{"id":39960,"date":"2023-05-28T10:43:16","date_gmt":"2023-05-28T10:43:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fusefornews.com\/2023\/05\/28\/french-open-2023-nadal-murray-and-raducanu-missing-while-djokovic-alcaraz-and-swiatek-favourites\/"},"modified":"2023-05-28T10:43:16","modified_gmt":"2023-05-28T10:43:16","slug":"french-open-2023-nadal-murray-and-raducanu-missing-while-djokovic-alcaraz-and-swiatek-favourites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fusefornews.com\/?p=39960","title":{"rendered":"French Open 2023: Nadal, Murray and Raducanu missing, while Djokovic, Alcaraz and Swiatek favourites"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1\">\n<figure class=\"gs-u-mt0 gs-u-mb-alt+ story-body__media story-body__media--figure qa-story-body-media story-body__media--lead\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$video-1\"><span class=\"gs-u-display-block story-body__media\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$video-1.0\"><span class=\"gs-u-display-block gs-o-responsive-image\" style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%;\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$video-1.0.0\"><noscript data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$video-1.0.0.1\"\/><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"gel-brevier gs-u-ph+ gs-u-pv-alt story-body__media__caption story-body__media__caption--video\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$video-1.1\">Rafael Nadal pulls out of French Open and plans to retire in 2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<table class=\"gs-o-table story-body__table\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$table-2\">\n<thead class=\"gs-o-table__head gel-brevier \" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$table-2.0\">\n<tr class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$table-2.0.$row-0\"\/><\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"gel-long-primer \" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$table-2.1\">\n<tr class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$table-2.1.$row-0\">\n<td class=\"gs-o-table__cell\" colspan=\"1\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$table-2.1.$row-0.$td-0\"><strong data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$table-2.1.$row-0.$td-0.0:0\">Venue:<\/strong><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$table-2.1.$row-0.$td-0.0:1\"> Roland Garros, Paris <\/span><strong data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$table-2.1.$row-0.$td-0.0:2\">Dates:<\/strong><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$table-2.1.$row-0.$td-0.0:3\"> 28 May-11 June<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$table-2.1.$row-1\">\n<td class=\"gs-o-table__cell\" colspan=\"1\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$table-2.1.$row-1.$td-0\"><strong data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$table-2.1.$row-1.$td-0.0:0\">Coverage:<\/strong><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$table-2.1.$row-1.$td-0.0:1\"> Live text and radio commentaries of selected matches across BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, the BBC Sport website and app<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p role=\"introduction\" class=\"qa-introduction gel-pica-bold\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-3\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-3.0\">For the first time in almost 20 years, the French Open will begin this weekend with an added layer of intrigue.<\/span><\/p>\n<div data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-4\">\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-4.0\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-4.0.0\">With 14-time men&#8217;s champion Rafael Nadal missing through injury and two-time women&#8217;s champion <\/span><strong data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-4.0.$bold-1\">Iga Swiatek<\/strong><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-4.0.2\"> not as dominant as last year, the identities of both singles winners are extremely difficult to predict with any sense of certainty. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-5\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-5.0\">Nadal&#8217;s absence for the first time in 19 years will be keenly felt by organisers and fans, but his withdrawal has further opened up the men&#8217;s draw and gives a host of players extra encouragement they can win.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-6\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-6.0\">And an injury scare for Swiatek, whose position as the WTA world number one has been challenged by <\/span><strong data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-6.$bold-1\">Aryna Sabalenka <\/strong><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-6.2\">and <\/span><strong data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-6.$bold-3\">Elena Rybakina,<\/strong><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-6.4\"> also leaves that draw open.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-7\"><strong data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-7.$bold-0\">Cameron Norrie,<\/strong><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-7.1\"> seeded 14th, leads the British charge at a venue where the nation&#8217;s players have had limited success this century. Neither<\/span><strong data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-7.$bold-2\"> Andy Murray<\/strong><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-7.3\"> nor <\/span><strong data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-7.$bold-4\">Emma Raducanu<\/strong><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-7.5\"> will be appearing at Roland Garros and no British women have qualified for the singles.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-8\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-8.0\">The clay-court tournament starts on 28 May, concluding with the finals on 10 and 11 June.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"story-body__crosshead\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$crosshead-10\">Alcaraz to take Nadal&#8217;s crown? Or Djokovic to win record 23rd title?<\/h3>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-11\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-11.0\">While nothing in sport is ever certain, Nadal lifting the Coupe des Mousquetaires has been as close as anything.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-12\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-12.0\">Not this year. Nadal, who has lost only three of his 115 career matches at Roland Garros and is known as the &#8216;King of Clay&#8217;, is out with a long-term hip injury.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-13\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-13.0\">Before last week&#8217;s announcement that the 36-year-old <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/tennis\/65597964\" class=\"story-body__internal-link\" title=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-13.$link-2\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-13.$link-2.0\">would not be able to play,<\/span><\/a><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-13.3\"> Nadal had already slipped behind Spanish world number one <\/span><strong data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-13.$bold-4\">Carlos Alcaraz<\/strong><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-13.5\"> and Serbia&#8217;s 22-time major champion <\/span><strong data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-13.$bold-6\">Novak Djokovic<\/strong><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-13.7\"> as the favourite in the eyes of many observers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-14\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-14.0\">Following a dominant start to the season, Alcaraz is heavily tipped to be only the fifth man since 2005 to claim the title.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-15\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-15.0\">After missing the Australian Open with an injury, the 20-year-old US Open champion returned to win four of his next six tournaments &#8211; Buenos Aires, Indian Wells, Barcelona and Madrid, while also reaching the Rio de Janeiro final and Miami semi-finals.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"gs-u-mt0 gs-u-mb-alt+ story-body__media story-body__media--figure qa-story-body-media\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$image-16\"><span class=\"gs-u-display-block story-body__media\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$image-16.0\"><span class=\"gs-u-display-block gs-o-responsive-image\" style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%;\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$image-16.0.0\"><img src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/624\/cpsprodpb\/12EC\/production\/_129844840_alcaraz.jpg\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 800px, (min-width: 900px) 624px, (min-width: 600px) 976px, (min-width: 400px) 624px, 400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/400\/cpsprodpb\/12EC\/production\/_129844840_alcaraz.jpg 400w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/624\/cpsprodpb\/12EC\/production\/_129844840_alcaraz.jpg 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/800\/cpsprodpb\/12EC\/production\/_129844840_alcaraz.jpg 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/976\/cpsprodpb\/12EC\/production\/_129844840_alcaraz.jpg 976w\" alt=\"Carlos Alcaraz celebrates in Madrid\" class=\"qa-srcset-image\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$image-16.0.0.0\"\/><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"gel-brevier gs-u-ph+ gs-u-pv-alt story-body__media__caption story-body__media__caption--image\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$image-16.1\">Alcaraz is aiming to do what only Nadal, Djokovic, Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka have done since 2005 &#8211; win the men&#8217;s singles title at Roland Garros<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-17\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-17.0\">Back-to-back titles in Barcelona and Madrid helped extend Alcaraz&#8217;s record to 20 wins from his 21 matches on clay this season. Then came an unexpected twist in Rome. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-18\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-18.0\">Alcaraz lost to Hungarian qualifier Fabian Marozsan in the Italian Open last 32 and showed a fallibility not seen in the preceding weeks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-19\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-19.0\">Djokovic has won five of the past seven Grand Slam tournaments he has played in and knows a third victory at Roland Garros will put him ahead of Nadal in terms of most major men&#8217;s singles titles. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-20\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-20.0\">But his preparations have been far from smooth. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-21\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-21.0\">The 36-year-old, who celebrated his birthday this week, missed the Madrid Open with an elbow injury and did not look entirely comfortable in Rome before losing in the quarter-finals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-22\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-22.0\">Nevertheless, Djokovic has the pedigree, experience and history of winning the biggest titles &#8211; even in the face of adversity.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"story-body__crosshead\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$crosshead-23\">Who could challenge Alcaraz and Djokovic?<\/h3>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-24\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-24.0\">Russia&#8217;s <\/span><strong data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-24.$bold-1\">Daniil Medvedev<\/strong><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-24.2\"> has jumped above Djokovic to be seeded second after winning the first clay-court title of his career in Rome.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-25\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-25.0\">Medvedev, 27, has long been seen as a hard-court specialist and few thought he would ever enjoy success on a surface he once described as only being suitable for &#8220;dogs playing in the dirt&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-26\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-26.0\">Danish youngster <\/span><strong data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-26.$bold-1\">Holger Rune,<\/strong><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-26.2\"> who beat Djokovic in Rome before losing to Medvedev, has further showcased his talent in an impressive clay-court season and the 20-year-old world number six is being tipped to go far in Paris.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-27\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-27.0\">Norway&#8217;s <\/span><strong data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-27.$bold-1\">Casper Ruud,<\/strong><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-27.2\"> who lost to Nadal in last year&#8217;s final, put a poor start to the season behind him to reach the Rome semi-finals, while 2021 runner-up <\/span><strong data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-27.$bold-3\">Stefanos Tsitsipas<\/strong><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-27.4\"> is also expected to challenge again.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-28\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-28.0\">Norrie, 27, has never gone past the third round, while 24th seed <\/span><strong data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-28.$bold-1\">Dan Evans <\/strong><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-28.2\">and <\/span><strong data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-28.$bold-3\">Jack Draper<\/strong><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-28.4\"> are the other Britons in the draw.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-29\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-29.0\">Murray, 36, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/tennis\/65663508\" class=\"story-body__internal-link\" title=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-29.$link-2\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-29.$link-2.0\">withdrew at the weekend<\/span><\/a><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-29.3\"> to prioritise the grass-court season in the build-up to Wimbledon.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"gs-u-mt0 gs-u-mb-alt+ story-body__media story-body__media--figure qa-story-body-media\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$image-30\"><span class=\"gs-u-display-block story-body__media\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$image-30.0\"><span class=\"gs-u-display-block gs-o-responsive-image\" style=\"padding-bottom:104.90196078431373%;\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$image-30.0.0\"><img src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/624\/cpsprodpb\/6CAF\/production\/_129832872_men.png\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 800px, (min-width: 900px) 624px, (min-width: 600px) 976px, (min-width: 400px) 624px, 400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/400\/cpsprodpb\/6CAF\/production\/_129832872_men.png 400w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/624\/cpsprodpb\/6CAF\/production\/_129832872_men.png 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/800\/cpsprodpb\/6CAF\/production\/_129832872_men.png 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/976\/cpsprodpb\/6CAF\/production\/_129832872_men.png 976w\" alt=\"Carlos Alcaraz is the top seed in the men's singles, followed by Daniil Medvedev, Novak Djokovic, Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Holger Rune, Andrey Rublev and Jannik Sinner\" class=\"qa-srcset-image\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$image-30.0.0.0\"\/><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"gel-brevier gs-u-ph+ gs-u-pv-alt story-body__media__caption story-body__media__caption--image\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$image-30.1\">Daniil Medvedev moved ahead of Novak Djokovic in the French Open seedings by winning the Italian Open<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"story-body__crosshead\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$crosshead-31\">Are we seeing the start of a new &#8216;Big Three&#8217;?<\/h3>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-32\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-32.0\">For a number of years, ever since Serena Williams was in her pomp, the women&#8217;s game has seen a revolving door of major champions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-33\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-33.0\">In the past year, Swiatek has emerged as the dominant force, taking over as the world number one when Australian Ashleigh Barty retired, then winning the Roland Garros and US Open titles.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-34\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-34.0\">The 21-year-old from Poland is enjoying another successful season while &#8211; understandably &#8211; not reaching the same heights as last year when she won 37 matches in a row.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-35\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-35.0\">Swiatek has won two titles so far in 2023 &#8211; Doha and Stuttgart &#8211; but is coming under increasing pressure from Belarus&#8217; Sabalenka and Kazakhstan&#8217;s Rybakina.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"gs-u-mt0 gs-u-mb-alt+ story-body__media story-body__media--figure qa-story-body-media\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$image-36\"><span class=\"gs-u-display-block story-body__media\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$image-36.0\"><span class=\"gs-u-display-block gs-o-responsive-image\" style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%;\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$image-36.0.0\"><img src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/624\/cpsprodpb\/610C\/production\/_129844842_swiatek.jpg\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 800px, (min-width: 900px) 624px, (min-width: 600px) 976px, (min-width: 400px) 624px, 400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/400\/cpsprodpb\/610C\/production\/_129844842_swiatek.jpg 400w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/624\/cpsprodpb\/610C\/production\/_129844842_swiatek.jpg 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/800\/cpsprodpb\/610C\/production\/_129844842_swiatek.jpg 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/976\/cpsprodpb\/610C\/production\/_129844842_swiatek.jpg 976w\" alt=\"Iga Swiatek reacts to winning a point at the Italian Open in Rome\" class=\"qa-srcset-image\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$image-36.0.0.0\"\/><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"gel-brevier gs-u-ph+ gs-u-pv-alt story-body__media__caption story-body__media__caption--image\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$image-36.1\">Iga Swiatek has won 49 of her past 54 clay-court matches, stretching back to the start of the French Open in September 2020<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-37\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-37.0\">With Sabalenka claiming her first major title at the Australian Open in January, and Rybakina winning the Wimbledon title between Swiatek&#8217;s two major victories last year, the trio are fast becoming the WTA&#8217;s new &#8216;Big Three&#8217;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-38\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-38.0\">Sabalenka, having complemented her natural power with improvements in her movement, has won more titles (three) and reached more finals (five) than anyone else this season.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-39\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-39.0\">On clay, the world number two lost in the Stuttgart final to Swiatek before avenging that loss by beating her to win the Madrid trophy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-40\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-40.0\">However, she suffered a shock early exit in Rome which led to her saying she was &#8220;exhausted&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-41\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-41.0\">Meanwhile, Rybakina has elevated herself to the third favourite behind Swiatek and Sabalenka after winning the biggest clay-court title of her career in Rome.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-42\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-42.0\">The triumph came in peculiar circumstances, however, having seen three of her six opponents retire through injury. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-43\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-43.0\">That included Swiatek when the deciding set of their quarter-final was still on serve and Ukraine&#8217;s Anhelina Kalinina when Rybakina was leading 6-4 1-0 in Saturday&#8217;s final.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-44\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-44.0\">Rybakina had not previously been considered a force on the red dirt, but insists she always felt she could &#8220;play good on clay&#8221; and put her Rome success down to &#8220;experience and better preparation&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-45\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-45.0\">The victory lifted her to fourth in the world &#8211; although she would be in the top three alongside Swiatek and Sabalenka if ranking points had been awarded at Wimbledon &#8211; and means she is not able to face one of the top two until the semi-finals at Roland Garros.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"story-body__crosshead\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$crosshead-46\">Who else could challenge?<\/h3>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-47\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-47.0\">While Swiatek, Sabalenka and Rybakina have each won one of the three biggest clay-court tournaments leading into Roland Garros, as well as the past four Grand Slams between them, several French Open champions have emerged from the shadows in recent years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-48\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-48.0\">Latvia&#8217;s <\/span><strong data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-48.$bold-1\">Jelena Ostapenko<\/strong><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-48.2\"> was one of the them in 2017 as an unseeded 20-year-old and her run to the Rome semi-finals was a reminder of how successful her game can be on the surface.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-49\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-49.0\">American teenager <\/span><strong data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-49.$bold-1\">Coco Gauff <\/strong><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-49.2\">lost to Swiatek in last year&#8217;s final but the sixth seed has not managed to string together back-to-back wins on the European clay, while third seed <\/span><strong data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-49.$bold-3\">Jessica Pegula<\/strong><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-49.4\"> &#8211; also Gauff&#8217;s doubles partner &#8211; has maintained her consistency this year.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-50\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-50.0\">Fifth seed <\/span><strong data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-50.$bold-1\">Caroline Garcia<\/strong><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-50.2\"> is aiming to become the first French singles champion since Mary Pierce in 2000, but has only reached the quarter-finals once, in 2017, and also lost in the last 32 in both Madrid and Rome.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-51\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-51.0\">From a British perspective, Raducanu is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/tennis\/65469123\" class=\"story-body__internal-link\" title=\"\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-51.$link-2\"><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-51.$link-2.0\">out injured following surgeries on her wrists and ankle,<\/span><\/a><span data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-51.3\"> and seven other women failed to come through qualifying, leaving the nation without representation in the women&#8217;s singles at a Grand Slam for the first time since the 2009 US Open.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"gs-u-mt0 gs-u-mb-alt+ story-body__media story-body__media--figure qa-story-body-media\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$image-52\"><span class=\"gs-u-display-block story-body__media\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$image-52.0\"><span class=\"gs-u-display-block gs-o-responsive-image\" style=\"padding-bottom:100%;\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$image-52.0.0\"><img src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/624\/cpsprodpb\/BACF\/production\/_129832874_women.png\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 800px, (min-width: 900px) 624px, (min-width: 600px) 976px, (min-width: 400px) 624px, 400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/400\/cpsprodpb\/BACF\/production\/_129832874_women.png 400w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/624\/cpsprodpb\/BACF\/production\/_129832874_women.png 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/800\/cpsprodpb\/BACF\/production\/_129832874_women.png 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/976\/cpsprodpb\/BACF\/production\/_129832874_women.png 976w\" alt=\"Iga Swiatek is the top seed in the women's singles, followed by Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, Elena Rybakina, Caroline Garcia, Coco Gauff, Ons Jabeur and Maria Sakkari\" class=\"qa-srcset-image\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$image-52.0.0.0\"\/><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"gel-brevier gs-u-ph+ gs-u-pv-alt story-body__media__caption story-body__media__caption--image\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$image-52.1\">Sixth seed Coco Gauff was the women&#8217;s singles runner-up last year, losing 6-1 6-3 to Iga Swiatek<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span class=\"gs-u-display-block story-body__media gs-u-mb-alt+ qa-story-body-media\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$image-54\"><span class=\"gs-u-display-block gs-o-responsive-image\" style=\"padding-bottom:11.875%;\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$image-54.0\"><img src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/624\/cpsprodpb\/94AD\/production\/_127816083_bbc_header_grey_8-1x-1.jpg\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 800px, (min-width: 900px) 624px, (min-width: 600px) 976px, (min-width: 400px) 624px, 400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/400\/cpsprodpb\/94AD\/production\/_127816083_bbc_header_grey_8-1x-1.jpg 400w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/624\/cpsprodpb\/94AD\/production\/_127816083_bbc_header_grey_8-1x-1.jpg 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/800\/cpsprodpb\/94AD\/production\/_127816083_bbc_header_grey_8-1x-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/976\/cpsprodpb\/94AD\/production\/_127816083_bbc_header_grey_8-1x-1.jpg 976w\" alt=\"Across the BBC banner\" class=\"qa-srcset-image\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$image-54.0.0\"\/><\/span><\/span><span class=\"gs-u-display-block story-body__media gs-u-mb-alt+ qa-story-body-media\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$image-56\"><span class=\"gs-u-display-block gs-o-responsive-image\" style=\"padding-bottom:1.9791666666666665%;\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$image-56.0\"><img src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/624\/cpsprodpb\/BBBD\/production\/_127816084_bbc_footer-1920x38-1x-1.jpg\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 800px, (min-width: 900px) 624px, (min-width: 600px) 976px, (min-width: 400px) 624px, 400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/400\/cpsprodpb\/BBBD\/production\/_127816084_bbc_footer-1920x38-1x-1.jpg 400w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/624\/cpsprodpb\/BBBD\/production\/_127816084_bbc_footer-1920x38-1x-1.jpg 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/800\/cpsprodpb\/BBBD\/production\/_127816084_bbc_footer-1920x38-1x-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/976\/cpsprodpb\/BBBD\/production\/_127816084_bbc_footer-1920x38-1x-1.jpg 976w\" alt=\"Across the BBC footer\" class=\"qa-srcset-image\" data-reactid=\".k9zsbnz9qm.0.0.0.1.$image-56.0.0\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/tennis\/65670029?at_medium=RSS&#038;at_campaign=KARANGA\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] Rafael Nadal pulls out of French Open and plans to retire in 2024 Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Dates: 28 May-11 June Coverage: Live text and radio commentaries of selected &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":39961,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fusefornews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39960"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fusefornews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fusefornews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fusefornews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fusefornews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=39960"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fusefornews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39960\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fusefornews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/39961"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fusefornews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=39960"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fusefornews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=39960"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fusefornews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=39960"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}