Stefanos Tsitsipas is expected to be one of the leading contenders at this month's French Open but the Greek believes Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are the favourites for the title.
Tsitsipas, the world No 4, has enjoyed a fine claycourt campaign so far this season, winning the Monte Carlo Masters and reaching the Italian Open final last time out. He also came mighty close to winning his first Grand Slam title at the French Open last year when he led Djokovic by two sets to love before the world No 1 fought back to take the trophy in an epic match.
With 13-time champion Rafael Nadal nursing a chronic foot injury, claycourt specialist Dominic Thiem struggling with his comeback from injury and world No 2 Daniil Medvedev only just back from a hernia operation, Tsitsipas will rightly be regarded as one of the favourites.
His biggest rivals, apart from Nadal, will be Djokovic, hunting a record-equalling 21st Grand Slam to match Nadal, and Alcaraz, who cruised to victory in Rio de Janeiro, Miami, Barcelona and Madrid in a meteoric 2022 rise for the 19-year-old Spaniard.
"Right now, Carlos Alcaraz or Novak Djokovic," Tsitsipas, 23, said of the favourites at Roland Garros. "They both play great, great tennis. I would put them as favourites."
Both have beaten Tsitsipas this year and Djokovic, who eased past him in the final in Rome last week in straight sets, also came from two sets down last year to overpower the Greek in a thrilling French Open final.
"There are things that didn't work for me after two-sets-to-love up in Roland Garros," Tsitsipas said. "I guess I was always pretty stubborn, didn't want to change because so far it was working for me, the thing that led me to being two sets to love up."
It is exactly that mental aspect that Tsitsipas will need to harden if he is to conquer the Grand Slams. Apart from last year's maiden Grand Slam final, the Greek has also made three semi-finals at the Australian Open.
While he will have many more opportunities, Tsitsipas also knows that he will need to up his game to stop a new generation led by Alcaraz from jumping the queue.
"Right now, I need to improve a few things in my game. I don't know if I'm going to get there but I hope I do with my hard work by the time Roland Garros begins," he said.
"I would love myself to get around with these players and be there with them. But I will really need to put a bit more attention to detail in the next couple of weeks."
