Following Jannik Sinner’s sudden exit from the French Open, the title on the men’s side is completely up for grabs. That means it’s time for an emergency edition of Expert Picks. The question is simple: who is your new pick to lift the trophy now that Sinner is out? A three-team panel weighs in with predictions.
Ricky: Felix Auger-Aliassime. Do I think Auger-Aliassime is the best remaining player in the field? Absolutely not. This pick has everything to do with how the draw now shakes out and the potential final matchup. The top half, where FAA is suddenly the highest-ranked player, completely exploded with Sinner’s ouster. But that’s not all. Ben Shelton, Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Bublik, and Luciano Darderi are also gone. As the 2025 U.S. Open proved, Felix can be among the best players in the world when he is playing with confidence. And if he reaches the final in Paris, it’s safe to say that he would be playing with confidence on championship Sunday. And he would be facing whoever survives a bottom half of the draw that is suddenly the much, much tougher of the two. Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic, Casper Ruud, and Rafael Jodar are all on that side. I think Djokovic would beat Auger-Aliassime in the final, but I don’t see this 39-year-old version of the Serb defeating Zverev. And if it is Zverev in the final, I would have zero faith in the German withstanding the pressure of being the favorite with his first slam title at stake. We already saw how that played out at the 2020 U.S. Open.
Cheryl: Novak Djokovic. The new favorite to win the French Open can now officially be identified as “someone in the bottom half of the draw.” Or, to say it another, less polite way: the top half of the draw is a certified dumpster fire. The sudden absence of the prohibitive tournament favorite seemed to short circuit a number of other seeded players, as Shelton and Darderi both fell immediately after Sinner. That basically leaves No. 10 seed Flavio Cobolli as the best clay-courter left to make the final. Conversely, the bottom half is stacked. Three-time champ Djokovic, two-time finalist Ruud, and world No. 3 Zverev will all be gunning for that final. Teen sensations Rafael Jodar and Joao Fonseca also have an outside shot. So who’s it going to be? I’m going with Djokovic. The Serb just saw his shot at No. 25 open in a way he couldn’t have foreseen. He is the winningest winner who’s ever won. No Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz in the draw? I just can’t pick against the master. Djokovic over Cobolli in the final.
Pete: Novak Djokovic. Sinner’s stunning departure from Roland Garros opens up the floodgates for nearly anyone at this point. Well…not anyone. Realistically, not many will be able to get the job done. The one who can is three-time French Open champion Novak Djokovic. His last four exits at a major were at the hands of Alcaraz and Sinner. The Serb will now have other challenges to meet, particularly in the bottom half of the draw, but he knows the way to victory. Most likely Djokovic would meet Zverev along the way to the final. The German has had his best success at a major at Roland Garros. His “worst” effort on the clay in his last eight appearances was a fourth-round loss in the calendar-delayed 2020 version of the tournament. Another challenge for Djokovic could be Ruud, a two-time French Open finalist who recently reached the Rome final — losing a tightly contested match to Sinner. And then the opponent for Djokovic in the final? Someone completely unexpected from the top half will be appearing in a major final, needing to win one more match to be a major champion. Shocking.
who ya got?
Does not thrill me to say this, but, gotta go with AZ … Back-up? Ruud
Joao Fonseca, he seems to be more matured now and I completely understand the concerns about consistency in results with him and his young age but I can’t see anybody else winning right now.
I was wrong. Haha.
we might have to do this same exercise again in a few days lol
well, a lot of the pundits (all of whom I respect and admire) are WRONG!…..Joker is gone (but he played valiantly). …I’ll take Sasha to win
After Popyrun beat Novak at the USO I was pulling for him, so I’d like to see Fonz win the whole thing now as he also beat Novak, I just think it would be fair given the hard work he put in to beat Novak an all time great
Never believed in predictions anyway.
It’s not even end of week one and seems like all the drama has already happened. In the men’s .
I picked Ruud yesterday in the poll. I don’t think Fonseca will back up his win. ( unless Ruud passes out in the heat). He routinely beats Zverev at Rg. Anyway, Zverev will probably choke or do something mad.
I never thought Djoker had the stamina to win RG on the back of zilch game time before. Clay is most tiring surface. Also we’ve seen him struggle in the heat at his peak…!!
Just seen that Ruud has the night match. Reckon that will suit him fine.
might be good for Fons. He can hit through slower conditions just fine, and Ruud’s game will be less effective.
Ruud likes the high bouncing topspin so yeah.
Fonz has been my dark horse this year, even darker winning from two sets down. #
Pity about Tommy Paul .
Its been one of the most unusual RGs Ive ever seen, and next week it should return to ‘normal’ RG conditions , slower and dampish.
So many matches lost from two sets up