Sabalenka launches French Open campaign, Musetti aims high; Big Three reign unlikely to be repeated: Moya

The first round of the French Open begins on Sunday as the world’s top players battle for Grand Slam glory in Paris.

Aryna Sabalenka begins her hunt for a first crown at Roland Garros when she meets Russian Kamilla Rakhimova, while in-form Lorenzo Musetti kicks off his campaign against Yannick Hanfmann.

SABALENKA vs RAKHIMOVA

A string of good results on clay has strengthened Sabalenka’s determination to win the women’s singles title and do herself proud.

The world number one arrives in Paris after winning a record-equalling third Madrid Open title three weeks ago.

“I’m just trying to focus on my game and nowadays I know I can do well on clay so, arriving here, I feel really strong and super excited,” Sabalenka, who has a 2-0 head-to-head record against Rakhimova, told reporters.

“Hopefully this is going to be the year when I’m really going to be proud of myself on the clay court.”

MUSETTI vs HANFMANN

Musetti has already reached one final and two semi-finals on clay in recent weeks but the Italian’s ambition soars even higher, with his sights set on lifting the Coupe des Mousquetaires.

He reached his first Masters 1000 final in Monte Carlo last month, when he was beaten by French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz, and also enjoyed semi-final runs in Madrid and Rome.

On Sunday, he faces Hanfmann in what could be a tricky encounter, with the German having beaten Musetti on clay in Madrid two years ago.

Asked about his chances at the French Open, eighth-seeded Musetti told reporters: “I go here with ambition to go forward and to try to lift the trophy. That’s I think the mentality that a top player... needs to have.”

Zheng and Pavyluchenkova face off

Court Philippe Chatrier is a special venue for both Zheng Qinwen and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova but with the two set to meet in the first round, one return will be short-lived.

In the 2021 edition of the French Open, Pavlyuchenkova reached the only Grand Slam final of her career, where she was beaten by Czech Barbora Krejcikova.

While Zheng has never made it that far in the French Open, she did win Olympic gold for China on the Parisian dirt last year.

Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic dominated tennis for the best part of two decades but it is debatable whether Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner can emulate that, Nadal’s former coach Carlos Moya told AFP.

World number one Sinner, 23, and the 22-year-old Alcaraz have garnered seven Grand Slam titles already between them.

By comparison Nadal, Federer -- both of whom have retired -- and Djokovic, a trio known as the ‘Big Three’, swept up 66 from 2003 to 2023.

Alcaraz and Sinner are gearing up for the French Open with the former the defending champion.

“To achieve what these guys have been doing these last 15, 20 years, that’s something that I don’t know if we are going to see in the future,” Moya, a former world number one and 1998 French Open champion, told AFP from Mallorca.

“I can tell that in the next couple of years, this rivalry is going to be there.

“Then maybe five years, seven, but so many things can happen.

“Injuries and family problems. Mental health issues, you don’t know what’s going to happen in three, four, five years’ time.”

Moya, who will return to Roland Garros on Sunday as organisers pay tribute to record 14-time French Open singles champion Nadal, said rivalry was key to the longevity of the sport’s three most successful men’s players of all time.

“They pushed each other to the limit,” said the 48-year-old Spaniard.

“Without the other guys, Rafa, maybe he would have retired four or five years ago with 16, 18 Grand Slams.”

Moya achieved a lot in his career but he said he was in awe of that trio.

Agencies