A French Open without Rafael Nadal: What to expect, new favorites now, old rivals still left & more

Rafael Nadal is currently enjoying life away from a hectic tennis schedule. After his retirement in November 2024, the Spaniard admitted to living a life without pain, as he finally received enough time to recover from the multiple injuries he incurred throughout his career. While fans have been missing him for a long time now, it is time for the tennis community to witness the French Open without the "King of Clay".

Rafael Nadal retired in November 2024 at age 38 after several injuries. This was mainly because of the hip and abdominal issues that limited him to just four events since January 2023. His final French Open appearance was a first-round loss to Alexander Zverev, 6–3, 7–6(5), 6–3. This marked his earliest exit at Roland Garros and only his fourth defeat in the tournament, ending with a 112–4 record. Nadal didn't back down from expressing gratitude despite the loss. "If it's the last time, I enjoyed it," he said.

As the French Open approaches, the top-ranked players are gearing up to compete on the iconic Philippe Chatrier court. This year marks the first absence of the Spanish legend Rafael Nadal in 20 years, a span during which he won the tournament a record 14 times.

---

What to expect at the 2025 French Open?

Rafael Nadal became the only player in tennis history to be undefeated in French Open finals until 2022. The Spaniard managed to win all 14 championship matches he reached by the time. Despite his absence from the participants' list, the Spaniard is set to be honored for his legendary record in Paris. After the 3 matches scheduled for Day 1, the Spaniard will be honored on court Philippe Chatrier for his legendary achievements.

Even the young tennis stars mention that the major event would surely be different with Nadal's absence.

“Luckily — or unluckily — I never got to play him in Roland-Garros. It’s nice to not have to worry about him, I guess. That’s the main thing that comes to my mind," American ATP star Tommy Paul said, as reported by NBC sports.

However, Nadal himself admits to not missing the competition as he feels he lives a pain-free life while recovering from the injuries.

"I feel good today, not because I'm back on a tennis court, but because I'm living a normal life without pain. I don't miss playing. I knew I had reached my limit," he told L'Equipe.

---

New favorites emerging at the French Open

With the end of Rafael Nadal's clay court dominance, new ATP stars are making their mark on the red dirt.

Carlos Alcaraz

Starting with the four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz, the Spaniard had a massive head start on the clay-court season. Defeating tough rivals, including Arthur Fils and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, the Spaniard won the Masters 1000 event with a victory over Lorenzo Musetti.

His massive win streak continued to build at the Barcelona Open, where he made it to the finals without dropping a single set. However, he faced an unexpected defeat against Holger Rune, losing the title to the young Dane.

The concerns continued to follow him at the Madrid Open as he announced a withdrawal amid the injury he incurred in Barcelona. The Spaniard came back stronger at the Italian Open, defeating archrival Jannik Sinner in the finals to take home the title.

Jannik Sinner

Despite the defeat against Carlos Alcaraz in Rome, Jannik Sinner still holds a position in the list of favorites at the upcoming French Open. The Spaniard had to miss a major part of the clay court season owing to the 3-month-long doping ban. However, his commendable performance at the Italian Open made it clear that the gap was still not enough to derail the three-time Grand Slam champion.

"It’s definitely going to be different. I know that. But I don’t think they have something against me, no? It’s right that they support the players who are from here, who are local here. You know, I got an amazing atmosphere in Rome because I’m Italian," he said, as reported by Sportstar.

With the 2025 French Open draws already released, the Italian will be initiating his campaign against the local star Arthur Rinderknech.

---

Rafael Nadal's old rival still left in competition

Among the notable rivals who shared the court against Rafael Nadal for a long time, Novak Djokovic still remains in competition. The Serb, despite going through a turbulent phase in the ongoing season, is chasing two historic records. His victory at the 2025 French Open would immortalize his name in the history books as the highest scorer in terms of Grand Slam titles. Currently having 99 ATP titles under his belt, the 38-year-old is looking to complete a century at the ongoing Geneva Open.

This turned out to be a part of his strategy, wherein he decided to withdraw from the Masters 1000 event in Rome. The Serb secured a position in the finals of the ATP 250 event after defeating Matteo Arnaldi and Cameron Norrie. He will now face Hubert Hurkacz in the finals to advance with confidence into the upcoming major event at Roland Garros.