No Nadal! Who has the best chance of winning this year's French Open?

Things got very interesting on the men’s side of the draw leading up to the major, as Rafael Nadal withdrew from the French Open before the tournament. This will give others a more legitimate chance of winning the major. There are also some exciting players to keep an eye out for on the women’s side as well.

Perhaps the largest beneficiary of Nadal’s absence is fellow generational talent Djokovic. Nadal has been a master on clay for the entirety of his career, which opens the door for Djokovic to win his second major of 2023. After a hiatus from the Australian Open, Djokovic flashed his classic form in January’s tournament.

Although one legendary Spaniard will not be on hand at the French Open, another young rising star from the company will look to etch his name in history. Alcaraz is still just a teenager, but has been a force on tour for the better part of a year. He’s only won one major in his career, and a French Open title would be a nice stepping stone for him.

It seems like Tsitsipas is always in the mix at major tournaments, but has been befuddled by one of the elite talents in later rounds. With one less daunting foe to face, Tsitsipas may have a chance to get to the semifinals if the draw breaks favorably, and could find himself in the finals of a major for the second time this year.

He seems like a longshot in the eyes of tennis aficionados, but Fritz has the talent to make a deep French Open run. He’s really come into his own in the last seven months or so, playing his best tennis right when the Grand Slam tournament schedule has picked back up again. His only three tournament wins have come on hard or grass courts, so he’ll need to expertly navigate the clay surface.

Pegula is no stranger to high profile sporting events, as she is the daughter of Terry and Kim Pegula, who own the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. She’ll be on center stage during the French Open, as arguably the most qualified American woman to come away with a tournament victory.

As Serena Williams has exited stage left from tennis, Swiatek has looked to usher in a new era of dominance in women’s tennis. She’s captured three Grand Slam titles, two of which have come at Roland Garros. The 21 year-old has shown a notable comfort level on clay, and will look to defend her 2022 French Open victory.

It’s not often that Middle Eastern or African tennis players ascend to great heights, but Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur is hoping to change that narrative. She’s currently ranked inside the top 10, and will inspire a different demographic of tennis fans if she’s able to pull out a win. She’s been close a couple of times in majors, qualifying for the finals of the U.S. Open and Wimbledon in 2022.

Another player who has been close a few times but hasn’t yet won a major title is Maria Sakkari. She has consistently been ranked highly on the women’s tour, and has made a couple of Grand Slam semifinals in her career. Tennis fans were treated to a closer look at Sakkari’s mindset and preparation in the Netflix special “Break Point.”