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Dominic Thiem's form coming into Roland Garros would undoubtedly be a point of concern for the Austrian. Despite his proven ability on clay - he reached the French Open final in both 2018 and 2019 - Thiem is yet to find his footing on the red dirt this year.
The 27-year-old made his comeback in Madrid, looking solid in his run to the semis, but has only won one match since. After beating Marton Fucsovics in the Rome second round, Thiem lost to Lorenzo Sonego in the third. He then bowed out of Lyon at the very first hurdle, getting thrashed by Cameron Norrie.
The 2020 US Open champion has entered Paris admittedly worse prepared for the claycourt Slam than he has been in previous years. And his draw is far from straightforward either, despite the fact that he is seeded fourth.
Dominic Thiem's 1st round opponent - Pablo Andujar
Dominic Thiem has drawn Spain's Pablo Andujar in the first round of Roland Garros 2021. Most would have considered Andujar to be an easy opponent a few weeks ago. But after putting up a semifinal run in Geneva - where he defeated Roger Federer in the second round - the 35-year-old could prove to be a tricky customer.
That said, the match will likely be on Thiem's racket, and he should be expected to sail through.
Dominic Thiem's likely 2nd round opponent - Federico Delbonis / Radu Albot
If he gets past Pablo Andujar in the first round, Dominic Thiem will take on one of Radu Albot or Federico Delbonis in the second. While Albot is unlikely to cause too many troubles to Thiem, Delbonis' recent claycourt form makes him a threat.
The Argentine reached the third round in Madrid, as well as the quarterfinals in Rome (from qualifying). At the time of writing, Delbonis is scheduled to play in the semifinals of the Belgrade Open.
Thiem leads the head-to-head against Delbonis 2-0, with both wins coming on clay. Although the Austrian will fancy his chances against a significantly lower-ranked opponent, he can't afford to take Delbonis lightly.
Dominic Thiem's likely 3rd round opponent - Fabio Fognini / Marton Fucsovics
As per the seedings, Dominic Thiem is likely to meet Fabio Fognini in the Roland Garros third round. Fognini has been out of form lately, but his experience and claycourt expertise could come in handy against the Austrian.
Thiem's solidity would ordinarily be tough for the Italian to overcome in a best-of-five-sets match. But the Austrian would have to be careful about not losing focus against someone who looks to play free-flowing tennis without caution.
Fognini may well miss out on the third round if he bows out against Marton Fucsovics in the second roun. Interestingly, Thiem struggled to put away Fucsovics in their second-round encounter at Rome earlier this month.
Thiem leads the head-to-head against Fognini 3-1 and against Fucsovics 2-0.
Dominic Thiem's likely 4th round opponent - Casper Ruud
Things could get really tricky for Dominic Thiem if he makes the second week of the claycourt Slam. The Austrian is on course to face 15th seed Casper Ruud in the fourth round.
Ruud is an out-and-out claycourt specialist. The Norwegian reached three consecutive semifinals on clay this year - at Monte Carlo, Munich and Madrid - before going on to win his first title of the year in Geneva.
Ruud is undoubtedly a player that all the top seeds would have liked to avoid in the fourth round, given his power and clay-based game. If Thiem is able to play himself into form by the fourth round, the crosscourt forehand exchanges between the pair should be a delight to watch.
Ruud can, however, potentially bow out earlier than the fourth round. The 22-year-old does not have the best record in the best-of-five format, and faces talented players like Benoit Paire and Hubert Hurkacz in the first week.
Thiem leads the head-to-head against Ruud 1-0. Their only previous meeting took place in the Roland Garros third round last year, where the Austrian won in straight sets.
Dominic Thiem's likely quarterfinal opponent - Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev is the likeliest opponent for Dominic Thiem in the quarterfinals. The German has been handed a favorable draw, and his form coming into the tournament is excellent.
Zverev won the Madrid Masters earlier this month, defeating Thiem in the semifinals along the way. While the conditions in Madrid may have suited the German, his powerful game could pose all sorts of problems to Thiem in Paris too.
That said, Thiem leads the head-to-head against Zverev 8-3.
Dominic Thiem's likely semifinal opponent - Stefanos Tsitsipas
If Dominic Thiem gets past the quarterfinals, he is likely to take on the in-form Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals. Tsitsipas is in Daniil Medvedev's quarter at Roland Garros this year, and could face the likes of Pablo Carreno Busta, Grigor Dimitrov and Cristian Garin prior to the last four stage.
The Greek has arguably been the most consistent player on the men's tour this year. He has won two titles already in 2021 - at Monte Carlo and Lyon - and also has a runner-up finish in Barcelona to his credit.
Thiem and Tsitsipas last faced each other on clay in 2018, when the Austrian beat his younger opponent on the way to the finals. This was just over a month after the Greek had beaten Thiem in Barcelona.
This particular matchup suits Thiem's playing style, and if he makes it to the semifinals he will likely be in good rhythm too. But given the kind of form Tsitsipas has been in lately, the match will undoubtedly be a challenge.
Thiem leads the head-to-head against Tsitsipas 5-3.
Dominic Thiem's likely opponent in the final - Rafael Nadal / Novak Djokovic
If Dominic Thiem is to make it to the final in Paris this year, he would have done so without beating Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer.
While his chances of facing Federer are extremely low, Thiem will probably face one of Nadal or Djokovic in the summit clash. The Austrian has, interestingly, beaten both players on clay - and he has beaten Djokovic multiple times at Roland Garros itself.
Dominic Thiem's predicted finish at Roland Garros 2021
Despite his poor run of form, Dominic Thiem is an accomplished claycourter who has a shot at the title if he can play his way into form and fitness. The difficulty of his draw, however, means that he will need to maintain laser-like focus from the get-go.
The Austrian should be expected to make it to at least the fourth round given his experience on the big stage, but he will have to rediscover his absolute best tennis if he hopes to progress beyond that.
