Roland Garros is upon us and, with the qualifying rounds now concluded and the scoreboard outlined, the wait is focused above all on Jannik Sinner. The world number one arrives in Paris with a clear objective: to win the only Slam still missing from his trophy cabinet and thus complete an already extraordinary journey.
The absence of Carlos Alcaraz, stopped by an injury, inevitably changes the balance of the tournament and increases the blue’s chances, who will however have to manage pressure, expectations and a scoreboard full of dangers. Lorenzo Musetti, last edition’s semi-finalist, is also out. There will be nine Azzurri at the start in the men’s main draw, with Sinner called to make his debut against the French wild card Clement Tabur. The first round will also feature a derby between Flavio Cobolli and Andrea Pellegrino: the Roman starts ahead in the previous matches, but the Apulian, who arrived from the qualifiers, will try to exploit the opportunity to give continuity to his path. The spotlight will also be on Luciano Darderi, fresh from a convincing stint in Rome and eagerly awaiting his debut against Sebastian Ofner, while Matteo Arnaldi will try to confirm the positive signs shown in recent weeks against Tallon Griekspoor.
The Italian group is completed with Matteo Berrettini and Lorenzo Sonego, both looking for confidence after a complicated first part of the season, against Marton Fucsovics and Pierre-Hugues Herbert respectively. Federico Cinà, qualified for his first Slam main draw, will face the expert Reilly Opelka, while Mattia Bellucci will try to finally overcome the obstacle of the first round against Quentin Halys. Among foreigners, the first name to follow from a Sinner perspective is Daniil Medvedev. The Russian remains an unpredictable opponent on clay: he can alternate empty passes with performances of the highest level and, if he were to find rhythm, he would become a very uncomfortable obstacle. Immediately behind is Alexander Zverev, seeded number two and still chasing his first Slam title: the German knows he has a great chance, even if his physical condition will need to be monitored after recent back problems. Eyes also on Rafael Jodar, one of the possible surprises of the tournament after a very promising start to his professional career and a quarter-final at the Internazionali d’Italia which increased his visibility and ambitions.
Finally Novak Djokovic, who in Paris can never be considered out of the game. The Serbian arrives with few positive references on clay, but the goal of the twenty-fifth Major alone is enough to make him a danger for anyone. In a Roland Garros without Alcaraz and Musetti, Sinner starts from the front row, but the road to the Musketeers Cup remains long and full of traps.