Roland Garros 2024: Who will take home the title this year?

Roland Garros 2024: Who will take home the title this year?

Finally, it's that time again. It's the end of May, and that means the hearts of many tennis fans are beating faster. Why? The ever-prestigious Roland Garros is just around the corner! The major preparatory tournaments on clay are over, and so, after about four months of waiting, a Grand Slam tournament is finally back on the schedule. All the more reason for Sjeng Sports to take you through the most important aspects leading up to the tournament, which begins on Sunday, May 26th. Who are the favorites this year? Which Dutch players have qualified for the main draw, and what about the form of stars like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic? In this preview, we'll break it all down for you!

Favorites for the title

Just like every year, the calendar leading up to Roland Garros was packed with tournaments where players could try to find their peak form on clay. However, these tournaments didn't immediately reveal who would be the big favorite for Roland Garros 2024. Andrey Rublev was the best in Madrid, Stefanos Tsitsipas took the title at the Monte Carlo tournament, and that honor went to Germany's Alexander Zverev in Rome. All of these players could be considered outsiders for the main prize in Paris, especially now that they've proven their form with the aforementioned victories.

Of course, names like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz , ranked second and third in the world respectively, shouldn't be forgotten. However, it remains unclear whether Sinner, who won the Australian Open earlier this year, will compete at Roland Garros. The Italian was injured at the tournament in Rome and indicated he would only play when he was fully fit. Alcaraz, on the other hand, will definitely attempt to win his first Roland Garros title. The Spaniard, who is making his fourth appearance in Paris and was eliminated in the semifinals last year, is seen by many as the top favorite for victory. Another contender, who will undoubtedly be aiming for the title again after losing two consecutive Roland Garros finals, is Norwegian Casper Ruud .

How are Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic?

Speaking of favorites: how are Rafael Nadal (fourteen Roland Garros titles) and Novak Djokovic (three Roland Garros titles and defending champion) doing? For the Spaniard, his return to clay hasn't quite met his expectations. While he secured three victories at the Madrid tournament, he was unable to advance far in the tournament due to Alex de Minaur, Jiri Lehecka, and Hubert Hurkacz in Barcelona, ​​Madrid, and Rome, respectively. So, the now almost 38-year-old Nadal's form will have to improve in Paris, especially now that the draw has been announced. Nadal will face Zverev in the first round, and it certainly won't be easy.

Djokovic's preparations were also far from smooth. The world number one recently dismissed his former coach, Goran Ivanisevic, and played only a few pre-season matches. In Monte Carlo, he lost in three sets to Casper Ruud, and in Rome, the Serb suffered a surprising defeat to Chilean Alejandro Tabilo. Out of necessity, he accepted a wildcard for the tournament in Geneva, Switzerland, to prepare as best as possible for Roland Garros. There, he proved too strong for Tallon Griekspoor, among others. Is the current world number one, as he has so often shown, back in top form at just the right time?

The Dutch contribution to Roland Garros 2024

What about the Dutch players at Roland Garros 2024? In the men's event, three Dutch players are in the main draw: Griekspoor and Botic van de Zandschulp qualified directly for the main draw, while Jesper de Jong qualified impressively through qualifying. The Hoofddorp native defeated American Jeffrey John Wolf in this qualifying tournament, among others. In the women's event, Arantxa Rus is the only player to qualify. She will face German three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber in the first round. Arianne Hartono and Suzan Lamens were eliminated in qualifying and will therefore not be playing in the main draw in Paris.

Griekspoor had a mixed preparation for Roland Garros. The North Hollander was eliminated in the first round of two tournaments, but in return, he achieved a strong victory against Dane Holger Rune. In Paris, he reached the second round twice, and this year he will face American Mackenzie McDonald in the first round. Van de Zandschulp, who reached the third round at Roland Garros in 2022, will play Italian clay-court specialist Fabio Fognini in his first match. During his preparation, he reached the second round in Munich, Madrid, and Rome, among other cities, while Rus lost her last two clay-court tournaments in the first round.

Iga Swiatek big favorite among the women

In the women's event, all eyes, as almost always, are on Iga Swiatek . The Polish player has won three of the last four editions of Roland Garros and proudly leads the WTA rankings. Swiatek also won the recent tournaments in Madrid and Rome. The world number one can expect competition from players like Aryna Sabalenka , whom she defeated in the finals in both Madrid and Rome, and Elena Rybakina , whom Swiatek defeated on the clay courts in Stuttgart a month ago. American Danielle Collins has also demonstrated her top form. Collins won titles in Charleston (clay) and Miami (hard court) and also made a strong impression in both Rome and Madrid. Could the thirty-year-old Collins pull off a surprise victory with a first Grand Slam singles title?

Last five winners of Roland Garros:

2019: Rafael Nadal (m) and Ashleigh Barty (f)
2020: Rafael Nadal (m) and Iga Swiatek (f)
2021: Novak Djokovic (m) and Barbora Krejcikova (f)
2022: Rafael Nadal (m) and Iga Swiatek (f)
2023: Novak Djokovic (m) and Iga Swiatek (f)

Prize money Roland Garros 2024 (both men and women):