sinner saved two match points and defeated the reigning world number one Novak Djokovic, in the Davis Cup, which paved the way for Italy’s memorable triumph in the competition after more than four decades. This was a significant milestone in his career, showcasing his ability to perform under pressure.
Earlier this year, Sinner won his first Grand Slam after beating Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in a memorable five-set thriller at the Australian Open, where he came back from two sets down to lift the title.
However, the road to victory at the French Open is not an easy one, especially as Sinner has some fitness concerns heading into the tournament.
The well rounded youngster has recently pulled out of the Madrid Masters, after making the semi-finals, and it will be interesting to see how he copes in Rome, as the second slam of the year draws ever closer.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
