Even without Alcaraz, the French Open can be saved

Carlos Alcaraz is out of the French Open due to the wrist injury that he suffered in Barcelona. And if he is already withdrawing from a tournament that is a month away, it’s safe to assume the injury is bad enough such that he won’t be able to play in a tournament that is two months away — Wimbledon.

That means it will be the spring and summer of Jannik Sinner, whom we can already crown champion at Roland Garros and at the All-England Club. Right?

In the words of former college football analyst Lee Corso: not so fast, my friends.

Rather than Sinner sleepwalking to the next two Grand Slam titles, there could be — even without Alcaraz — more than a little bit of intrigue in the cards for the upcoming festivities in Paris and London. If there are two majors where Sinner could be tested by someone other than Alcaraz, they are the ones played on clay and grass. On clay, there is always a chance that Sinner gets pushed to the physical limit — especially over the course of up to seven best-of-five-set matches. The Italian owns an infamous 0-9 record in matches that last at least three hours and 50 minutes — a statistic that could certainly become a factor at the French Open. On grass, the possibility exists that Sinner runs into a huge server who simply redlines on a given day and takes the racket out of his hands.

Do I think anyone can beat Sinner fair and square at the French? No. But there is — even in Alcaraz’s absence — enough quality on the ATP Tour right now that a combination of several players extending Sinner to four or five sets in Paris could eventually wear him down.

Alexander Zverev came within a set of beating Alcaraz for the 2024 title. If Zverev can take two sets off Alcaraz on the terre battue, he can — regardless of his recent struggles in the head-to-head matchup — steal at least that many off Sinner. Arthur Fils is on fire and will have the French crowd in a frenzy — especially if he faces Sinner at some point during the second week. Lorenzo Musetti is healthy again and starting to resemble the player who was incredible throughout last year’s clay-court swing. And don’t forget about Novak Djokovic. The 24-time Grand Slam champion may be idle at the moment, but he can never be discounted when he shows up for a major — just ask Sinner, who lost to Djokovic in the Australian Open semis earlier this year.

That is the short list of guys who — however unlikely — could lift La Coupe des Mousquetaires. But a Grand Slam isn’t all about the eventual champion. The journey over the course of a fortnight can be just as significant as the destination. Even if Sinner does steamroll his way to the trophy, it can still be a memorable fortnight in Paris.

In this case I’m looking at rising stars like Rafael Jodar and Joao Fonseca. Jodar and Fonseca just put a jolt into one Alcaraz-less tournament by treating the Spanish faithful to a three-set battle in round three of the Madrid Masters. Would a similarly raucous atmosphere greet them in France? Maybe — because everyone enjoys a star of the future regardless of where they are from, and every match the Brazilian plays might as well be a home match (unless it’s vs. Jodar in Spain, Fils in France, Jack Draper in London, etc.). Despite being just 19 years old, both Fonseca and Jodar could entertain the Parisian fans for a long time…maybe even for a full fortnight if they land in the bottom half of the draw away from Sinner.

And then — at the opposite extreme of the career spectrum — there’s Gael Monfils. The 39-year-old Frenchman is retiring at the end of this season, so he is making his final appearance at Roland Garros. Whether he wins a few matches or loses in the first round, celebrations for Monfils’ career are going to be electric.

There is no doubt that Alcaraz’s injury is a big blow for the sport and an even bigger opening for Sinner. But men’s tennis isn’t all about Sincaraz. And this French Open can prove it.

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