In the women's draw, the tournament must confirm the advent of the Big3 Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina.

Among the French, Caroline Garcia represents the best chance tricolor although she is lacking confidence. The men's draw will be marked by the returns of Gaël Monfils and Lucas Pouille, as well as the expectations placed on the promising Luca van Assche and Arthur Fils.

. Favourites

Carlos Alcaraz, world No. 1, is promised a great future and he knows it.

The last ten winners in men's singles at Roland-Garros © Vincent LEFAI / AFP

"Even if Rafael Nadal had been there, I wouldn't have given myself any less chance of winning," he said.

"I would say that I am more mature than last year, mentally I am better, and I read better what is happening on the court," warns the 20-year-old who has everything to become the heir of Nadal.

But we must not forget the "old" Djokovic (36 years old) who, after equaling in Australia the record of 22 titles in Major of Nadal, intends to add a 23rd on the very land of the Spaniard.

Even if he "is not in great physical shape, he is exceptional in Grand Slams," said coach Patrick Mouratoglou who will be in Holger Rune's box.

Of all the players on the board, "Djokovic is the one who wins the most Grand Slams every year," Mouratoglou insists.

As fate would have it, if they were to meet face to face it would be in the semi-finals, the Serb having dropped this week to third in the world.

. The fishermen to win in circles

From the unexpected -on clay- Daniil Medvedev (2nd) to the one expected at the highest level Jannik Sinner (8th), they are six to line up if not as potential winners, at least as scarecrows.

"I have accumulated a lot of confidence, I will try to transfer this to the tournament," said Medvedev, who won his first title last week in Rome on a clay he had previously abhorred.

In his half of the table, his main opponents will be Holger Rune (6th), the long-toothed Dane he beat in the final in Rome and whom he could meet in the semis in Paris.

Before that, he had to dismiss Sinner in the quarters and Rune had to get rid of his Scandinavian rival Casper Ruud (5th), finalist last year.

At the top of the table, Djokovic and Alcaraz will find many pitfalls on their way. Among them, Stefanos Tsitsipas (4th) seems promised to the Spaniard in the quarters.

"There will be no easy opponent. Some don't like the dirt as much as I do, and some have improved on this surface, like Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev," said the Greek.

"My potential is great and I feel it," warns the 2021 finalist (he led two sets to zero in the final against Djokovic).

For his part, Djokovic could face Rublev (7th), winner of the Masters 1000 of Monte-Carlo in April.

. A female Big3

Poland's Iga Swiatek (World No. 1), Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka (No. 2) and Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina (No. 4) have established themselves as the queens of the circuit in recent months.

Photomontage of Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka and Polognaise Iga Swiatek, two of the favorites of Rolans-Garros © Thomas COEX / AFP / Archives

Of its five defeats of the season, Swiatek owes four to its two rivals.

They share the last four Grand Slam tournaments: Swiatek won at Roland Garros and the US Open last year, Rybakina won Wimbledon 2022 and lost in the final of the Australian Open in January to Sabalenka.

They arrive in Paris having won seven tournaments between them since the beginning of the year, including the main and last played on clay: Sabalenka in Adelaide and the Australian Open (hard) and Madrid (gravel), Swiatek in Doha (hard) and Stuttgart (gravel), Rybakina in Indian Wells (hard) and Rome (gravel).

In addition, the place of world N.1 is at stake between Sabalenka and Swiatek who will only be able to face each other in the final.

Is Belarusian ready to ascend the throne? "I think so," she says. I've improved a lot and I have everything to be No. 1, but I don't want to focus on that, I just want to focus on my game."

The last 10 winners of Roland-Garros © / AFP

Rybakina will have her role to play since she will probably be on the road of the Pole.

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