Alcaraz is expected to replace Nadal

According to legend John McEnroe, world number one tennis player Carlos Alcaraz has a better chance of winning Roland Garros thanks to Rafael Nadal's absence.

"Djokovic has 22 Grand Slams, but Roland Garros is definitely not where he is at his strongest," McEnroe said in a commentary for Eurosport on May 25. "I think Alcaraz is the number one candidate and there will be many other players behind him. This year's tournament will be very open and unpredictable."

Alcaraz is expected to make history at Roland Garros 2023 after stopping in the quarterfinals of this Grand Slam last year. Photo: Roland Garros

According to McEnroe, Alcaraz will be under pressure but knows how to cope because of his Grand Slam championship experience. The Spaniard's strengths are his diverse playing style, stamina and strong mentality. "Alcaraz is a strong player both physically and mentally. He is only 20 years old but seems like a great ambassador for the sport ," McEnroe said.

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are in the same semifinal bracket at Roland Garros 2023, according to the draw on May 25. Djokovic could face Davidovich Fokina, Bautista Agut, Hubert Hurkacz and Andrey Rublev on his way to the semifinals. Alcaraz could face Denis Shapovalov, Cameron Norrie and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

According to former world number one Mats Wilander, Djokovic will regret not being able to play Nadal at Roland Garros. He said: "I think Djokovic is disappointed that Nadal is not playing. Djokovic certainly wants to win the 23rd Grand Slam by beating Nadal on the way."

Djokovic won 85 and lost 16 matches at Roland Garros. This is the Grand Slam where Nole has lost the most matches. Photo: ATP

Wilander believes Nadal's withdrawal opens up a huge opportunity for Djokovic as he has fewer strong opponents on clay. "This is an opportunity for Djokovic to break through in terms of Grand Slams," Wilander said. "If he wins Wimbledon, which is very likely, then the debate about the greatest player will end. With Federer, we have a great trio, but Djokovic is the record holder."

The main draw of Roland Garros starts on May 28, with 128 male and 128 female players. Defending men's singles champion Nadal is absent due to health issues, so Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka are the two rare male players at Roland Garros this year who have won the same tournament. Wawrinka won in 2015, Djokovic won in 2016 and 2021.

Vy Anh

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