Jack Draper’s new haircut, will Emma Raducanu be match? A rejuvenated Novak Djokovic at French Open in Gigi Salmon’s column

It appears unusual to be making ready for and now writing concerning the French Open with an entry record that does not embrace 14-time champion Rafa Nadal.

For so long as I’ve been on website in Paris, so has Nadal, the years when it was the remainder of the sphere in opposition to Nadal with inevitably the Spaniard popping out in high, the years which he missed via damage which noticed a collective sigh of aid from the remainder of the sphere after which final yr with the thoughts prepared however the physique damaged as he performed his last match on the Grand Slam that he had made his personal.

So no Nadal however loads of others to concentrate on…

Let’s start with the Brits so that you can be careful for, who they’re up in opposition to and their probabilities, beginning with world No 5 Jack Draper. This time final yr Jack was ranked simply inside the highest 40 and his keep in Paris was transient, shedding within the first spherical to Jesper de Jong over 5 units.

Quick ahead 12 months and within the Race to Turin he’s fourth, profitable one title (a Masters 1000) from three finals together with a primary Masters 1000 last on clay, reaching the ultimate in Madrid and quarter-finals in Rome. Though since his arrival within the French capital it appears a lot of the chat has been about his new haircut somewhat than his tennis, one thing that Jack goes to should get used to, because the curiosity in him will stretch far past what he’s doing on the tennis courtroom.

He’ll begin his marketing campaign with a whole lot of confidence in opposition to the Italian world No 68 Mattia Bellucci, who he beat on the out of doors exhausting courts of Tokyo final yr with out an excessive amount of fuss after which among the many seeds in his part are Geneva finalist Hubert Hurkacz, Miami Open winner Jakub Mensik and the Australian Alex de Minaur – whereas a quarter-final may see a gathering with world No 1 Jannik Sinner.

Trying to attain the final 16 for a 3rd successive Grand Slam, Jack has been quoted as saying: “I feel really confident I am able to go deeper in these tournaments and that’s the next step for me – to have consistently good runs at Grand Slams.”

Becoming a member of Jack within the draw is Cameron Norrie who had a very good run in Geneva, shedding within the semi-finals to Novak Djokovic, taking his rating as much as 81. He faces eleventh seed Daniil Medvedev and with Medvedev having a love-hate relationship with the crimson filth and at considerably of a profession crossroads, whereas not an ideal draw, I hesitate to say it, nevertheless it may very well be worse.

Additionally in that second second part of the highest half is Jacob Fearnley on his French Open debut, having solely performed his first tour-level clay-court match in April earlier than happening to win eight out of 13 matches. He faces former champion Stan Wawrinka who has been wild carded into the draw.

What can Boulter and Raducanu do in Paris?

For the British girls Katie Boulter leads the best way, contemporary from her WTA 125 title in Paris and she or he is up in opposition to qualifier and world No 227 from France Carole Monnet. Boulter discovering herself within the backside part of the draw and a win would arrange a possible second-round conflict with Australian Open champion Madison Keys.

Additionally in that a part of the draw is Sonay Kartal, who takes on Mirra Andreeva’s older sister Erika.

Emma Raducanu faces Wang Xinyu for a second time this yr on the lookout for a primary win, with the winner greater than more likely to face four-time French Open champion Iga Swaitek in spherical two.

There may be additionally the matter of a again difficulty that Emma is coping with and chatting with her after her defeat to Danielle Collins in Strasbourg, she mentioned: “It’s annoying. It’s frustrating. And I get these spasms, and they’re quite intense and can just last quite a long time. I’ll just try and make it better.”

And talking of the American she is the first-round opponent of Jodie Burrage.

Historical past-maker Djokovic working with doubles accomplice

Away from the Brits and I need to begin with three-time French Open champion Novak Djokovic whose seek for tour title No 100 got here to an finish on Saturday when he beat Hurkacz within the last of the ATP Geneva 250 occasion.

Djokovic grew to become simply the third man within the Open period to win 100 or extra titles, becoming a member of Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103). He additionally grew to become the primary man within the Open period to raise a trophy in 20 completely different seasons, along with his first title since claiming gold ultimately summer time’s Olympics.

It was a possibility to seek out some kind and confidence earlier than going through his hardest and probably last problem, to win Grand Slam title No 25.

Not working with Andy Murray, his former assistant coach and doubles accomplice Dusan Vemic can be by his aspect till no less than the top of his run in Paris. When it comes to his draw, it isn’t too dangerous within the early levels, going through gamers who aren’t in the most effective of kind. Issues then get tough into week two the place a run to the ultimate may see him play Medvedev, Sascha Zverev, Sinner after which Carlos Alcaraz if all of the seeds had been to carry!

I do not assume we can be celebrating the primary participant to realize this milestone in two weeks’ time as I nonetheless assume that Djokovic’s finest likelihood of attending to No 25 will come on the grass at Wimbledon.

One other Alcaraz vs Sinner showdown?

The 2 standouts within the males’s draw are defending champion Alcaraz who has misplaced simply as soon as on the clay this yr and solely twice since Could final yr. He’s a pure on this floor, is available in with the Rome title underneath his belt and on the subject of his rivalry with Sinner, as spectacular because the Italian’s return to motion has been following his three-month ban.

The Spaniard has extra matches in his legs. Sinner felt like the ultimate he would lose to Alcaraz in Rome was the right method to see the place his sport was forward of coming to Paris, so it may be fascinating to see if the ultimate we wished and acquired within the Everlasting Metropolis can be replicated within the French capital!

Outdoors of Alcaraz and Sinner having already spoken of Djokovic and Draper it’s important to point out former finalists Zverev and Casper Ruud, with Barcelona winner Holger Rune and Monte-Carlo finalist Lorenzo Mussetti’s names additionally being talked about in contender conversations.

Can Swiatek rediscover her clay kind?

Swiatek’s ‘Queen of Clay’ title hasn’t been used as a lot within the run-up to the French Open regardless of profitable 4 of the final 5 titles. The rationale, her head-scratching kind, which for a lot of could be above and past expectations – 27 wins from 36 matches, reaching 4 semi-finals – however for somebody used to residing on the high of the rankings and competing for titles regularly she is in considerably of a barren patch, having not received a trophy or reached a last because the French Open final yr.

What the early exit in Rome allowed her to do was regroup, arrive in Paris early and be again at a spot the place she feels snug and for the previous few years has celebrated her birthday, with a cake on standby for Could 31 when she’s going to flip 24.

The draw hasn’t been sort and will play out: Rebecca Sramkova, Raducanu, Marta Kostyuk, Elena Rybakina, Jasmine Paolini, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff.

What it has achieved is given us a brand new favorite in world No 1 Sabalenka, semi-finalist in 2023, quarter-finalist final yr, however by far the shape participant on the WTA Tour, profitable 36 of her 40 matches performed this yr with a return of three titles from six finals, together with the WTA 1000 on the clay in Madrid.

Talking forward of the event, she mentioned: “Physically, mentally, and tennis-wise, I feel stronger than ever on clay. I know I can do well on clay. I feel really strong and super excited coming here, and I hope this will be the year I’m really proud of myself on this surface.”

Is Andreeva a contender? Zheng to trigger an upset?

To go together with how properly she is feeling on the clay, her draw has been sort, with the primary actual hurdle more likely to be a gathering with the Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng within the quarter-finals.

Additionally within the dialog must be Gauff, runner-up in Paris three years in the past and a semi-finalist final yr and she or he appears to be rounding into kind having reached back-to-back finals in Madrid and Rome, and final yr’s finalist Paolini, a winner in Rome, displaying everybody that 2024 wasn’t a one off and she or he could be very a lot again for extra!

Discussions inside the Sky Sports activities Tennis staff throughout Madrid had 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva as a powerful contender and for some (Colin Fleming) a powerful favorite, whereas my point out of including Zheng to the record did not go down too properly. She has the newest recollections of profitable right here, choosing up gold ultimately yr’s Paris Olympics, certainly that can imply one thing!

Probably the most unpredictable participant in both draw for me is Rybakina who I wasn’t going to say till she received the WTA 500 title is Strasbourg on Saturday, placing herself certainly again within the dialog along with her first title in over a yr.

So, in conclusion, nothing is reduce and dried this yr because it has been in others.

For years now this has been the most secure of the Grand Slams to foretell and be proper, now with the ‘King of Clay’ retired and the ‘Queen of Clay’ asking herself questions it may properly result in an fascinating couple of weeks in Paris.

Watch the ATP and WTA Excursions, in addition to the US Open in New York, dwell on Sky Sports activities in 2025 or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports activities app, giving Sky Sports activities prospects entry to over 50 per cent extra dwell sport this yr at no additional price. Discover out extra right here.