Rafa Nadal’s absence from the French Open as a result of harm has blown the lads’s draw broad open with Carlos Alcaraz the “slight favorite” over Novak Djokovic, former Grand Slam champion John McEnroe has stated.
Nadal has not performed since his hip harm on the Australian Open and the 14-times winner at Roland Garros stated it may very well be months earlier than he returns to motion as he prepares to finish his profession in 2024.
“Actually it was simply so one-sided the way in which Rafa was in a position to dominate that each one you’ll be able to discuss is Rafa,” McEnroe informed Eurosport.
“Novak has as many Grand Slams (22), however you don’t put him in the identical breath there (at Roland Garros) as Rafa. He set a bar so excessive that it’s unimaginable to think about anybody even get near it.
“So from that standpoint alone, it’s far more open … The perfect would have been, if Rafa was nonetheless taking part in at a really excessive stage and somebody was adequate to beat him when he’s taking part in nice. That’s what individuals actually wished to see.”
McEnroe stated Djokovic has a terrific probability to win a calendar slam this yr however the 64-year-old stated children like world primary Alcaraz and Holger Rune could make the step up.
“I might say Alcaraz could be the slight favorite to win this,” McEnroe stated.
“Alcaraz has a variety of strain now as a result of he’s simply such an unbelievable breath of recent air. He’s so electrical, the way in which he performs, he’s received such a terrific character that individuals need him to win.
“However then you definitely received to again it up. He’s 20-years-old, however he simply looks like such a terrific ambassador for our sport that you simply’re type of pulling for him.”