PARIS: Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and world number one Jannik Sinner resume the hottest rivalry in men’s tennis at the French Open, where Novak Djokovic will fly the flag for the old guard as the claycourt Grand Slam enters the post-Rafa Nadal era when its first round begins on Sunday.

After Nadal exited the 2024 edition of the major he won a record 14 times, Alcaraz emerged as the Spaniard’s heir apparent with his first Roland Garros title.

Alcaraz has geared up for his title defence with a sparkling campaign on clay this season, with the 22-year-old capturing his first Monte Carlo crown and defeating Sinner in the Italian Open final on Sunday to complete his set of elite claycourt honours.

Alcaraz and Sinner have shared the last five Grand Slam titles between them, with the Spaniard claiming the French Open and Wimbledon last year, while Sinner opened his major account with victory in the Australian Open in 2024 before winning the US Open and defending his Melbourne title in January.

“I think for the people, for the tennis fans, I think it’s great to have a match-up from some players that make them excited about watching that match,” Alcaraz told his pre-tournament press conference on Friday.

“Right now I think the people are excited every time that I’m facing Jannik. Our matches I think are a really high quality of tennis. I think for the people and probably the people who don’t like watching tennis, I think (our rivalry) is something that because of that [they have] started to watch tennis.”

Sinner showed little sign of rust in his first event back from a three-month ban for two doping violations, and fans will be hoping the world number one scythes through the draw to meet Alcaraz in the final.

“There is a lot of room to improve,” Sinner told journalists on Friday about his performance in Rome.

He has played at five previous French Opens, with his best run to the semi-finals last year where he lost in five sets to Alcaraz.

“For sure it was great after three months coming back making final. It was my first big final on clay, which is not to underrate, because we worked a lot for that, but also it was a great feeling to be part of this final. Hopefully we are on time to make small changes for here.”

Djokovic won the last of his record 24 Grand Slam titles at the U.S. Open in 2023 and is enduring one of the worst spells of his magnificent career.

The Serb unexpectedly accepted a wildcard for this week’s Geneva Open in a bid to find claycourt form after losing his opening matches at Monte Carlo and Madrid.

Djokovic celebrated his 38th birthday on Thursday and while he has suddenly looked vulnerable against the hungry young stars on the tour, few will write him off completely when he returns to the venue where he won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

While Djokovic goes in search of a 25th Grand Slam crown, Germany’s Alexander Zverev continues his bid for a first after being hammered by Sinner in the Australian Open final — his third straight defeat in a major championship title match.

A host of other contenders will be in the mix in Paris, including Barcelona champion Holger Rune, Madrid winner and former French Open finalist Casper Ruud, as well as the fast-rising duo of Lorenzo Musetti and Jack Draper.

While Nadal’s name will not be etched onto the trophy this year, the 22-time major champion will return to his happiest hunting ground for a grand celebration of his achievements on the opening day of the tournament.

SWIATEK’S TOUGH CHALLENGE

On the women’s side, four-time champion Iga Swiatek will face a serious challenge to her dominance of the tournament with the former world number one going to Paris on the back of a disappointing season so far.

Poland’s Swiatek, who has dropped to fifth in the world rankings, has so far failed to win a title this year despite a few deep runs in tournaments, including the Australian Open semi-finals.

Winner of the last three French Open crowns, Swiatek has been lacking the punching power and precision that have seen her claim five Grand Slam titles and she has failed to make any mark on clay this year ahead of Paris.

A semi-final spot in Madrid was her best showing before an early exit in Rome added to her season’s troubles earlier in May.

The Pole admitted she had been weighed down by perfectionism in recent weeks but believes a subtle shift in attitude could be the key to extending her dominance on Parisian clay.

“After [the third-round defeat in] Rome, I had a lot of time to think about how I played and what my attitude was,” Swiatek told reporters on Friday. “I realised I needed to change something and maybe get a little bit more energetic before matches.”

It will not be easy though with world number one Aryna Sabalenka the most consistent of all the top players with three titles so far this season and another three finals.

Sabalenka has never reached the final in Paris, with the Belarusian’s power game more suited to faster surfaces, but her title win on clay in Madrid set her up nicely for Paris.

A one-time semi-finalist at Roland Garros, Sabalenka is determined not to let anything upset her title hopes, insisting she relishes the pressure of being the player to beat.

“Throughout the years I’ve improved a lot [on clay] and today I feel physically, mentally... my game is pretty much ready to play on clay. Yeah, I definitely feel stronger than ever,” Sabalenka told journalists.

American Coco Gauff, a losing French Open finalist to Swiatek in 2022 who has made at least the quarter-finals each year since 2021, also has high hopes, having reached the final in Rome in a solid run-up to the tournament.

She lost to Italy’s Jasmine Paolini, who also beat her in Stuttgart, having been beaten by Sabalenka in the Madrid final.

Paolini, beaten by Swiatek in last year’s French Open final, earned a stunning victory in Rome — the first Italian woman to win the title there in 40 years — sending out a warning to other contenders in Paris.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2025