PARIS, May 21: Jannik Sinner won’t have the crowd on his side when he starts his quest for a career Grand Slam at the French Open this weekend.
Sinner was on Thursday drawn a French opponent in the first round — Clement Tabur, ranked a career-high 165th. Tabur received the wild card vacated by former champion Stan Wawrinka, who gained a late automatic entry.
With two-time reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz out injured, Sinner is the overwhelming men’s favorite on the red clay of Roland Garros.
The Italian is unbeaten in three months.
He’s won 29 straight matches and dropped just three sets.
The French Open is the only major Sinner hasn’t won. Sinner had three match points in last year’s final but Alcaraz prevailed in an epic match.
In the women’s draw, Coco Gauff is trying to become just the third woman to defend the Roland Garros title this century after Justine Henin and Iga Swiątek. Gauff will start her campaign against fellow American Taylor Townsend, a doubles specialist.
In the absence of Alcaraz, who will also miss Wimbledon, Sinner has claimed all three clay Masters 1000s in Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome.
The 24-year-old has the fifth longest winning run in the ATP Tour era (since 1990). Novak Djokovic has the record of 43 straight wins in 2010-11.
With his historic Rome title — first Italian men’s champion in 50 years — Sinner became the second man after Djokovic to win all nine Masters, the biggest tournaments outside the Grand Slams.
Djokovic continues to chase an unprecedented 25th major title. But the Roland Garros champion from 2016, 2021, and 2023 is in Paris with only one match on clay this season and only three tournaments all year because of a shoulder injury.
The 38-year-old will take on Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round.
Djokovic couldn’t meet Sinner until the final.
No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev, still looking for his first major crown after making it to the 2024 final in Paris, will be up against another local player, Benjamin Bonzi.
Home favorite Arthur Fils, the highest-ranked French player at No. 19, opens against Wawrinka in a mouthwatering contest.
GAUFF AIMING TO DEFEND TITLE
Gauff’s first Roland Garros title came with a victory over top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in the final a year ago.
Just like last year, Gauff was the runner-up at the Italian Open, losing in the final to Elina Svitolina. She is No. 4 and seeded to meet No. 1 Sabalenka in the semifinals.
While Sabalenka remains unbeatable at times on hard courts, she is still perfecting her game on clay. She was upset by American Hailey Baptiste in the Madrid Open quarterfinals and lost in the third round at the Italian Open to 36-year-old Sorana Cirstea.
Sabalenka appeared visibly bothered by lower back pain in Rome. Her first-round opponent is Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, a Spaniard ranked 51st.
Elena Rybakina, ranked No. 2 and this year’s Australian Open champion, is in the same half of the draw as No. 3 Swiątek.(AP)
