The Roland Garros field is reconfigured before the draw is even set.
Fourteen-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal was forced to withdraw from the clay-court Grand Slam due to a chronic left hip injury.
More: Rune Dethrones Defending Champion Djokovic in Rome
The king of clay owns a mind-blowing 112-3 career Roland Garros record and has captured the French Open crown in five of the last six years.
Nadal has cast a shadow of dominance over the city of light since he defeated Mariano Puerta to capture his maiden major championship in his 2005 Roland Garros debut.
In Nadal’s absence, who is the Roland Garros favorite?
Only two former men’s champions—two-time champion Novak Djokovic and 2015 Roland Garros champion Stan Wawrinka—are set to play Paris this month.
Wimbledon and Australian Open champion Djokovic will take his shot shot at capturing a men’s Grand Slam record 23rd major championship at the French Open without having to beat the game’s clay-court GOAT to do it.
Yet Djokovic, who fell to Holger Rune in the Rome quarterfinals on Wednesday, is not the oddsmaker’s French Open favorite.
Oddschecker lists US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz as the favorite followed by Djokovic and Holger Rune as the bookmakers’ third choice.
Men’s Roland Garros Favorites
Carlos Alcaraz 7/5
Novak Djokovic 2/1
Holger Rune 8/1
Stefanos Tsitsipas 10/1
Jannik Sinner 12/1
Casper Ruud 16/1
Daniil Medvedev 22/1
Photo credit: Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters Facebook
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