The 2024 French Open is beginning on Sunday, which means it is time for me to write my 10 things to look for in Paris. If you have not yet seen the draws, click here. Alrighty, let's get started.
#1. Can Rafael Nadal make any noise? Rafael Nadal is likely playing in his final French Open and as a result of his ranking falling, he will open up against No. 4 Alexander Zverev. Smart money is on Zverev to advance, but given that Nadal is the King of Clay, it would be foolish to rule him out. If Nadal could find a way to even reach the 4th round, Paris will be going nuts.
#2. Can anyone stop Iga Swiatek? Iga Swiatek comes in as the number one ranked player in the world having won the French Open three times. She's won the event back-to-back years and will be gunning for her fourth French Open crown, her third straight French Open crown, and her fifth overall grand slam title. She's definitely the favorite to win it on the women's side. Will anyone stop her? That's the question.
#3. Can Novak Djokovic defend his crown? Novak Djokovic comes in as the top seed on the men's side. He's ranked number one in the world and is hoping to win his 25th grand slam title and his fourth French Open. He won the French Open last year, so is coming in as the defending champion. While he's won back-to-back Wimbledons and back-to-back Australian Opens, Djokovic has never won the French Open back-to-back times. Same with the US Open. It'll be interesting to see if he can buck that trend this year.
#4. Can Aryna Sabalenka contend? Aryna Sabalenka comes in as the number two ranked player in the world having reached the semifinals of the French Open last year. She has won the Australian Open twice and is looking for her first French Open title and third grand slam. If you're talking about who has the best chance to beat Swiatek, Sabalenka's name comes up. Having said that, Swiatek is 8-3 all-time against Sabalenka. If Sabalenka is going to beat Swiatek, she's going to have to play her absolute best assuming they do meet in the final.
#5. Can Jannik Sinner build on his Australian Open victory? Jannik Sinner won the Australian Open this year and is now looking for his second grand slam title. A calendar slam is theoretically in play for him though I think everyone would be shocked if he pulled that off. Being Italian, you would think clay would be one of his better surfaces but he's actually struggled on the dirt. At least at Roland Garros. His lone quarterfinals appearance came in 2020 and last year he lost in the 2nd round. It'll be interesting to see if Sinner is able to make a deep run or if he'll flame out early. I could see it going either way, though if I had to guess, I think he'll be at least make it to the Round of 16 (4th round).
#6. Can Coco Gauff go the distance? If you are talking contenders on the women's side, Coco Gauff is a major name to keep an eye on. She is ranked No. 3 in the world and won the US Open in 2023. While she is an American, she loves the clay and reached the French Open final in 2022. I do feel she's going to win a French Open at some point. The only question is when. Will this be the year? We'll just have to find out.
#7. How will Stefanos Tsitsipas perform? Stefanos Tsitsipas comes in as the number nine ranked player in the world. He reached the French Open final in 2021, the semifinals in 2020, and the quarterfinals in 2023. He is yet to win a grand slam, but he keeps knocking on the door. He's a guy who I think has a chance to go all the way, but it's a matter of him staying consistent and getting a break or two along the way. It would be fun to see him pull it off.
#8. Does Jelena Ostapenko have what it takes to win it again? Jelena Ostapenko is a former French Open champion, winning it back in 2017 as a teenager. She comes in as the number nine seed, so she should be getting a pretty good draw. She's been playing good tennis lately to get that seed, but for whatever reason she has never been able to contend at the French Open since winning it all. She's been bounced in the 2nd round back-to-back years and the furthest she has gone since her title is the 3rd round in 2020. It'll be interesting to see if this year can be any different for her.
#9. Can Carlos Alcaraz carry the Spanish torch for Rafael Nadal? While Rafael Nadal is looking like a long shot to win the French Open, there's another Spaniard who has a great opportunity in Carlos Alcaraz, who is ranked number three in the world. Alcaraz has won the US Open and Wimbledon already, making him half-way to the career slam at just 21 years of age. He reached the semifinals of the French Open last year, so he's gaining confidence on the dirt. It would be fitting in a way if Nadal's final French Open resulted in him passing the torch onto Alcaraz. That would be pretty cool (though not as cool as Nadal winning it all, of course).
#10. How does Naomi Osaka perform? After taking all of last year off, Naomi Osaka is back, though she didn't make much noise with her 1st round exit at the Australian Open. Still, she is back and that's exciting for the sport. Given all four of her grand slams have come on the hard courts, it might not be fair to expect much from her at the French Open. Especially since she's never gotten out of the 3rd round. Still, it's worth paying attention to how she does given she's such a big name in the sport.
Prediction: I gotta roll with Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek to win it all. Alcaraz's time to win the French Open I think is now and I think the emotion of this likely being Nadal's final French Open might prove to help lift him a bit given they are both from Spain. As for Swiatek, she owns this tournament. She's won it three times and going for her fourth. I can't pick against her.
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