Between ramp-ups, confirmations and concerns, where the favorites and outsiders are before the great meeting of the clay (May 25, June 8).
Suspended until May 4 after a positive check to an anabolic, the world number 1 Jannik Sinner returns this week in Rome (May 6-18). In its absence, the lines have moved somewhat.
They assure
Carlos Alcaraz
The natural favorite for Roland-Garros is always him. After a delicate start to the season, the prodigy won for the first time in the Principality, before giving in on the last step in Barcelona, beaten by Holger Rune. It must be said that the pupil of Juan Carlos Ferrero competed in this decreased final due to an injury to the adductors. Package in Madrid, he should find the courts this week in Rome to confirm his status as a new ogre of the earth.
Arthur son
After chaining two quarter -finals on Hard to Indian Wells and Miami, the 21 -year -old Ile -de -France also confirmed his progress on Earth. Quarter finalist at the Masters 1000 of Monte-Carlo and semi-finalist at the ATP 500 in Barcelona, he underwent the law of Carlos Alcaraz twice. If in Barcelona, the match was one -sided between the two men, the French number 1 had hung and even rather dominated for almost two sets the Murcian in the Principality, before returning weapons in three rounds. If he certainly suffered a stop in Madrid (defeat as soon as he entered the running), on 14e Mondial seems to cross a CAP.
Juan Medina / REUTERS
Casper Ruud
Often placed, never winning. Triple finalist in Grand Chelem, finalist of the ATP Finals, double finalist in Masters 1000, Casper Ruud, 26, finally won a final of a leading tournament on Sunday in Madrid against Jack Draper. The Norwegian, returned in the top 10 (7e) had timidly started his campaign on earth (8e final in Monte-Carlo and Quarts in Barcelona). But he recalled in Spain that there was a serious customer on Ocher, he who won 12 of his 13 titles on this surface. Enough to make a very dangerous outsider Porte d’Auteuil, where it remains on two finals and a semi-final in the last three editions.
Lorenzo Musetti et Jack Draper
The bronze medalist of the 2024 Olympic Games on the back with an elegant hand, becomes at 25 a constant player, capable of looking straight in the eyes of the circuit cadors. Especially on the afflicted earth. Finalist in Monte-Carlo, Lorenzo Musetti was stopped in the last square in Madrid by Draper. Performance that allowed him to integrate the top 10 for the first time. Less than three months ago, his executioner from the last square, Jack Draper, pointed to 16th place. The British, now a resident of the top 5, also has an earthly foot. After having reached, on hard, the final in Doha and gleaned from Indian Wells, his first title in Masters 1000, the 23 -year -old left -handed was also a finalist in Madrid. Draper relies on an aggressive game, a big forehand and a powerful service and also very effective on clay.
Holger Rune
After a complicated week in Monte-Carlo-he had been forced to declare after food poisoning-Holger Rune won in Barcelona, notably falling Casper Ruud and Carlos Alcaraz. The third title on clay, after his coronations in Munich in 2022 and 2023, for the Danish who had revealed himself in Paris in 2022 on this surface by reaching the quarters. It remains to chain performance. The 10the Mondial has abandoned the Italian Flavio Cobolli in the 2nd round of Madrid due to a right -of -the -quadriceps injury. But if his body leaves him alone, he could play the leading roles at Roland-Garros.
Aryna Sabalenka
Beaten for the fourth time in five years in the final in Stuttgart, the last finalist of the Australian Open won the Madrid WTA 1000 for the third time in her career. The 26-year-old Belarusian with the three coronations in Grand Slam is in great shape at three weeks of Roland-Garros where she has never imposed herself. And if ocher is not its favorite surface, it will certainly be one of the main favorites at the end of spring in Paris.
They worry
Novak Djokovic
A living legend in full doubt. The 37-year-old Serbian, who forfeited Tuesday for the Masters 1000 in Rome, bowed from the start on the clay of Monte-Carlo then Madrid. Since he was forced to abandon in the semi-finals of the Australian Open because of a muscle tear in the left thigh, Djokovic only played five tournaments and has dropped as soon as he entered four times. A catastrophic assessment for man with 24 Grand Slam titles less than a month from Roland-Garros.
Andrey Rublev et Stefanos tespispas
These two members of the “Next Gen” choice are in perdition. Holding the title in the Spanish capital and eliminated from the 2nd round, the Russian was ejected from the top 15 (17e), his worst ranking for over five years. Stefanos tsitsipas can no longer do so either. Usually very comfortable on clay, where he won 5 tournaments in his career, Greek, fell back in the 19the Place won only 5 games in 3 tournaments on its favorite surface this season and has not done better than a quarter final in each of these tournaments (in Monte-Carlo).
Alexander Zverev
The German does not succeed in the Masters 1000. After early road trips to Indian Wells and Miami on Du hard, the world number 3 took the front door in Monte-Carlo and from the round of 16 in Madrid. An event that he has already won twice and he appreciates (2018, 2021). Its title at ATP 500 in Munich, a fortnight ago did not raise all the doubts of this outsider of choices which has become the right habit of shining in Roland-Garros with three semi-finals and a final in the last four editions.
Ana Beltran / REUTERS
Iga Swiatek
Swept away against Coco Gauff in the Madrid semi-finals (6-1, 6-1), the Polish lack of sensations and confidence in a little over three weeks of Roland-Garros, her favorite tournament where she seems unbeatable. Triple reigning winner, the 23 -year -old Polish, beaten in Stuttgart in the quarters, has clearly lost her superb.
Caroline Garcia and the French
The Frenchwoman, who had already forfeited for Madrid, gave up the WTA 1000 in Rome because of a back injury. The 117th world player, absent since March, has still not started her season on land-buttheet three weeks from the start of the internationals in France. Old world n ° 4 is very hard in the image of tricolor female tennis, including leader Varvara Gracheva, the only member of the Top 100, points to 65e place…
