After picking up the French Open and Wimbledon, Carlos Alcaraz will look to make it three at the Paris Olympics.
Carlos Alcaraz has put on a mesmerizing show so far this summer, as he became the sixth man to complete the ‘Channel Slam’ with victories at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
Much of the narrative that surrounds the Paris Olympics is whether Novak Djokovic will be able to secure the Olympic Gold he’s so desperately pining for.
A tearful exit in Tokyo saw Djokovic lose to Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals, despite having led by a set and a break.
The Serb will face stiff competition if he is to finally secure this missing piece of silverware to his collection, with world number one Jannik Sinner, reigning Olympic champion Zverev, and Alcaraz all looking to spoil the party.
While the top four stare each other down, who are the ‘dark horses’ who might slip under the radar and make a bid for an Olympic medal?
Arthur Fils
France’s Arthur Fils has long been one to watch as new young tennis talents attempt to become more than just a ‘potential’.
The 20-year-old enters his home games as one of the in-form stars, having just picked up the biggest win of his career in Hamburg, beating reigning Olympic champion Zverev in a frosty final.
Now sitting at a career-high ranking of 20, Fils is the second-highest-ranked Frenchman on the tour, just four spots behind Ugo Humbert.
Despite a disappointing outing at the French Open in June, Fils has looked far more steady since, making the fourth round at Wimbledon, before going the distance in Hamburg, beating Holger Rune and Sebastian Baez in the process.
With a big serve and powerful forehand, Fils had the ability to push his opponents deeper into the court.
We can expect a roar from the home crowd as Fils aims to replicate Andy Murray’s historic home win at London 2012 – perhaps the buoyant French onlookers might push Fils deep into the tournament.
Casper Ruud
While not necessarily the flashiest on the tour, Casper Ruud has always got on with business diligently and smartly.
A clay expert, Ruud has reached two French Open finals in his career, with this year’s semi-final defeat to Zverev impacted by illness.
When you think of clay court greats, big forehands are always close by with Ruud being no exception.
The Norwegian uses his massive forehand to push players backwards, adding a mixture of pace and spin to push heavier balls through the court.
However, a neat pair of hands allows Ruud to incorporate his soft touch, delicately executing the drop-shot – a shot uniquely effective on clay.
While the front runners battle each other and the various narratives that surround the event, Ruud may well be able to quietly progress to the latter stages.
Lorenzo Musetti
It’s arguably been the best few weeks of Lorenzo Musetti’s tennis life, as the Italian has enjoyed the limelight at Wimbledon, reaching the last four of a major for the first time in his career, beating Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals.
Having come undone by Djokovic in the semi-final, Musetti has always fared better on the clay against the Serb, taking him to five sets at Roland Garros in June, as well as defeating him in Monte Carlo in 2023.
Musetti has a verve and swagger that modern tennis players are increasingly lacking, with his flowing hair and one-handed backhand occasionally giving off early 2000s Roger Federer vibes.
With fantastic hands, Musetti maneuvers his opponents around the court with precision and has always clearly felt very comfortable on the red stuff.
Having taken the week off after Wimbledon, Musetti will play at the Umag Open in Croatia and seeded second, will look to forge a competitive run ahead of the Olympics.
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