Who are the favourites to win the 2024 French Open?

The Grand Slam tournaments are the undisputed highlights of the tennis season. May traditionally marks the start of the French Open, the second major of the year.

For many French tennis fans, the French Open is their favourite tournament, because it takes place in Paris in generally (but not always) good weather.

It's a very popular tournament, but often less interesting in the final when Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic feature, as they usually snatch the trophy.

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Despite his 14 French Open titles, however, Nadal has been a shadow of his former self since returning from injury at the start of the year, while Djokovic has undoubtedly had one of the worst starts to the season of his career.

Their drop in level means that the field is much more open than usual, and that the 2024 French Open is anyone's to win. Let's take a look at the favourites for this year's event.

Carlos Alcaraz seems to be the big favourite this year. The young Spaniard, who has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the last two years, seemed to be the only player capable of playing at a more or less similar level to Nadal and Djokovic.

Having already won two Grand Slams, Alcaraz has good experience of the majors. However, his start to the season has not been exceptional and has been marked by injuries, which suggests that he will not be able to play the tournament at 100%.

As for Jannik Sinner, he was the big revelation at the start of the 2024 season, and he also has a few cards up his sleeve. After a fine start to the season, however, Sinner had to take time off to treat a painful hip.

Sinner is back in training for the French Open, but it seems unlikely that he will be able to play without pain. If he does play, he'll want to go all the way.

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Stefanos Tsitsipas is another firm favourite for victory. The Greek, who had a difficult few months with poor results, has since bounced back on clay, his favourite surface.

Already a finalist in 2021 against Djokovic, the Greek came close to winning on Paris soil before the Serb got the better of him. Can he reach another French Open final?

Like Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud has also reached the French Open final. The Norwegian has done so twice, losing both times to Nadal and Djokovic, who beat him comfortably on both occasions.

But this year, the Norwegian has a card to play. A finalist in Monte-Carlo and winner in Barcelona, Ruud is clearly one of the best players on clay, and also one of the most consistent this season, which makes him one to watch in Paris.

Alexander Zverev could be another player to keep an eye on in Paris. The German reached the semi-finals two years ago before suffering a serious ankle injury against Nadal.

Even if he's not a great clay-court fan, Daniil Medvedev showed that he can be dangerous on the surface. Will the Russian surprise us?

However, even if Nadal and Djokovic start the tournament at a lower level than they are used to, the magic of the French Open could soon inspire the two champions to reach their best level. Ready for some clay action?

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