Who Remains In French Open Contention After Sinner And Djokovic Defeated?
Paris : In the absence of two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner was expected to win his first French Open title this year. Instead, the top-seeded Italian was defeated in the second round, leaving the men’s draw open.
Three-time champion Novak Djokovic was the most experienced competitor remaining in the field, seeking a 25th major title. But the 39-year-old Serb will have to wait until Wimbledon after losing a five-set thriller against 19-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca on Friday.
The result may not be that surprising, as Djokovic entered the tournament with questions about his form after losing to the Croatian qualifier at the Italian Open, his only warm-up event on clay courts after being sidelined for two months with a right shoulder injury.
Here’s a look at some of the favorites still in contention for the title:
Alexander Zverev
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He will probably feel this is his best chance to win his first major title. Alcaraz’s 2024 runner-up also reached three semi-finals and one quarter-final in Paris. The 29-year-old German player has been in excellent form after reaching the final in Madrid and the semi-finals in Monte Carlo and Munich. Second-seeded Zverev advanced to the fourth round by defeating Frenchman Quentin Halys late on Friday.
Felix Auger-Aliassime
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The 4th-seeded Canadian is the highest seed remaining in the top half of the draw and will face Brandon Nakashima in the third round. Auger-Aliassime was two points away from defeat in the first round before getting past Daniel Altmaier in five sets. He then got past Roman Andres Burruchaga in four sets. Auger-Aliassime’s best result at Roland Garros was the fourth round in 2022 and 2024.
Rafael Jodar
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He is Spain’s latest tennis star. Jodar, 19, reached the fourth round of a major for the first time after a five-set victory over Alex Michelsen. After capturing his first ATP title in Marrakesh last month, Jodar reached the semi-finals in Barcelona and the quarter-finals in Madrid and Rome. His tour level record on clay is 18-3. By comparison, 14-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal and Alcaraz went 13-7 in their first 20 tour-level matches on clay.
Moise Kouame
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Can the young Frenchman create a big surprise and emulate Yannick Noah, the last Frenchman to win Roland Garros in 1983? Kouame advanced to the third round after a five-set, five-hour thriller that delighted the French audience. The 318th ranked player will next face Chilean Alejandro Tabilo. Kouame became the first Grand Slam match winner born in 2008 or later by defeating Marin Cilic consecutively in the first round.
Casper Ruud
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Ruud lost the 2022 final to Nadal and the 2023 final to Djokovic. The Norwegian struggled in the Paris heat this week and needed five sets to prevail in the first round. Ruud will face USA’s Tommy Paul in the third round.
Joao Fonseca
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He needs to be added to the list after a spectacular comeback win against arguably the greatest men’s player of all time. Fonseca became the first teenager to defeat the Serbian athlete at a Grand Slam event. It was his first time reaching the fourth round of a major.
