When I read BBC Sport tennis news reporter’s piece by Jonathon Jurejko about Jannik Sinner world No. 1 and favourite to win the Paris Grand Slam Roland Garros this year I could believe he’s lost in the second round to Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo seeded 56 after being up two sets to love and 5-1 in the 3rd, serving for the match. The score line, 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1. To be fair Sinner wasn’t well but the young Argentine broke a 30 match winning streak and showed once again why tennis fans love the sport. You never know what’s going to happen even when it looked like it was all over for Cerundolo. Anyone would feel for Jannik Sinner who told reporters the loss was “tough to accept.”
Sinner out of the field feels like a gift to Djokovic supporters hoping to see him win his recordbreaking 25th slam and reaching the semis in each of the last five, the after beating Sinner at this years Australian Open only to be beaten by Carlos Alcaraz, out of Roland Garros this year with a wrist injury, in the final.
Without Alcaraz pundits predicted this years men’s draw lacked jeopardy. “Who could stop Sinner?” Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have swept the previous nine Grand Slams between them, going head-to-head in three of those finals. And then this. All of a sudden Tennis Grand Slams, no longer “a predictable two horse race”
Now with the men’s draw blown wide open, a draw in which quite a few players will feel their chances of a grand slam title have increased, Zverev in particular seeded second, yet to win a grand slam title can Novak prove to the remaining stalwarts fans of great player like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal he is truly deserving of the title GOAT (his boisterous and sometimes seen as ungentlemanly and unsportsmanlike behaviour at the beginning of his career put some people off) and give himself the best 39th birthday present ever by also beating his own record in 2023 becoming the oldest man again to ever win in Paris.
Djokovic had the ice packs to hand to beat France's Valentin Royer in the scorching Paris tenperatures a few days ago, and I am sure will be thinking differently now about his quest for an elusive standalone record 25th Grand Slam.
As the third seed he is the only man left who knows what it takes to win a major, this one in particular.
Playing next, the Chatrier day session (fourth round) against the Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca, when temperatures are predicted to reach 34C, will be a test for sure. Nole fans will be praying for a thunder storm to break.
When (if) Novak gets past Fonseca, fans know he has the capacity to build momentum through the tournament and with temperatures predicted to drop significantly next week and the bit between his teeth. The closer he gets who can really beat him?
Djokovic's on-court aura known to put off many younger opponents and Alexander Zverev second seed in Paris, described as the best player of his generation to have never won a major, is one of them.
When the conditions, cooler weather, favour Djokovic, he has continued to defy the ageing process even as a part timer a surprise for many when he beat Sinner in this year's Australian Open semi-finals.
Last year, it was either Alcaraz or Sinner who stopped Djokovic in the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open semi-finals.
With both now out of his way, there is only Zverev left in the draw who I think has the experience of beating the Serb great in a Grand Slam setting.
Even if Alexander Zverev makes it to the final, against Novak I don’t think he’ll be able to shake off the memory of losing to Djokovic last year in the Semi Finals of the French.
Zverev may be the favourite on paper but there’s a reason call Novak Djokovic the GOAT.
Whatever happens the tournament is now set to be the most exciting French Open especially for Novak Djokovic supporters.
There’s a good deal of talent in the draw, and in tennis we’ve seen time and time again anything can happen but what an end to the most wonderful magically and heart stopping career in sport it would be. On the clay especially where so many have not so warmly received Novak Djokovic and he has split the crowd for sure to be the champion one last time. Theresa would be tears I am in no doubt.
I’ll be wearing my lucky Roland Garros Socks.
I’ve mentioned French tennis photographer Corinne Dubreuil on here before @cocodubreuilphoto on Instagram but no one captures the tennis action in stills better than her. She has also just released a beautiful book of iconic images celebrating Novak’s epic career. Available now on Amazon. I have to say I might be breaking my Amazon boycott to purchase. I would have used one of her images here with my snoop with credits of course but without permission didn’t want to do that so I’ve snapped my precious socks instead. Check out her photos. They really are amazing.