Sinner - the top contender at Roland Garros

Tomorrow, May 24th, Roland Garros – the only Grand Slam tournament played on clay – officially begins. Spanish player Alcaraz, considered the "heir" to the "king" of clay Nadal, is injured and will not participate. Djokovic is past his prime. The question on the minds of tennis fans worldwide is: Who will challenge world number one Sinner for the championship?

Roland Garros without Alcaraz: The stage for Sinner.

The decision of defending champion Carlos Alcaraz to withdraw due to a right wrist injury has created a major shockwave ahead of Roland Garros 2026.

This absence not only dashed the Spanish star's hopes of achieving a hat-trick of Paris championships, but also opened the door to victory, transforming the clay courts of the Roland Garros Stade into a chaotic yet captivating spectacle.

The concept of the "Big 3" has now faded into the past, giving way to a new era of exclusive dominance and a powerful rise from the NextGen generation.

The era of Jannik Sinner's dominance and the specter of exhaustion.

With overwhelming odds of winning from major bookmakers, world number one Jannik Sinner enters the tournament as the strongest contender. Sinner is in devastating form with a streak of 29 consecutive wins since March.

Winning both the Madrid and Rome Masters made him only the second player in history (after Rafael Nadal) to complete a clay court treble in the same season. Sinner's ultimate goal in Paris was clear: to lift the trophy and complete his Career Grand Slam collection at the age of 24.

However, foreign experts have identified an "Achilles' heel" for the Italian player. Former tennis player Russell Fuller commented on BBC Sport: "The relentless training and winning six consecutive Masters tournaments is pushing Sinner to a critical point regarding his physical condition and mental overload. Without Alcaraz to share the media pressure, Sinner has to carry enormous expectations alone."

Can veteran Djokovic challenge world number one Sinner?

On social media platform X (Twitter), international tennis forums also erupted in debate. Alcaraz's continued withdrawal from Wimbledon 2026 shows just how serious his wrist injury is. Many fear Sinner could repeat the same injury if he doesn't manage his energy properly in the grueling five-set matches in Paris. This presents a golden opportunity for Alexander Zverev and a "last gamble" for Djokovic.

Alcaraz's withdrawal propelled Zverev to the number 2 seed, placing him in a completely different bracket from Sinner. Sky Sports expert Naomi Broady described this as a "golden opportunity" for the German player to shed his reputation as a "great runner-up" after repeatedly missing out on major finals. Zverev's clay court game has reached its peak, and avoiding Sinner until the final is an invaluable advantage.

Meanwhile, legend Djokovic (celebrating his 39th birthday just before the tournament) is considered the underdog (+1600) by bookmakers due to not having won any titles in 2026. However, in-depth analysis on Puntodebreak warns that underestimating Nole is a fatal mistake. In the five-set format at Grand Slams, the experience and skill of the 24-time Major champion remains a lurking threat to any young contender.

Let's watch and enjoy the top matches of world tennis.

HOANG NAM

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/the-thao/the-thao-quoc-te/202605/sinner-ung-cu-vien-so-mot-cua-roland-garros-ac5659f/