Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have won the last nine Grand Slams. For more than two years, these geniuses have kept everyone else away from tennis’s summit. And now one link in that chain, the Spaniard, has cracked, disrupting the balance of the tennis universe. Alcaraz’s absence because of a right-hand injury will no longer be limited to Roland Garros: Carlos has announced that he will also miss the grass-court part of the season.
Two majors in a row without the youngest holder of the career Grand Slam is a blow to the watchability of the men’s draws as such. Sinner is automatically being tipped for the titles in Paris and London, with people hinting at the lack of genuine competition on tour. But is everything really so clear-cut in a landscape without the Spaniard? Sascha Zverev, in the current setup, like many others, is dreaming of finally winning at least one. His bet is obviously stronger on clay than on grass, although the status of second seed at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon is a magnificent bonus. The most decorated player on the planet, Novak Djokovic, also clearly rates his own chances higher in the absence of the man he could not beat in the Australian Open final.
If we cling to the smallest details, Novak’s chance in Paris lies only in the fact that Sinner played the clay-court Masters at full throttle. That feels like thin consolation against the reality that Jannik’s priority this year is precisely the French Open. Besides, Djokovic himself has played only one match on clay in 2026, losing to Prizmic in Rome. For comparison, a year ago Nole collected his 100th title in Geneva and then reached the Roland Garros semi-finals.
London is another matter. First, Centre Court, where he had not lost to anyone for ten years until Jannik and Carlos came along, gives him a route to the decisive stage that should, in principle, be much easier than on physically punishing clay. Second, if defending Wimbledon champion Sinner wins in Paris, an emotional comedown may follow. Among the legends, only Federer in 2009, after completing the career Slam, went on to take the next major — and even that one nearly slipped away to Roddick in the legendary Wimbledon final. Djokovic himself, for instance, lost to Querrey in the third round in London after Roland Garros 2016.
And finally, the main argument in the Serb’s favour is the last head-to-head meeting between Jannik and Novak. Did anyone seriously expect Djokovic to knock out Sinner in the Melbourne semi-final? So if they do meet, there will be a psychological layer too. Novak, who turns 39 this coming Friday, is too great — and at the same time too pragmatic — to deny himself the chance to fight in both Paris and London. That is what makes him the greatest: the ability to throw his final reserves into a push for a 25th Slam in conditions that may simply never be better.
