Carlos Alcaraz enters Roland Garros using excessive on confidence after toppling chief rival Jannik Sinner in Rome, however the defending champion expects the rejuvenated Italian – now previous his doping ban – to pose a good larger risk in Paris.
Alcaraz and Sinner have landed on reverse sides of the draw, organising the tantalizing prospect of one other marquee ultimate between the game’s brightest younger stars, with the Spaniard climbing again to world No. 2 following his Italian Open triumph.
The 22-year-old has been practically untouchable on clay this season, profitable 15 of 16 matches, lifting the Monte Carlo title, ending runner-up in Barcelona and capping his run with victory in Rome after skipping Madrid due to a thigh damage.
Alcaraz additionally holds the sting of their rivalry, profitable the final 4 encounters to guide 7-4, together with a five-set basic in final yr’s French Open semifinal. Sunday’s victory additionally snapped Sinner’s 26-match win streak.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz believes the problem of enjoying Sinner brings the very best out of him.
“He’s the best player in the world. It doesn’t matter that he was out of the tour for three months. Every tournament he’s playing, he plays great. The numbers are there. He wins almost every match he plays,” Alcaraz mentioned.
“If I don’t play at my greatest, 10 out of 10, it’s going to be unattainable to beat him. That’s why I’m extra targeted after I’m enjoying towards him, or I really feel a little bit bit completely different after I’m going to face him than different gamers.
“He has that aura. When you’re seeing him on the opposite aspect of the web, it’s completely different.
“I’m not going to say I’m feeling like when Rafa (Nadal) and Roger (Federer) are playing, but I’m feeling like it’s a different energy when we are facing each other.”
Sinner suffered his first straight-sets loss in 18 months in Rome, underlining his dominance in that point. Equally spectacular, although, was his run to the ultimate in his first event since retaining the Australian Open title in January.
‘Closer than expected’
“I am closer than expected in a way of everything,” mentioned Sinner, who served a three-month ban after twice testing optimistic for traces of the banned anabolic steroid clostebol.
Sinner has at all times maintained the product entered his system unintentionally by a therapeutic massage from his physiotherapist, who had used a twig containing it to deal with a minimize.
He finally reached a settlement after authorities accepted the contamination was unintended and {that a} longer ban can be an “unduly harsh sanction.”
“After three months, coming here and making this result means a lot to me,” Sinner mentioned after his runner-up end in Rome. “It gives me, hopefully, confidence to play some good tennis also in Paris.”
Sinner referred to as Alcaraz “the man to beat,” however Alexander Zverev is among the many title contenders too after falling simply brief in final yr’s ultimate. Zverev then misplaced to Sinner within the Australian Open ultimate however does have a clay trophy beneath his belt this season after profitable in Munich.
He made a late resolution to enter the Hamburg occasion this week after shedding within the quarterfinals in Rome, trying to find a lift after a “very negative” loss to Lorenzo Musetti.
“This can’t be the last match before the French Open. … I need positivity before it starts,” Zverev mentioned.
Djokovic going beneath the radar
Novak Djokovic will contact down in Paris with restricted expectations for a person with a document 24 Grand Slam titles, three of them coming at Roland Garros.
The longtime former world No. 1 has slipped to sixth within the rankings, leaving him weak to a attainable quarterfinal towards Alcaraz or Sinner, as his look ahead to a tour-level one centesimal title goes on. His final got here on the Olympics, the place he beat Alcaraz on Court Philippe Chatrier to assert an elusive gold medal.
Djokovic skipped Rome after early exits in Monte Carlo and Madrid and is seeking to rediscover kind by enjoying in Geneva.
Madrid champion Casper Ruud is a two-time Roland Garros runner-up, whereas Britain’s Jack Draper ranks a career-best No. 5 after profitable at Indian Wells and reaching the Madrid ultimate.
Musetti has additionally impressed in the course of the clay swing. The Italian misplaced the Monte Carlo ultimate to Alcaraz and reached the semifinals in each Madrid and Rome.
Holger Rune is the one participant to beat Alcaraz on clay this season, however he has struggled with health on both aspect of his Barcelona triumph.
Source: www.dailysabah.com