Carlos Alcaraz French Open withdrawal: Five favourites and outsiders for Roland-Garros after champion's injury setback

Feliciano Lopez’s comments, made arsenic soon arsenic the Madrid Open started, were ill-timed and somewhat ill-considered.

Unsurprisingly, the Madrid Open tourney director’s statements that Carlos Alcaraz was an wounded uncertainty for the French Open were met with opprobrium, fixed the escaped mode successful which they were made.

In truth, possibly galore were acrophobic to see the anticipation of the two-time defending champion not playing immoderate portion successful this year’s event, 12 months aft his epic five-set, five-hour, 29-minute victory implicit Jannik Sinner connected Court Philippe Chatrier.

However, the feline was fto retired of the container connected Friday, arsenic quality yet emerged that the seven-time Grand Slam champion volition miss the 2026 Slam, ending his chances of a three-peat successful the French capital.

History volition beryllium made successful Paris this year, wherever a caller champion volition beryllium crowned oregon a wily aged seasoned volition exploit this opening to unafraid an elusive historical Grand Slam title.

With the clay play efficaciously turned upside down by 1 announcement, Sports Mole takes you done the challengers and outsiders for the 2026 French Open title.

French Open 2026: Who are the favourites?

Jannik Sinner

A twelvemonth aft a chastening nonaccomplishment to his affable rival connected Philippe-Chatrier, Sinner returns arsenic the undoubted favourite with the Spanish superstar missing.

The Italian star’s mentation heading into this year’s 2nd Major is besides antithetic from 2025, erstwhile helium returned from a three-month doping suspension conscionable earlier the Italian Open — the 3rd and last Masters tourney preceding Roland Garros — and without a large rubric connected the dirt.

Nevertheless, Sinner came wrong 1 constituent of defeating Alcaraz connected the latter’s favourite surface, lone for the satellite No. 2 to prevention 3 title points successful the 4th acceptable earlier winning the rip-roaring 2025 final.

This time, the four-time Grand Slam champion has claimed the crown successful Monte-Carlo, dethroning Alcaraz successful a two-set success, is the favourite to assertion a maiden crown successful Madrid to grounds 5 consecutive Masters 1000 wins and heads to Paris without having to interest astir his affable rival.

However, the 27-time ATP champion inactive has 1 idiosyncratic — connected insubstantial astatine slightest — to interest about.

Novak Djokovic

If anyone had been asked astatine the crook of the year, past Djokovic defeating Sinner seemed far-fetched; however, the GOAT rolled backmost the years successful Melbourne, “changing his number” connected Arthur Ashe successful January to extremity a five-match losing tally against a subordinate 14 years his junior.

But adjacent that was not enough, arsenic tennis enthusiasts yet got an reply to a question that had been asked for a while: could Djokovic bushed some Sinner and Alcaraz en way to winning different Slam?

After requiring 4 hours and 9 minutes to bushed Sinner 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 successful the semi-finals, the 38-year-old could not prolong his high-level opening acceptable successful the rubric match, yet losing to Alcaraz 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 successful 3 hours.

Despite minimal enactment since the archetypal Major of 2026 — the satellite No. 4’s lone lawsuit was successful Indian Wells — and with nary clay-court enactment frankincense far, determination are further question marks astir the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

This would not beryllium the archetypal time, and astir surely not the last, arsenic helium looks to instrumentality vantage of a uncommon model of accidental with Alcaraz missing.

Knowing Djokovic means knowing that the Serbian volition beryllium licking his lips astatine this accidental and giving his each successful the French capital. Is No. 25 imminent?

Alexander Zverev

Many contend that the German superstar is the top men’s subordinate ne'er to triumph a Grand Slam, but this is not different avenue to marque antecedently made arguments.

Instead, it is worthy mentioning however different accidental has been presented to the satellite No. 3, who enters Roland Garros arsenic the 2nd seed, thereby avoiding Sinner until the precise extremity if each goes to form.

Zverev trails successful his head-to-head with the Italian, losing 8 successful a enactment aft claiming 4 of their archetypal 5 meetings, including 4 connected the spin.

However, helium is winless successful 3 years against the satellite No. 1, astir apt presenting his biggest headache up of the 2nd Slam of 2026.

The four-time Roland Garros semi-finalist and 2024 finalist, though, returns to the country of his adjacent miss 2 years ago, alert of different accidental to assertion an elusive Major.

The 28-year-old, though, indispensable reply 3 burning questions: tin helium lick his Sinner puzzle, tin helium yet decision Djokovic successful a completed lucifer astatine a Slam if some men conscionable and tin helium debar getting successful his ain mode by playing passive tennis connected the precise crunch points?

Paris has offered Zverev anticipation of a maiden Slam, but it has besides delivered gut-wrenching defeats — lawsuit successful point: being forced to discontinue injured successful the 2022 semi-final against Rafael Nadal — yet it whitethorn yet assistance him his elusive Major.

French Open 2026: Who are the outsiders?

Lorenzo Musetti enters arsenic a compelling acheronian horse, having flourished past play with a Monte-Carlo last quality and semi-final runs astatine each Masters 1000 lawsuit earlier reaching the past 4 astatine Roland Garros.

Although gathering lucifer fittingness aft sustaining an Australian Open injury, imaginable heavy runs successful Madrid and Rome could supply the momentum required for a daze triumph.

Conversely, the clay-court expertise of Casper Ruud remains undeniable. As the defending Madrid champion with an exceptional aboveground grounds and 2 erstwhile French Open finals, losing to Nadal and Djokovic successful 2022 and 2023, the Norwegian possesses the pedigree to capitalise if the favourites stumble, ensuring helium remains a formidable menace successful Paris.

With Alcaraz out, the throne successful Paris is vacant. Is Djokovic destined for fig 25 oregon is it yet clip for Sinner oregon Zverev to regularisation the clay?

One mode oregon another, past volition beryllium made successful the French superior this summer.