In the opening round of the French Open, Rafael Nadal has been given a tough assignment, which is not according to his plan. Currently ranked No. 276 in the world, the 14-time Roland Garros titlist will start his final campaign against world No. 4 Alexander Zverev on Sunday.
His famed colleague Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, will look to maintain his top spot in the ATP rankings. However, for some reason, he isn’t exactly confident about his chances ahead of this weekend.
SBOTOP tennis fans will also be looking out for the injury news about Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, as both top 5 players provided more clarity on their status ahead of the Grand Slam event.
Continue reading below to learn more about the latest French Open 2024 updates.
Nadal might be in for another early exit
The French Open 2024 odds aren’t too optimistic on Rafael Nadal’s chances against Alexander Zverev, despite the fact that he is the King of Clay with a whopping 14 trophies here at Roland Garros.
That is because the Spaniard is not in good form heading into this tournament, as he has never reached a quarter-final since the Brisbane International. His best result since then was when he reached the Round of 16 of the Madrid Open in April.
Injuries haven’t helped, because at one point, he was contemplating retirement since it has been taking a toll on him.
While Rafael Nadal’s confirmation to play in his favourite tournament is good news, the hope is that he stays healthy throughout the tournament, at least.
The soon-to-be 38-year-old has practised with Stan Wawrinka and Daniil Medvedev recently and has gotten rave reviews, with both players saying that Nadal is looking as “strong as ever.”
If Rafael Nadal beats Alexander Zverev on Sunday, which he has done so seven times in their previous 10 encounters, there’s a slight chance that he’ll meet Novak Djokovic down the road because he was drawn into his side of the bracket.
But, as mentioned, defeating Alexander Zverev this time is going to be easier said than done for Rafael Nadal because the German arrives at Roland Garros in high spirits after he won his ninth career Masters 1000 title in the Italian Open last week.
Djokovic is “worried” ahead of Roland Garros
Rafael Nadal is not the only Big 3 player who will compete in Roland Garros, as Novak Djokovic is also here. In stark contrast with the Spaniard, however, Djoker comes into this tournament as the top-seeded player in the ATP.
But despite being listed as one of the favourites, Djokovic insists that he is not because he is not in his best form, at least based on his lofty standards.
The defending French Open champion hasn’t made a final, let alone won a single trophy, since the ATP Finals last November, so he is on a dry spell unseen since 2018.
After a semi-final run in the Monte-Carlo Masters, Novak Djokovic suffered an early exit in the Italian Open, as he was dispatched by Alejandro Tabilo in the second round. To add insult to injury, the Serbian was hit on the head by a water bottle by accident, which he claimed caused nausea and dizziness.
He surprised everyone when he competed in the Geneva Open, an ATP 250 event, but he fell short again in the semis, losing to Tomas Machac due to a stomach issue.
All systems go for Alcaraz, Sinner
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are expected to play in the French Open, but both of them made it clear that they’re not yet at 100-per cent fitness.
“I’m not feeling any pain in the practices when I step on the court, but I’m still thinking about it when I’m hitting forehands,” Alcaraz said. “Probably I’m going to say I’m a little bit scared about hitting every forehand 100-per cent. So I have to change before my first match, but everything that I’m focusing on is that I’m not feeling any pain.”
“I’m not concerned anymore about my hip. I know in my mind that I can play good tennis even with this kind of shape where I am right now, and hopefully I can stay here longer than last year,” Sinner shared.
Both youngsters will play for the first time since their quarter-final exits in Madrid last month. Carlos Alcaraz will take on lucky loser JJ Wolf, while Jannik Sinner is slated to face Chris Eubanks in the opener.
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