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The clay season is about to reach its climax with the 2022 French Open set to begin in a few days.
Matteo Berrettini is the only player from the top 20 who won't be participating this year. 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer is also on the sidelines as he continues his recovery following knee surgery.
Daniil Medvedev is on the comeback trail following hernia surgery and has a shot at claiming the No. 1 ranking from Novak Djokovic if he does well at the French Open.
The two titans of tennis, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, will seek to maintain their stranglehold on the French Open. History is on the line for both of them, with Nadal gunning for a record 22nd Grand Slam title while the World No. 1 looks to complete a Triple Career Grand Slam.
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Next Gen players Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev have come close to winning Major titles, but have fallen just short. They will hope to leave a mark in Paris, as will teen sensation Carlos Alcaraz, who has been in stunning form this season.
Casper Ruud, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jannik Sinner are also in contention based on their recent results. With plenty of big names in the mix, here's a look at the favorites for the title:
#5 Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev performed quite well at the three Masters 1000 tournaments prior to the French Open. He reached the semifinals in Monte Carlo and Rome, while making it to the final in Madrid. The only blemish on an otherwise great clay campaign was a second-round loss to Holger Rune at the BMW Open.
One of Zverev's concerns will be the fact that he is yet to defeat a top-10 player at a Grand Slam. He could potentially face the in-form Carlos Alcaraz, ranked sixth in the world, in the quarterfinals of the French Open. Alcaraz notably defeated the German in the final of the Madrid Open.
Zverev's best result in Paris was a semifinal showing last year. He lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas in a tough five-set encounter. While the German has the game to beat any player in the world, he often falters in pressure moments.
If he's able to get his nerves under control, he could walk away as the winner in two weeks' time.
#4 Rafael Nadal
The King of Clay is a perennial favorite to win the French Open if he's in the draw. However, Rafael Nadal's fitness has cast some doubt on his ability to triumph in Paris this time around.
Nadal's great start to the season quickly gave way to extreme disappointment. His 20-match winning streak, which included his 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, came to an end in the final of the Indian Wells Open. He picked up an injury as well and missed the start of the clay season.
Nadal returned to action at the Madrid Open, where he lost in the quarterfinals against Carlos Alcaraz. Just when it seemed like things were going his way again, the Spaniard's foot injury flared up and played a role in his third-round exit from the Italian Open.
Nadal's road to the French Open title is far from smooth as he could potentially face Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals, followed by a semifinal showdown against Alcaraz. Nevertheless, with a 105-3 win-loss record and 13 French Open titles, it would be foolish to write off the Spaniard.
#3 Stefanos Tsitsipas
Stefanos Tsitsipas has established himself as one of the finest claycourters of his generation. Last year, he came close to winning the French Open and even led Novak Djokovic by two sets to love in the final. But the Serb staged an incredible comeback to deny the youngster his maiden Grand Slam title.
Tsitsipas has had a great clay season this year. He successfully defended his Monte-Carlo Masters title and reached the quarterfinals in Barcelona. He then reached the semifinals in Madrid before finishing as the runner-up at the Italian Open, losing to Djokovic in the summit clash.
Tsitsipas has improved each year in Paris, and all that's left is to win the title. With Nadal, Djokovic and Alcaraz, as well as some other big names in the opposite half of the draw, his chances have improved dramatically.
#2 Novak Djokovic
It's been a testing year for Novak Djokovic, but he has overcome all the obstacles in his path to emerge as one of the frontrunners for the French Open.
The Serb was unable to defend his Australian Open title after a well-publicized visa controversy ended in his deportation from Down Under. Djokovic launched his season at the Dubai Tennis Championships in February, but was forced to miss tournaments in the US due to his vaccination status.
His comeback at the Monte-Carlo Masters began on a disappointing note as he lost a tough three-set contest against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the second round. Djokovic performed better at the Serbia Open, where he finished as the runner-up after losing to Andrey Rublev in the final.
At the Madrid Open, he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in a three-set thriller in the semifinals.
Djokovic won his first title of the year at the Italian Open. On his way to glory, he also picked up his 1000th career win by defeating Casper Ruud in the semifinals. The Serb then beat Tsitsipas in the final to win his 38th Masters 1000 title.
He may have to go through Nadal at the French Open yet again this year, and could meet Alcaraz, who defeated him at the Madrid Open, in the semifinals.
The Serb's looking to win his 21st Grand Slam title and complete a Triple Career Grand Slam and his form suggests he could well achieve the feat.
#1 Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz has been touted for greatness and the teenager has lived up to the billing so far. He has notched up some amazing results by playing fearless tennis and has displayed composure and maturity far beyond his age.
Alcaraz won this maiden Masters 1000 title at the Miami Open but followed it up with a second-round exit in Monte-Carlo, losing to Sebastian Korda. He brushed off that disappointment by winning the Barcelona Open and making his top 10 debut.
Alcaraz then went on to win the Madrid Open as well. En route to the title, he defeated Nadal and Djokovic in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively, becoming the first player to beat the two legends in the same tournament on clay.
With his win in the final in Madrid, he reached a career-high ranking of World No. 6.
Alcaraz's French Open draw is quite challenging. Sebastian Korda, the only player to defeat him on clay this year, is his potential third-round opponent while Zverev is his likely quarterfinal opponent. Either Djokovic or Nadal could be waiting for him in the semifinals.
But he heads to the French Open on a 10-match winning streak and is the leading contender to win the title. Alcaraz's best result at a Grand Slam so far has been a quarterfinal appearance at last year's US Open. Given the teenager's recent form and his own expectations, anything less than a title might be considered a disappointing result.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
