Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are heading to the French Open with big question marks hanging over them, yet the two stars tipped to dominate men’s tennis are still among the favourites to lift their first title at Roland Garros.
Alcaraz has been nursing a forearm injury that forced him to pull out of clay court tournaments in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome, with his only appearance on the surface in recent weeks confirming the arm problem has not been resolved as he lost to Andrey Rublev in Madrid.
Sinner’s hip problem forced him to pull out of the Madrid Open and also miss his home tournament in Rome, sparking fears that he would miss the French Open.
Yet after undergoing treatment at the medical facility attached to Italian soccer giants Juventus in recent days, Sinner made a tentative return to the clay courts to practice in recent days and he arrived in Paris ahead of the French Open on Wednesday.
Playing some practice sets is very different to getting through two weeks of a Grand Slam tournament, which could include long five-set matches that will test their injury worries to the full.
Now six-time Grand Slam doubles champion and Netherlands Davis Cup captain Paul Haarhuis has told Tennis365 that Alcaraz and Sinner will be heading into Roland Garros more concerned about their physical issues than focusing on the challenge of winning in Paris.
