Roland-Garros 2023: what are the best French chances of the fortnight?

Gauthier Delomez / Photo credits: AFP 19:30 p.m., May 26, 2023

All the French hopes of the fortnight of Roland-Garros 2023 will rest on the shoulders of a Frenchwoman: Caroline Garcia. Indeed this year, the Lyonnaise is the only representative of the French contingent, women and men combined, to be seeded in the singles tables, with what is more the status of number 5 thanks to her fifth place in the world. The winner of the last Women's Masters in 2022 is the French player to follow closely, confirms Cédric Pioline, consultant of Europe 1, the official radio of Roland-Garros, although the former quarter-finalist in 2017 is experiencing a complicated tennis period...

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On paper, "Caroline Garcia is our best French chance"

"Caroline Garcia is, on paper, our best French chance, but yes, she has been going through a difficult period almost since the beginning of the year," said the man who was also fifth in the world in 2000. "Compared to her level, her ranking and what she produced at the end of last season, she underperforms in a way. I hope that she will be able to get her head back in the place and that she will be able to produce the game to go at least in the second week, "projects the double winner of the Davis Cup (1996, 2001).

And the consultant of Europe 1 for the fortnight to share his optimism: "In the second week, we know that there is a final sprint, and with her experience and her level of play, she could go far and why not lift the trophy". For this, the 29-year-old Lyonnaise will in any case have a lot to do since she is located in the same part of the draw as the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, world number 2 and winner this year in Madrid, a tournament on clay. The two players could face each other as early as the quarterfinals.

Time for confirmation for Diane Parry

Among the other French players in the running, the spectators of the Porte d'Auteuil will be happy to find Alizé Cornet who, at 33 years old, plays one of her last seasons on the world circuit. The Niçoise, 59th in the world, is not seeded. "Now we know that she is a fighter, that she will not give up and that she is able, with her experience, with the public as well, to make us a good tournament," he said. Alizé Cornet will face Italy's Camilla Giorgi, ranked 36th in the world, in the first round, before a possible meeting with the world's third player, American Jessica Pegula, in the next round.

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Another Niçoise catches the attention of Cédric Pioline: Diane Parry, 77th in the world at just 20 years old, who had distinguished herself last year at Porte d'Auteuil by eliminating the defending champion in the second round. "She's interesting, she's young, with good potential. I really like his game, "says the former French champion, who recalls that she won last week at the Clarins Trophy, just next to Roland-Garros. A first feat will be achieved in the first round, against the Ukrainian 25 seed, Anhelina Kalinina.

Richard Gasquet and Gaël Monfils, the last two "Musketeers" at the end of their careers

For the men, the task looks (again) complicated to succeed Yannick Noah, the last Tricolore to have lifted the Coupe des Mousquetaires in 1983. Like last year, none of them will be seeded, that is to say, they can quickly face the cadors of the circuit. The French number one in the standings, Ugo Humbert, 38th, will challenge his compatriot and French number 2, Adrian Mannarino, in the first round.

Richard Gasquet, 36, will be opposed to another player of the Hexagon, Arthur Rinderknech, in "an end of career where he always takes a lot of pleasure to play, and we to see him play," insists Cédric Pioline. However, "it seems quite clear that Richard has more and more difficulty to chain efforts, difficult matches ...", decrypts the consultant of Europe 1.

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"It's much more complex" for the last of the "four Musketeers", Gaël Monfils, says Cédric Pioline. "We all have in mind the Gaël Monfils who made us dream, former semi-finalist at Roland-Garros (in 2008). But since he resumed after a really annoying injury, he is struggling to find his level. It is difficult to gauge his state of form, "says the former world number 5, who is waiting to see his entry into the main draw, against the Argentine Sebastian Baez, clay specialist, before a possible confrontation with the Danish phenomenon Holger Rune.

Luca Van Assche, "an extremely promising player"

On the French side, the future could well belong to the next generation in the men's draw. The first player expected is Luca Van Assche, 18 years old and already 79th in the world. The native of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert in Belgium joined the top 100 this year, becoming the youngest French player to achieve this feat since Gaël Monfils.

"He is a player who is extremely promising," says Cédric Pioline. Among those who have performed so early in the past, "the worst of them was top 20 minimum, and we are talking about players who have been in the top ten, or even better," notes the current director of the Paris-Bercy tournament. This one "has a bright future ahead of him, with an interesting game, an interesting personality, very mature but with a lot of room for improvement. He can give us a good surprise this year in his career, and we will have to follow him in the years to come."

In the first round, Luca Van Assche will meet a former semi-finalist Porte d'Auteuil, the Italian Marco Cecchinato (73rd in the world), and can foresee an opposition with another tricolor nugget, Arthur Fils (18 years old, 112th in the world), facing the solid Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (29th). This could be a remake of the final of the 2021 junior edition, won for Luca Van Assche. A poster that French tennis fans expect more than anything.