Third Quarter
Last year, Djokovic took an extended good-bye bow in front of the fans at Roland Garros, then said it might be his last trip there. But here he is again, turning 39 as we speak, and ready to try it again. I’m guessing that any doubts he had about entering went away when Alcaraz announced he wouldn’t be here. With his absence, the Serb must feel like his chances at a record 25th major title are 50 percent better. Now there’s only one definite obstacle—Sinner—in his path.
Can Djokovic get to him? He has played a grand total of one match on clay this year, a three-set loss to an opponent outside the Top 50. But even at his age, Djokovic is still a different animal at the Slams. He made the semis of all four of them last year, and the final at the Australian Open this year.
That said, he’ll have to work. He starts against French ace machine Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, could play Fonseca in the third round, two-time finalist Casper Ruud in the fourth, and Alex de Minaur in the quarters.
Of those opponents, Ruud, who made the final in Rome, looms the largest. Djokovic is 5-1 against him, but Ruud won their most recent match, on clay in 2024. If they do play, the winner might be the favorite to make the final.
