Jannik Sinner has been warned of three players in particular ahead of Roland Garros this year.
Sinner is the huge favorite to win Roland Garros this year, as he is currently on a 29-match winning streak which has seen him win titles in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid and most recently Rome.
The world number one will be looking to join his biggest rival Carlos Alcaraz, who has withdrawn from Roland Garros and Wimbledon due to a wrist injury, by becoming the 10th man in history to complete the Career Grand Slam at Roland Garros this year.
While Sinner looks to be the player to beat at Roland Garros, six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker has suggested three players who could be a threat to him in Paris.
Boris Becker names the three biggest threats to Jannik Sinner at Roland Garros
When speaking to La Gazetta dello Sport, Becker named Alexander Zverev, Casper Ruud and Rafael Jodar as the biggest threats to Sinner at Roland Garros this year, and he was particularly high on the latter.
“Maybe Zverev, he’s very strong on clay and has a score to settle in Paris,” said Becker. “Then, obviously, Ruud.
“I really like Jodar: I’m a big fan of his, I think he’ll become a star. I like his style, the way he carries himself: he’s humble, not arrogant.”
Jodar has impressed during the clay court season, winning his maiden ATP title in Marrakech, as well as reaching the quarterfinals of both the Madrid Open and the Italian Open.
This has enabled the Spanish teenager to continue his huge climb up the rankings to be seeded for his debut appearance at Roland Garros.
Can Rafael Jodar fill the void left by Carlos Alcaraz?
He's certainly stepped up in his absence so far…
Becker was then asked if he thinks younger players are more of a threat to Sinner than more established players, to which he suggested he thought was the case.
“Yes. Players of his generation often lose matches in the locker room because they’ve already lost so many times against him,” answered Becker.
“The younger players, on the other hand, play freely, without fear, without expectations, and this makes them more dangerous.”
Becker’s comments tally up with Sinner’s head-to-head against both Zverev and Ruud, who he has a combined 15-4 head-to-head against after beating them in the finals of the Madrid Open and the Italian Open, respectively.
Sinner has only played Jodar once before, beating him in a competitive straight sets win in Spanish capital last month.
When could Jannik Sinner play Alexander Zverev, Casper Ruud and Rafael Jodar at Roland Garros?
If Sinner’s three biggest threats at Roland Garros are Zverev, Ruud and Jodar then he will be encouraged by the draw.
Zverev, Ruud and Jodar are all in the bottom half of the draw, meaning that Sinner can only play one of them and that will only be if they reach the final.
Some of the threats to Sinner in his half of the draw include Felix Auger-Aliassime, Ben Shelton and Luciano Darderi.
Which player is most likely to stop Jannik Sinner from winning the French Open? 🤔
Sinner’s first round opponent is French wildcard Clement Tabur, who has never won a Grand Slam main draw match before.
The first round match between Sinner and Tabur will take place on either Monday, May 25 or Tuesday, May 26.
