French Open futures: Carlos Alcaraz favored over Novak Djokovic

The first Grand Slam of 2024 was thrilling Down Under as Italian Jannik Sinner won his first-ever Major, taking home the trophy at the Australian Open. The focus now shifts to the next big event, the French Open in late May. While several ATP tournaments between now and then should be exciting, it’s never too early to look at the French Open futures. At the moment, 2023 finalist Carlos Alcaraz is the favorite to win at Roland Garros, while reigning champ Novak Djokovic isn’t far behind him. Below, we’ll discuss several contenders.

Carlos Alcaraz

Alcaraz is arguably the brightest young star in the sport right now, electrifying the crowd every time he steps on the court. The Spaniard has already had some epic battles with the GOAT Novak Djokovic and already won the US Open in 2022 and Wimbledon in 2023, where he beat Nole. But, 24’ has been a bit tough for Alcaraz so far. He was knocked out in the quarterfinals at the Aussie Open by Alexander Zverev and was also just upset early in the Argentina Open by Nicolas Jarry. The good news is Alcaraz has lots of time to turn around his form and find his best before Roland Garros, a tournament he’s yet to conquer. Alcaraz is at +150 odds at 888sport.

Novak Djokovic

The king. The GOAT. There are many names for Djokovic, who is still killing it at 36 years old. He’s currently the No. 1 ranked player in the world and won a whopping three Grand Slams last season at the French Open, Australian Open, and US Open. Nole isn’t showing any signs of slowing down and has won the French Open thrice. He’s got the second-best odds at most tennis betting sites. Djokovic didn’t fare all that well in the first Major of the year though, losing to Sinner in the semifinals.

Rafael Nadal

There’s a reason they call him the King of Clay. Rafael Nadal has won at Roland Garros a record 14 times in his storied career, including numerous times where he was champ four years in a row. However, Nadal has barely played over the last couple of years due to injuries, which sparked retirement rumors. That being said, the Spaniard just announced he will play in the French Open and at the Olympics. With minimal playing time because of his health, it’s hard to imagine Nadal making a title run in Paris. But, you never know with him. 

Jannik Sinner

Sinner has slowly become one of the best players on the ATP Tour and currently owns a career-best No. 3 ranking. All the Italian’s hard work came to a head in Australia with his first Grand Slam victory, besting Daniil Medvedev in five sets. Sinner has never made it past the quarterfinals at the French Open and doesn’t exactly play great on clay. With momentum from the Aussie Open though, he cannot be underestimated. We’ll see how he performs in tournaments leading up to Roland Garros.

Daniil Medvedev

While Medvedev might not be flashy and super athletic like Alcaraz, he’s one of the most consistent players around who always finds himself in the latter stages of most tournaments. His only Major win came at the 2021 US Open and also making the final on three occasions in Melbourne. The Russian was ranked No. 1 for a short period in 2022 and sits as No. 4 player in the world at the moment. He’s only progressed to one quarterfinal at the French Open.