With Roland Garros only weeks away, former French Open winner Francesca Schiavone has picked an exciting candidate to lift the men’s title this year.
With Rafael Nadal nearing the end of his career, his era of dominance in Paris looks to be set to come to an end.
This year’s event, therefore, looks fairly open on the men’s side of the draw – where Nadal will be looking for a fairytale ending in the French capital.
It is Jannik Sinner who Schiavone thinks could be lifting the title next month though, after his highly impressive season to date.
Francesca Schiavone picks Jannik Sinner as favourite to lift French Open this year
“With respect and professionalism, I say that Sinner is the favorite in Paris,” the former world number four said to Quotidiano Sportivo.
“Despite the major difficulties he will have to face, as it is not the surface that makes him stand out, the great skills of a champion are adaptation and self-confidence It’s wonderful to have an Italian almost at the top.
“Patience is the secret of those who win on earth. You need humility and work to bring out this characteristic, while maintaining your identity. On earth the most intelligent wins, you have to give everything and rest a lot.
“With his physical and tactical growth he managed to win in a strategic and intelligent way. He has matured, and now he is able to extend rallies, moving the ball with great patience.”
Jannik Sinner’s past Roland Garros record
Sinner has proven a popular choice to win the French Open this year, with Roger Federer’s former coach Ivan Ljubicic also tipping him to reign supreme. The backing is for good reason too, as Sinner is certainly the in-form player across tennis right now, with only two defeats to his name so far this year.
The 22-year-old won his maiden Grand Slam earlier this year when he defeated Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in a five-set thriller in the Australian Open.
He has also been performing exceptionally well in other tournaments, winning the Monte-Carlo Masters and the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam, and making deep runs in Indian Wells and the Monte-Carlo Masters.
The biggest question mark surrounding the Italian at the minute is his injury status. Sinner had to withdraw from the Madrid Open, just before the start of his quarter-final against Felix Auger Aliassime due to a hip injury.
Sinner’s past record at the French Open also isn’t the most eye-catching, although it should be noted that he has progressed hugely since his last time in Paris.
Sinner’s best run at Roland Garros came during his first outing at the event, where he reached the quarter-finals in 2020. He has since gone on to make the fourth round twice and made an early exit last year in the second round, when he was beaten by Daniel Altmaier over five sets.