Jimmy Connors sees unpredictability in Roland Garros due to Nadal and Djokovic's form

Eight-time Grand Slam champion Jimmy Connors is of the opinion that this year's Roland Garros tournament could be very unpredictable. The American supports his claim by highlighting the doubt over the fitness of Rafael Nadal and the dip in form of World No.1 Novak Djokovic.

With Roger Federer retired and Nadal and Djokovic not at their best, Connors believes there could be a changing of the guard at the upcoming French Open. The former World No.1 suggested it is the perfect opportunity for a younger player to step up and take over after the dominance of the Big Three.

"You said it about it being wide open because normally going into the French, especially on clay, before the last year or two years you had Federer, Djokovic and Nadal," said Connors on his Advantage Connors Podcast. "And you could take those three against the field and come out on top almost every year. Or just Nadal. But now, with Federer gone, Nadal injured and Djoker kind of struggling to get some match play, you’re right, it is wide open."

The retired tennis pro also stated now would be the perfect time for the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Stefanos Tsitsipas to usher in a new era of men's tennis.

"What an opportunity for a lot of these younger guys coming up," he added. "Even guys like Zverev who are like 27/28/29 to take advantage of that and to start laying, we talk about this so much, to start laying the groundwork for their legacy. To start taking over and understanding that this is their time.
"The other guys, as great as they are, as great as they were, as great as they still are, it’s time. They’re in their 30s, it’s time for us to take over. And so it’s going to be very interesting to see how that’s handled."