Sinner’s path to maiden French Open title not easy despite Alcaraz’s absence, says ex-British No 1: ‘There’s a lot more…’
Former British No. 1 Greg Rusedski believes the 2026 French Open will present new challenges for world No. 1 Jannik Sinner following Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal because of a wrist injury.
Former British number one Greg Rusedski expressed his thoughts on why the 2026 French Open would bring new challenges for the top-ranked Jannik Sinner following Carlos Alcaraz's exit. Alcaraz has confirmed that he will not defend his title at the French Open due to a wrist injury. The former world number one suffered an injury in the first round of the Barcelona Open, and scans have revealed that it is more serious than expected.
Rusedski speaks on the challenges Sinner would face
Rusedski believes Alcaraz's injury will put a spotlight on Sinner to win all the tournaments en route to the French Open. He added that if the Spaniard misses Wimbledon as well, the pressure would be on Sinner, and it would not be easy to handle the pressure and expectations.
More from Tennis News“There’s a lot more pressure and expectation because I’m saying he’s gonna win the French Open, he’s gonna win Madrid, he’s gonna win Rome, he should win everything he plays now.
“Then imagine if Alcaraz doesn’t show up to Wimbledon. Again, the pressure will be on. You should win everything, you should win everything. That’s not easy to manage that expectation and pressure,” Rusedski said on his podcast Off Court With Greg Rusedski, as quoted by Tennis365.
Rusedski, however, admitted that in Carlos' absence, other competitors would also look to raise their level, making the challenge tougher for the world number one.
Is Sinner the only favourite to win the French Open?
Sinner came agonisingly close to winning the French Open last year after marching into the tournament final. But Alcaraz emerged victorious in one of the greatest clay-court summit clashes, which lasted five hours and 29 minutes.
With Alcaraz not defending his championship this year, Sinner becomes the top favourite to win the Roland Garros crown. But stars like Novak Djokovic, Casper Rudd and Alexander Zverev are also among the popular picks to claim the title this year.
The iconic French Open Grand Slam tournament takes place from May 18 to June 7, 2026, at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France.
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