Carlos Alcaraz can be easily considered the favorite for this year’s Roland Garros. The Spaniard has regained the form that he had seemingly lost at the back of last season and earlier this season. However, he has found an extra gear during the clay-court season. He will go into Roland Garros this year as the defending champion.
Alcaraz is currently at Roland Garros, doing intense hitting drills with Jannik Sinner and others. With the draw already announced, we have shared a few reasons why the four-time Grand Slam champion can add to his Grand Slam events this year in Paris.
1. The Cakewalk Draw
Alcaraz has sensationally escaped Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic, and Jannik Sinner in the bottom half of the draw. After winning the Italian Open, he took over the World No. 2 ranking from Zverev. After securing this ranking, he was guaranteed to escape Sinner in the same draw as the Italian is World No. 1. The duo met in the Roland Garros semifinals last year, and the Spaniard won an enthralling five-set affair.
Djokovic has also had Alcaraz’s number as of late. The duo met in the gold medal match at the Paris Olympics last year, and the Serbian won the gold medal to complete his trophy cabinet. This year, the 38-year-old repeated the same thing at the Australian Open, beating the young Spaniard in a four-set affair in the quarterfinals. Zverev has also had notable wins against Alcaraz, such as the 2024 ATP Finals group stage. Hence, to avoid both of these names is a huge boost for the young Spaniard.
2. Has Jannik Sinner’s Number
Jannik Sinner has beaten everyone he has played since the start of 2024, except Alcaraz. The duo have met each other four times since the start of last season, and the Spaniard has won all of those encounters. The most recent episode came in the Italian Open final earlier this month, and Alcaraz won 7-6, 6-1 to snap Sinner’s 26-match unbeaten streak.
Sinner’s best season (2024) saw the duo meet three times, and Alcaraz won all of their encounters, including the five-setter at Roland Garros last year. Alcaraz has his rival’s number lately, and if they meet in the final in Paris, he will be the favorite despite being ranked behind him.
3. The Spanish Heritage
Roland Garros has a massive Spanish heritage, particularly through Rafael Nadal. The left-hander has won an astonishing 14 Roland Garros titles and has lost only four matches on the surface across two decades. With Nadal dominating, many expect Alcaraz to create a similar pattern at Roland Garros.
The 22-year-old already has one Roland Garros to his name, and getting to 14 will be an almost impossible task. However, he has won two Masters 1000 titles on clay this year and hopes to string a few wins in Paris to impose himself at the French Open.
