Roland Garros 2019: 5 men's players to watch out for

The second Grand Slam of the year is about to begin, which means the focus has now shifted to Roland Garros. Rafael Nadal will once again be the center of attention, and the Spaniard will also be high on confidence after winning the Rome Masters. The 32-year-old will be hoping to win his 12th French Open title, extending his own record of 11 trophies.

On the other hand, Roger Federer returned to clay after three years by playing in the Madrid Open where he lost to Dominic Thiem in the quarterfinals. In the Rome Masters a leg injury forced him to withdraw from the quarterfinals, cutting short his preparations.

Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, has had a good run in 2019; he has won the Australian Open as well as the Madrid Masters. The 31-year-old had stated that the Madrid Masters was perfect preparation for the French Open, so the rest of the field should be wary of him.

Apart from the Big 3, there are many other wonderful talents who are slowly making their mark in the tennis circuit. Here, we take a look at 5 such players who can make an impression at the upcoming French Open.

#1 Dominic Thiem

Dominic Thiem is expected to be the next major force on clay. The 26-year-old finished as the runner-up against Rafael Nadal in the French Open last year. And this year, he has won the Indian Wells Masters and the Barcelona Open.

Thiem's solid forehand combined with his power-packed backhand can trouble any opponent. His baseline game is quite precise, and his vicious topspin helps him considerably on clay.

Thiem is very calm during pressure situations, which the Austrian has said helps him focus against tricky opponents. He will be a big threat against whoever he runs into at Roland Garros.

#2 Alexander Zverev

Alexander Zverev has been touted as the next big thing in the tennis circuit, just like Dominic Thiem. But the German hasn’t lived up to his billing at the Slams so far; many believe he needs more time to develop the temperament required to excel in the Majors.

Zverev also tends to get a bit erratic during pressure situations. That has cost him many matches against lower-ranked opponents in the early rounds of Slams.

The 22-year-old can certainly play on clay, as evidenced by his Madrid Masters win last year which was followed by a runner-up finish at Rome. He then went on to reach the Roland Garros quarterfinal, his first at a Slam.

Zverev's consistent play from the back of the court coupled with his big serve makes him a tough out on any surface. His backhand is considered to be his main strength, and he can easily switch between crosscourt and down-the-line versions to catch his opponents off-guard.

#3 Stefanos Tsitsipas

Stefanos Tsitsipas is the torchbearer of Greek tennis. The 21-year-old has caught everyone’s eye with some fine performances, and he has the ability to surprise the biggest of stars.

Tsitsipas is comfortable playing long rallies, and his deceptive movement can trouble his opponents a lot. He made it to the final of the Madrid Open this month where he lost to Novak Djokovic in the final. He also made it to the semifinals of the Rome Masters last week, losing to Rafael Nadal.

Tsitsipas reached his maiden Slam semifinal at the Australian Open earlier this year, beating Roger Federer along the way. He has a vast amount of talent and is expected to achieve superstar status in the future.

The 21-year-old can produce some powerful groundstrokes, and is very skilled at the net too. He has shown great promise already, but still has a lot of time to develop the temperament to play against the top-ranked players.

#4 Marin Cilic

Marin Cilic is a supremely talented player who many believe hasn't done full justice to his potential. The Croat is one of the very few Slam champions in the French Open draw, having won the US Open in 2014, and he also has multiple runner-up finishes to his name - at the 2017 Wimbledon and 2018 Australian Open, where he lost to Roger Federer both times.

The 30-year-old has stated that doing well in the upcoming French Open will give him the much-required boost to regain his form and touch. He has struggled to put together more than a couple of match wins this year, and is in desperate need of a good result.

Cilic's strong baseline play has always unsettled his opponents. He has a powerful serve that can repeatedly help him get out of trouble, and he moves very well for a 6'6" player.

Cilic has also worked on his volleys, and can finish points effectively at the net. Although the Croat hasn't won any tournament this year, he is capable of outplaying the best of opponents on his day.

#5 Daniil Medvedev

Daniil Medvedev is touted to be another superstar in the making. Medvedev won the Sydney International in January last year by beating local player Alex de Minaur in the final, and has been one of the most consistent players on tour this year.

The 22-year-old is quite good with his deceptive drop shots and can be a tricky player from the back of the court. The Russian has also shown his consistency and sharpness with his tireless groundstrokes.

Medvedev was recently quoted as saying that he wants to work more on his serve, and doing that will certainly help him win matches more efficiently. His ground game is already in very good shape, and his destructive two-handed backhand in particularl can outclass any opponent.

Medvedev has reached the Monte Carlo semifinal and Barcelona final this clay swing, and many expect him to do well at the upcoming clay Major.

Edited by Musab Abid