Roland Garros: Djokovic tries to stop Sinner in the race for the Grand Slam
With current champion Carlos Alcaraz out injured and Novak Djokovic still lacking ideal pace on clay, the big question before Roland Garros is: will anyone be able to stop Jannik Sinner from completing the Career Grand Slam in Paris?
Sinner's season gained momentum after the "Sunshine Double", with titles in Indian Wells and Miami. After that, the Italian took control of the European clay courts by winning the Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome Masters.
At 24, Sinner will have a golden opportunity to win the only Grand Slam left in his collection, exactly one year after his painful defeat to Alcaraz in the final in Paris.
A fundamental part of the Italian's rise has been his evolution on clay, the slowest surface on the circuit.
"This year was the first time I achieved something big on clay," said Sinner in Rome, commenting on the title in Monte Carlo.
"Physically I'm also getting stronger. It's a mix of everything. Experience helps me play certain points in a better way, but mainly I feel that physical evolution helps a lot on clay."
If he wins at Roland Garros, Sinner will win his fifth Grand Slam title and complete his collection of four major tournaments, just months after Alcaraz achieved the same feat at the Australian Open.
Without Alcaraz to defend his title in Paris because of a wrist injury, Djokovic appears as one of the few players capable of challenging Sinner.
The Serbian will resume his quest for a record 25 Grand Slam titles after showing in Melbourne that he is still competitive even at the age of 40, by overcoming Sinner in a five-set semi-final.
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Despite this, the performance also brought warning signs. The physical wear and tear accumulated over his two-decade career has prevented Djokovic from reaching his best form, and his only appearance on clay this season ended in defeat to Dino Prizmic in Rome.
Former US Open champion Andy Roddick said Djokovic remains a threat, even with little preparation on clay after giving up his title defense in Geneva.
"He's like a part-time tennis player who continues to be number four in the world every time he comes around," Roddick said.
"It's absurd, like it's saying, 'Okay, why don't you bet against me?'"
Among the other candidates for the title, Alexander Zverev remains a candidate for the first Grand Slam of his career, although he arrives in Paris surrounded by doubts due to a back problem.
Runner-up at Roland Garros on two occasions, Casper Ruud also has a solid track record on clay, but still faces difficulties in raising his level in key moments, as was evident in his defeat to Sinner in the final in Rome.
Frenchman Arthur Fils emerges as another dangerous name after winning the title in Barcelona, while Ben Shelton carries the hopes of the United States after demonstrating progress on clay by winning the Munich tournament.
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Source: CNN