Carlos Alcaraz’s decision to sit out the Roland Garros tournament has opened the door for a number of ATP Tour players.
Alcaraz was forced to skip both the French Open and Wimbledon because of a lingering wrist problem.
With the Spaniard missing, Jannik Sinner now stands as the clear favourite, though it also gives others a better chance — including former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev.
Before getting started, Medvedev was asked whether Alcaraz’s absence changed anything for him.
Medvedev addresses Alcaraz’s withdrawal
Speaking in his post-match press conference, he said: “I’ll be honest, for me, it doesn’t make a a difference, because it’s Roland Garros, I’ve never been to the semis here, so I take it match at a time.
“Of course, if I’m in the semis and I play Jannik [Sinner], and maybe you know that Carlos is not there on the other side, you know it’s maybe an easier challenge to try to win the whole thing.
“But at the moment, we’re not there, I’m playing my first round, which I’ve probably lost six times at Roland Garros!
“So I just want to do my best, try to go further through the draw. As I say, maybe if I’m in the semis or the final, I could answer the same question, and say, yeah, you know what, it might be easier to win the whole thing.
“But in general, I would say I hope he comes back. I know he’s not playing Wimbledon, so I hope he comes back as fast as possible. With what he has, I’m not sure what he has. We love to see him in the locker room and on court as well.”
Medvedev’s path through Roland Garros
Medvedev starts his Roland Garros run against Adam Walton, with both players holding one win each in their previous meetings on the tour.
If he gets through that opener, he’ll meet either Alexei Popyrin, a former Masters champion, or the American Zachary Svajda in round two.
Looking at the draw, Medvedev finds himself in what many consider the weakest quarter. It gives him a good shot at reaching his first-ever French Open semi-final.
Other names in his section include Felix Auger-Aliassime, Flavio Cobolli, Valentin Vacherot and Learner Tien.
The best Medvedev has done at Roland Garros is a quarter-final appearance back in 2021.
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