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Carlos Alcaraz finds himself battling an injury for the second consecutive clay season. While he found the light at the end of the tunnel last year with his victory at the French Open, a repeat of the same may not happen this time. His current injury could put his chances of competing at this year's French Open in jeopardy.
Jannik Sinner's three-month doping ban is about to end and he could embark on his winning ways once again, while Stefanos Tsitsipas could make a tough decision regarding his father.
As another new month gets underway, here are some rather bold predictions for the month of May 2025 in tennis:
#1. Carlos Alcaraz to potentially skip the French Open
Carlos Alcaraz's clay swing started on a promising note. He won the Monte-Carlo Masters and continued his winning ways to reach the Barcelona Open final. Unfortunately, he sustained an injury while fighting for the title and lost to Holger Rune. He couldn't recover in time for the Madrid Open and withdrew from the tournament.
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There's still no word regarding his participation in the upcoming Italian Open. It's deja vu all over again for the young Spaniard. He missed a bulk of the clay season last year due to an injury as well. He skipped the Monte-Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open, and then lost in the Madrid Open quarterfinals upon his return.
Alcaraz pulled out of the Italian Open after that but made a triumphant comeback by winning the French Open. The key difference being that he sustained his injury at the start of the clay swing last year, while this time he suffered one right in the middle of it.
If Alcaraz doesn't return to action at the Italian Open, then his title defense at the French Open could be in jeopardy. He's also the defending champion at Wimbledon. Depending on his health, he may have to prioritize one over the other and could miss the French Open in order to have a better shot at Wimbledon.
#2. Naomi Osaka to possibly give Patrick Mouratoglou the boot
Naomi Osaka could also end up firing her coach Patrick Mouratoglou. While she has had some solid results working with him, she's yet to reclaim her former glory under his tutelage. She recently lost in the first round of the Madrid Open and is currently participating in a Challenger tournament in Saint-Malo.
Osaka has dropped down to the Challenger circuit for the first time in over a decade. While clay has never been her favored surface, if she doesn't see an uptick in her results soon, she could be having second thoughts about keeping Mouratoglou around.
#3. Jannik Sinner wins the Italian Open upon his comeback
Jannik Sinner tested positive for the banned substance clostebol twice in March 2024, the news of which only broke out in August. He was docked ranking points and prize money for his transgressions. The investigation of the matter concluded following his successful title defense at this year's Australian Open.
Sinner was handed a three-month ban, which will end on Sunday, May 4. He will now return to the tour at the Italian Open, which will get underway from May 6. He will be the favorite to win the title as well. Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the tournament, Carlos Alcaraz is battling another injury and Alexander Zverev remains inconsistent.
With his chief rivals dealing with one problem or the other, Sinner has a great shot at capturing the title. He could be off to a slow start given his absence from the tour. However, if he manages to garner some momentum, he could be unstoppable.
#4. Stefanos Tsitsipas to potentially bar his father from attending his matches
Stefanos Tsitsipas' father, Apostolos, served as his long-time coach. However, following a nasty spat at the Canadian Open 2024, the young Greek decided to terminate his father as his coach.
However, his father seems to be back in the mix once again. He was spotted in his player box at the Monte-Carlo Masters and more recently, the Madrid Open. Tsitsipas lost to Lorenzo Musetti in a tight two-set match in Madrid.
Tsitsipas had previously requested his family to give him space. However, with his father appearing in his professional life once again, he could put his foot down this time and bar him from tagging along for his matches once and for all. The Greek won the title in Dubai when his father wasn't by his side. However, he has endured some tepid results since his re-appearance, which could lead him to asking his father to cede his interruptions.
