Jannik Sinner is undoubtedly the man to beat at this year’s French Open, but he is not invincible like Rafael Nadal, according to two-time finalist Alex Corretja.
Sinner heads into the clay court Grand Slam having won five consecutive Masters 1000 tournaments, dropping only three sets in 29 matches played. In Rome, he became the second man after Novak Djokovic to complete a golden Masters. Since the start of the year, he has only been beaten by Djokovic in the semi-finals of the Australian Open and Jakub Mensík in the quarter-finals of the Doha Open.
The world No.1 could achieve another milestone in his record-breaking career in Paris should he win the French Open. He is targeting a career Grand Slam, which rival Carlos Alcaraz achieved earlier this season. The Spaniard is currently sidelined from action due to a wrist injury and will not return to the Tour until after Wimbledon.
Sinner’s recent dominance has been hailed by former world No.2 Corretja, who has praised his mentality on the Tour. He is coached by both Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi.
“Sinner is setting the bar so high, playing at such a powerful pace, making so few errors,” Corretja told the Spanish newspaper Marca.
“What impresses me most isn’t that he’s holding up physically—which he is—but mentally. That’s what stands out to me the most.
“After he won in Miami, I thought he had little time to prepare for Monte Carlo; we’ll see if he adapts. But the victory over Carlos gave him a huge boost and a lot of confidence. I thought he was going to skip a tournament, but he didn’t in Madrid, where he seemed to be struggling a bit. From the quarterfinals on, he played spectacular tennis.
“And in Rome, he’s riding that momentum and seems almost unstoppable.”
Sinner is currently spending his 72nd week at the top of the ATP rankings, which is the 11th-longest streak in the Open Era. At the age of 24, he has already won 29 Tour-level titles, with more than half (16) coming at Grand Slams (4), the ATP Finals (2), or Masters 1000 events (10).
“This is the best version of Jannik I’ve ever seen: with more variety, with different options, whereas before he had a more classic, more typical style. He was a bit more predictable. When he lost the US Open final, he said he was going to improve things, and he has.” Corretja commented.
It is the French Open title that Sinner highlights as one of his goals for 2026. His desire for glory in Paris has undoubtedly increased since narrowly missing out on the trophy to Carlos Alcaraz in the longest final to ever be held at the tournament last year. The Italian had three match points but failed to convert them in the five-set thriller.
At the time, Sinner was playing in his second tournament following a three-month suspension for an anti-doping violation following a settlement between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and Sinner’s legal team. He was found to have not deliberately consumed a prohibited substance but had a degree of responsibility in ensuring correct protocols are always followed by his team after it was concluded that a member inadvertently contaminated his with a banned substance via a massage.
As for this year’s French Open, Corretja believes Sinner is the heavy favourite, but he can be beaten at the event.
“His dominance is overwhelming, and it really catches our attention. His game suits clay well, but he’s not a specialist like Rafa used to be—who was unbeatable,” he explained.
“For me, it’s an open Roland Garros, although there’s no doubt that if he continues to dominate the way he is, it feels like no one can stop him.
“What strikes me is the pace he sets and how he maintains it until the very end, no matter what happens. That’s what I’d highlight most about him—that he’s capable of playing at an extremely high speed for two and a half or three hours. When he has long matches, he’s experienced some physical discomfort.
“But I’m blown away by what he’s doing because it’s incredibly difficult—I’d say it’s almost inhuman. It’s nearly impossible to replicate.”
On Thursday, Sinner will learn his path to glory when the French Open draw is made. He will be making his seventh appearance at the tournament.
