Nadal’s withdrawal, and poor form combined with the physical problems of Novak Djokovic, would mean that the men’s draw at the French Open – starting Sunday – is more open than it has been in recent memory. But storylines in sport often write themselves, and just as Nadal loosens his grip at his most iconic hunting ground, Carlos Alcaraz, his countryman and 17 years his junior, is primed to take over.

Alcaraz is already a Grand Slam champion, the World No. 1, and a global star. But expectations have risen over a changing of the guard at the French Open, played on his favoured red clay where there is a cherished Spanish tradition of success.

Rafael Nadal is a 14-time French Open champion. (FILE)

The 20-year-old has spent much of the last year storming through the rest of the tour, mounting a meteoric rise to the sport’s summit, and leaving other better-established players in their mid-twenties in his wake. The Spaniard has not just become appointment viewing through his series of accomplishments, but rather through his distinctly captivating playing style that is a stark departure from the baseline bashing that became the norm over the last decade on the men’s tour.

Alcaraz is able to mix remarkable athleticism and a ferocious forehand with a dynamic edge, including fast hands and frequent net approaches, as well as a well-disguised and effective forehand drop shot. The results are there to see – his ever-expanding highlight reel is going viral on social media with more frequency, and getting a seat at one of his matches this year has been a hard ask.

Focus on Rune

While Alcaraz is undoubtedly leading his generation, his contemporaries – Denmark’s Holger Rune, 20, and the 21-year-old Italian Jannik Sinner – have caught up. Through a similarly dynamic playing style, the duo has established itself in the world’s top 10 and is among the outside contenders at Roland Garros.

Rune is the man in form. He is the only player to reach the final at two of the three Masters 1000 events on clay this year and has notched a remarkable 7-2 win-loss record against top 5-ranked players.

The Dane’s flair for the dramatic is likely to get him a lot of eyeballs. His expletive-ridden tirades have garnered much attention (he was fined for shouting a homophobic slur on court in 2021), as have his beefs with fellow players in the locker room. His taunts to the crowd while playing the role of the villain, and occasional arrogant displays, have earned him a reputation too.

But Rune has been able to mix those attributes with consistently high-quality shotmaking and high tennis IQ. His two most significant wins have come against Djokovic – the first in a high-quality final at the Paris Masters late last year, and the second in the quarterfinal at the Rome Masters last week.

After taking advantage of a less-than-fully fit Djokovic in Rome, Rune was in the kind of position where many more experienced players have let the lead slip. As Djokovic took the match to a decider and attempted to wear him down, Rune stuck to his strategy of hitting through the Serb from the baseline, not afraid to even engage in the crosscourt backhand exchanges that some of the sport’s greatest have avoided. It was smart, incisive, and fearless tennis. Djokovic may have been physically compromised, but for the second time in seven months, he was outplayed by Rune.

Sinner, the most understated

Last year at Wimbledon, Djokovic found himself in a similar position against Sinner. The Italian forged a two-set lead against the Serb in the quarterfinal before letting it slip. Sinner is the most understated of the trio, without the personal charisma, big titles, or high-profile scalps of his contemporaries. His rise has been steady rather than sudden, and development slower and more holistic.

Sinner’s ability to hit through his opponents – rather than just counterpunch – from the baseline with clean, precise groundstrokes makes him a consistent threat – he’s reached at least the quarterfinal at each Major. With the heaviest backhand on tour coupled with a solid slice, he’s also got the valuable ability to turn defence into attack, an ability he shares with Alcaraz (and Djokovic), which explains why their blossoming rivalry is among the best on tour, with Sinner the only player consistently finding joy against the Spaniard. Their semifinal in Miami was the match of 2023 so far, and their epic US Open quarterfinal was the match of 2022.

Yea, I think tennis is in good hands 😳 https://t.co/x0w7ZNk41O

— John Isner (@JohnIsner) April 1, 2023

Djokovic, who celebrated his 36th birthday last week, is the youngest active men’s player to have won the Australian Open, French Open, or Wimbledon. While this speaks to the domination of the ‘Big Three’, it is also a damning indictment of the generation that has come after them. Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Casper Ruud, and Andrey Rublev have all shown the technical and physical attributes of top tennis players, but have failed to find the mental wherewithal to stick the landing on the grandest stage. Daniil Medvedev – second seed at the French Open and a notorious clay hater that could plot a delightfully ironic title run in Paris – is the only exception.

This upcoming fortnight, while Djokovic may once again be the man to beat, the stage is set for Alcaraz, as well as Rune and Sinner, to set alight and take the next step the generation before them has not been able to yet.