Jannik Sinner Plays Down Pressure Tag of Being Roland Garros Favorite After Carlos Alcaraz’s Withdrawal

Jannik Sinner has admitted that the pressure on him to win the French Open in the absence of Carlos Alcaraz is something he is taking in his stride. The World No.1 is the standout favorite to win the Roland Garros for the first time in his career as he’s currently unbeaten on clay this year and holds a 30-match winning streak.

Sinner has won all five ATP Masters 1000 tournaments played this season, and three of those triumphs have been on clay. His arch-rival, Alcaraz, did not play at the Madrid Open and Italian Open and will not feature in Paris for the Roland Garros. He has been sidelined for months due to a severe wrist injury.

His last match on tour came at the Barcelona Open, where he defeated Otto Virtanen in straight sets. However, the following day, he found out that, after twisting his arm to win a point, he had injured his wrist and had continued playing. The results of the injury showed it was more severe than he had thought, forcing him to pull out of the French Open.

Alcaraz denied Sinner the chance of lifting his first French Open 12 months ago by beating the Italian star in five sets in the championship match. Sinner had won the opening two sets before Alcaraz did the comeback. The World No.1 opened his 2026 campaign at the tournament on Tuesday (May 26) by beating Clement Tabur in straight sets.

The 24-year-old didn’t struggle to impose his game and style of play on Tabur before winning the match 6-1, 6-3, 6-4. Throughout the clash, he didn’t face a break point and won 40 out of 50 points behind his first serve. Speaking to the media after the match, he noted that he’s not under any pressure to win the French Open in the absence of his rival Alcaraz at the event:

Pressure is always gonna be there. It’s past of us as a tennis player. I believe everyone has pressure in their work. I think you also have pressure, hopefully releasing a good piece of journalism. It’s normal, you know… I try to take it in a very natural way. I know what kind of player I am. If you don’t feel the pressure, it means you don’t care. I do care a lot on what I’m trying to achieve on a tennis court. At the same time, I know the world is not going down if I lose.

Sinner has just six matches to glory at the French Open. He can become the first Italian man to win Roland-Garros since Adriano Panatta 50 years ago. Also, he can become the second player this season to claim a Career Grand Slam title. The French Open is the only remaining silverware missing in his trophy cabinet.

Jannik Sinner compares the heat conditions at the Roland Garros with the 2026 Australian Open

The French Open witnessed a blistering year on Tuesday (May 26) in Paris. According to reports, 25 visitors were treated for heat-related issues on Monday (May 25) and another 15 on Tuesday morning. The heatwave is expected to continue into the weekend before cooling down next week. Aryna Sabalenka complained about the heat conditions after beating Bouzas Maneiro in the first round.

However, Jannik Sinner avoided the heat conditions at the tournament as his match was played at night. He has had issues with humid conditions on the court and often struggles to be at his best in them. During the aforementioned press conference, he admitted that the heat conditions at the French Open aren’t as tough as the Australian Open:

I handled the heat very well in Indian Wells. It was very hot this year, so I didn’t have issues there. Of course, it’s a different heat here (in Paris), but the humidity is not as tough as maybe in Australia or the U.S. Tomorrow (Wednesday) is a good day to get used to the heat, and we will see when I’m gonna play.

The last time Sinner failed to win a match due to the tournament’s humid conditions was in Shanghai last October. At one time during the match, he couldn’t walk properly, which led to his retiring from the match. At the Australian Open, the organizers decided to close the roof when the conditions became inadvisable for players.

Also Read: Aryna Sabalenka Shuts Down ‘Hypocritical’ Questions Over Prize Money at Roland Garros