Roland-Garros men's
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Roland-Garros men’s singles: Players to watch out for

Qasim Mujtaba Naqvi·
Tennis
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With the Roland-Garros men’s draws done and dusted, we take a look at four individuals who could spring a surprise at the tournament…

The clay court season always promises to be unpredictable and produce surprising results for fans and experts alike. With so many dangerous players taking part in this year’s Roland-Garros, we’ll narrow our analysis down to four men’s singles contenders with the potential to dig in and win their maiden Grand Slam titles from under the noses of more established opposition. It goes without saying that players who’ve previously won Grand Slams aren’t included – but for the sake of speculation, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic seem primed to claim the title.

Dark horses

Dominic Thiem

The 25 year-old Austrian’s style seems tailor-made for Parisian clay. Although not as powerful as Rafa, Thiem’s game is based around a meaty second serve and heaps of topspin on both his shots. He has a good drop shot, covers the ground quickly, and possesses plenty of potential. Runner-up to the ‘King of Clay’ last year, he’ll hope to do one better this time around. However, his clay court season has been topsy-turvy thus far. Upset by eventual finalist Dušan Lajović in the second round of the Monte-Carlo Masters, Thiem bounced back by winning in Barcelona. Crucially, he beat Nadal in the semi-final. He then got to the semi-final in Madrid – but was bested by World No. 1 Novak Djokovic. He was also upset in the first round by Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in Rome.

Thiem faces World No. 136 Tommy Paul in the first round of the Roland-Garros men’s singles – and he’ll be expected to overcome the challenge. In the second round, he could face former junior World No. 3 Rudy Molleker. Molleker seems to have an upset in him too, having worked his way through qualifying. Moving forward, Thiem might come up against Juan Martín del Potro in the quarters – followed by bouts with Djokovic and Nadal en route to the title. It’s safe to say Thiem still has the potential to go all the way. A first-ever Grand Slam title could genuinely await.

Stefanos Tsitsipas

Ranked No. 6 at the tender age of 20, Tsitsipas’ growth is among the best stories of the 2019 ATP Tour. Having made the semi-final of the Australian Open by beating Roger Federer, Tsitsipas has shown promise on clay. He started off slow, with two consecutive second round eliminations in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona. However, he won in Estoril – before losing the final in Madrid to Djokovic and semi-final in Rome to Nadal. He’s progressed steadily and possesses heaps of talent. Possibly enough for him to go all the way.

Starting off against clay specialist Max Marterer, Tsitsipas may face Indian Prajnesh Gunneswaran on the way to a quarter-final rematch with Federer. The draw will inevitably get tougher as one progresses through the tournament, but Tsitsipas has shown the grit and technique required to succeed on clay and in Paris.

Diego Schwartzman

The diminutive Argentine is considered by many to be the toughest player on tour. His inclusion in this list is based on previous exploits rather than form too. Diego didn’t get past the second round in five clay court tournaments this year – before finally making the semi-final in Rome and losing to Djokovic. A French Open quarter-finalist last year, Schwartzman’s perseverance and desire are more important to his game than many others.

Despite being rather short, he possesses a robust forehand and the highest percentage of second serve return points won (56.2%) on the entire tour. Other than that, he’s previously displayed his aptness on clay by winning 62% of his games at Roland-Garros. Moreover, the draw has been kind to him, placing him in the quarter that doesn’t include any of the Big Three or Dominic Thiem. As he waits for his Grand Slam breakthrough, now seems as good a chance as any.

Fabio Fognini

The Italian Stallion is seemingly a late bloomer. Having crossed 30, Fabio began the clay season brilliantly, winning a maiden Masters 1000 title in Monte Carlo and beating Rafa Nadal in the semi-final. He then pulled out of Estoril and Barcelona, before being dealt third round eliminations at the hands of Thiem and Tsitsipas in Madrid and Rome respectively. Fognini started in a blaze but is threatening to fizzle out before the biggest stage. Even so, Fabio should feel confident about his chances.

Fognini has an all-Italian clash against fellow veteran Andreas Seppi to get past before a possible clash with another veteran, Guillermo García-López. Beyond that, a third round clash with Australian Open quarter-finalist Roberto Bautista Agut is a mouthwatering prospect. Nonetheless, Fabio has matches to look forward to and the 9th seed, if backed by a little fortune, may push on to the second week of the men’s singles at Roland-Garros.

Apart from those mentioned above, the likes of 2018 semi-finalist Marco Cecchinato and Japanese sensation Kei Nishikori are also well-placed to have a go. Similarly, Alex Zverev, Guido Pella, and Daniil Medvedev are other skilled names in the vast field of challengers.

Roland-Garros is a huge source of entertainment – and Pakistani fans also have something to look forward to, with Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi partnering up with Santiago González in the men’s doubles bracket. The pair won the title in Houston and have toppled some huge opponents. They recently beat World No. 1 pair Łukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo, as well as the Bryan brothers. All things considered, it promises to be a great two weeks of tennis!