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Weeks of exicitng claycourt tennis across Europe have all led to this — the 2023 French Open, the red dirt Major that begins its 127th edition on May 28.
While Rafael Nadal will be missing from this year's tournament, the presence of fellow Big-3 player Novak Djokovic and the World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the draw ensures that fans remain invested.
That said, there are plenty of other players who will be looking to topple the favorites for the title over the coming two weeks. Here, we look at three probable dark horses for the 2023 French Open:
Andrey Rublev
A year ago, not many would have put Andrey Rublev in contention for the big titles on clay, let alone the French Open.
However, the Russian went on to prove his naysayers wrong when he lifted the Monte-Carlo Masters trophy this year. He scored wins over the likes of Taylor Fritz, Karen Khachanov and Holger Rune en-route to the title, proving that he was capable of hitting his opponents off the court on any surface.
With the mental hurdle being broken past, Rublev could well start envisioning himself as a potential contender for the big league — even on his least favored red dirt.
Jannik Sinner
Much likes Rublev, many would tip Jannik Sinner to lift a Grand Slam trophy — sooner than later — on one of the faster surfaces. And yet, that would be a rather limited assessment of the youngster's talent, which transcends surfaces.
Sinner, in his limited time on tour, has played well on all surfaces. In fact, it was the French Open where he had his first big breakthrough when he reached the quarterfinals as an 18-year-old.
His power-packed game works well on clay as well and he has beaten the best, including Carlos Alcaraz as recently as last year, on the red dirt. His mental toughness is another aspect that makes him very difficult to brush aside, especially in lengthy drawn-out matches, the kind that one gets to witness quite often on the surface.
Cameron Norrie
On the opposite spectrum from both Rublev and Sinner lies Cameron Norrie, a player whose game is well-suited for the surface — so much so that he is one of two players to have handed Carlos Alcaraz a drubbing on the surface this year.
Norrie's win over the World No. 1 in Rio, where he lifted the trophy, would have come as a huge boost for his confidence. Having played most of his career in the shadow of Andy Murray, Norrie has only come to the fore in recent years.
That is also a part of the reason why he is yet to be seen as a true contender for the biggest titles on the ATP Tour, despite him having laid the groundwork. A 500 win on clay in Rio and Masters 1000 at Indian Wells, also a slower court, are all indicative of just what the Briton is capable of given the right draw and right conditions.
