Roland Garros opens: Jannik Sinner is hard to stop.

Roland Garros 2026 officially begins with a major question being asked by experts: Is there anyone capable of defeating Jannik Sinner?

Sinner's superiority

Today (May 24th), Roland Garros begins. The Grand Slam tournament in Paris is gradually taking shape amidst a highly debated atmosphere.

The players continue to express dissatisfaction with the prize money distribution – currently receiving only about 15% of the total revenue, while demanding at least double that amount – and are now seeking to put pressure on the organizers.

Sinner had a standout season on clay. Photo: FFT

According to The Athletic, the media may be the ones to pay the price, meaning press conferences will be limited to a maximum of 15 minutes, private interviews will be prohibited, and collaborations with the league's official channels will be barred.

Nevertheless, during the draw, tournament director Amelie Mauresmo and president of the French Tennis Federation (FFT) Gilles Moretton remained quite calm.

Carlos Alcaraz's absence remains a deep regret, especially since the Spanish player will also not be participating in Wimbledon.

Therefore, in the opening round of this year's tournament, there was almost no debate about the number one contender for the championship. Everything began – and it is believed that it will also end – with Jannik Sinner .

The Italian player has swept the entire spring season since March with titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid Masters and Rome Masters.

After a break to recover his fitness following a packed schedule, the world number one arrived early at the Bois de Boulogne complex, calmly familiarizing himself with the center court and beginning to strategize for his campaign to conquer Paris.

Last weekend, Sinner completed his Masters 1000 collection with a perfect record, winning 9 out of 9 titles. Now, he's looking forward to his next big challenge at a Grand Slam.

Of the four major tournaments, Roland Garros is the only title he hasn't won yet. If he wins on June 7th, Sinner will complete the "perfect quartet".

Sinner is the top contender for the championship title. Photo: FFT

Sinner is the focal point of the men's singles. The other hot spot is Novak Djokovic. The big question is, at 39 years old, with a body constantly showing signs of injury, how far can the Serbian player go?

Djokovic has recently been having problems with his elbow, but as always, he continues to fight.

Djokovic and his challengers

Few had faith in Djokovic at the Australian Open, yet he defeated Sinner before losing to Alcaraz after a match where the first set was almost perfect.

However, if he couldn't progress further in Melbourne, then in Paris, where the surface has always been more challenging for Nole, despite having won Roland Garros three times – the task becomes even more difficult.

At least, Djokovic can console himself that he's only facing Sinner in a hypothetical final. Certainly, with his ambition for his 25th Grand Slam title, Nole will do everything he can to make that a reality.

Nole will open his campaign against the powerful server Giovani Mpetshi Perricard – this will mark his 82nd Grand Slam appearance, setting a new record (currently shared with Roger Federer and Feliciano Lopez), while Sinner will face home favorite Clement Tabur (world No. 165).

At 39, Djokovic is still full of ambition. Photo: FFT

A tournament without Alcaraz would leave a huge void. That opens the stage for those who dare to take risks and create an upset.

Top contenders like Alexander Zverev or Casper Ruud don't inspire much confidence, despite their extensive experience on clay. The same goes for Felix Auger-Aliassimem, Ben Shelton, Daniil Medvedev, and Taylor Fritz.

On a smaller scale, experts are also looking towards Rafael Jodar. The 19-year-old Madrid player, still inexperienced both technically and physically, is making his debut in Paris after making a positive impression on the clay court season.

Nevertheless, all factors point to Sinner's superiority. At this point, it seems the Italian player's biggest opponent is himself and his circumstances.

If last year Sinner arrived in Paris as a question mark, after a three-month suspension related to clostebol and without truly proving his abilities on clay, this year he appears unstoppable, and no longer under the shadow of Alcaraz.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/roland-garros-khai-mac-ai-co-the-can-duoc-jannik-sinner-2518737.html