Jannik Sinner is currently preparing for Roland Garros at the Italian Open, where he remains in contention for the title.
Sinner is keeping tabs on his fitness ahead of the Grand Slam during his time in Rome, where he is chasing a sixth successive ATP Masters 1000 title.
He’s just soared into the quarterfinals, with Andrey Rublev representing Sinner’s next test at his home tournament.
Given the absence of his fierce rival Carlos Alcaraz, Sinner is the overwhelming favorite to lift the trophy, which should also be the case for Roland Garros.
But that situation, combined with a handful of others, arguably suggests that he’s even a bigger favorite to claim the Grand Slam title than Rafael Nadal ever was.
Jannik Sinner is now a bigger favorite to win Roland Garros than Rafael Nadal ever was
Agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments!
Jannik Sinner is a bigger favorite to win Roland Garros than Rafael Nadal ever was
Nadal has gone down in sporting history for his feats on the tennis court, which most significantly involved 14 titles at the French Open.
It is more than any other player in the history of the Grand Slam, with the Spaniard rightfully earning the ‘King of Clay’ moniker for his efforts in Paris.
They also meant that he became a bigger and bigger favorite to claim the title as the years progressed, but Sinner may have surpassed those chances this year.
Most notably, his fierce rival Carlos Alcaraz is out of Roland Garros as he continues to recover from a wrist injury.
But the unfortunate issue is not limited to the Spaniard, with Jack Draper having withdrawn from the French Open too because of injury.
And while still planning on playing in the event, Arthur Fils and Lorenzo Musetti both had significant injury struggles in Rome, with the Frenchman forced to retire hurt in his opener.
Furthermore, American challenger Taylor Fritz has yet to play on clay in 2026 as he battles tendonitis in his knee.
And very notably, 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic has played just once on the surface after losing his first match at the Italian Open.
Simply adding to the narrative, top 10 players Ben Shelton, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alex de Minaur are hugely out of form.
And last but not least, Alexander Zverev’s struggles against Sinner need no introduction, with the German losing their last nine matches, two of which have come on clay this season.
Ultimately, Sinner has had very few genuine challenges of late, but even those who pose a potential threat could fall well short of doing so given their current status.
Can any of these four players stop Jannik Sinner winning the French Open this year?
Is there anyone else you think could be a threat to Sinner?
Jannik Sinner is in the form of his life ahead of Roland Garros
Of course, Sinner will not be focusing on anyone other than himself at Roland Garros, particularly given what is at stake.
Should the Italian emerge victorious, he would complete the career Grand Slam, having already triumphed at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.
Notably, his current form alone is almost enough to demonstrate just how much of a favorite he is to secure the top prize at the French Open.
Along with five successive ATP Masters 1000 titles, he’s on a 31-match winning streak at that level, and has lost just twice this season.
Moreover, he will not only be motivated by the chance of emulating Alcaraz by completing the career Grand Slam, but also because of his final loss to the Spaniard last year.
All signs point to a comfortable title-winning run for Sinner in Paris, but of course stranger things have happened in tennis over the years.
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