There will be a new men's grand slam champion crowned at Roland Garros next weekend at the French Open. In two dramatic five-set matches in two days, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic were knocked out from contention, leaving the men's draw wide open with the guarantee of a first time victor.
With 28 grand slams between them, Sinner and Djokovic were not able to capitalise on the absence of 2024 and 2025 champion Carlos Alcaraz, who withdrew before the tournament due to a wrist injury.
With Daniil Medvedev also bounced out in the first round on his least favourite surface, there is suddenly no guarantee of who will go on to lift the trophy on Court Philippe Chartrier – but glory awaits someone who has never tasted it at this level before.
Alexander Zverev, the title favourite, is now world number three and has reached a grand slam final on three occasions, including at the French in 2024. However, his inability to get past Sinner and Zverev regularly on the biggest stage has been his recurring issue – the failure to win a slam remains the greatest mark against him.
Casper Ruud, another three-time slam finalist, has started the tournament poorly with a pair of five-setters, but has made two finals in Paris, losing to Nadal and Djokovic. This time, there is an argument to be made that there isn't a better player than him that he could meet in the final.
Felix Auger-Aliassime, a hard-court specialist, has the big game to make an impact on any surface, but is not a player one would usually look at for a deep clay-court run. However, he has a top half of the draw that has emptied out considerably, making him a contender.
Rafael Jodar, a young Spanish teenager, has suddenly graduated from a dark horse to a player who has the opportunity to make waves in a substantial way. With the draw opening up, a couple of big results could take him all the way – and he certainly has the clay court game to take advantage.
Outside candidates include Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca, who needs to fight through the biggest names in the tournament, and Jakub Mensik and Andrey Rublev, who will contest a round of 16 fixture and have a trick run in the bottom half.
