Roland-Garros 2023: Power Tussle for Grand Supremacy Amongst Top Tennis Stars

Roland-Garros is the premier clay court Grand Slam that all top tennis stars love to win. The French Open tournament is a two week major event which many pros look forward to competing in. The race against time for match fitness has begun among the likes of Rafael Nadal and other injured players.

Roland-Garros for the year 2023 is slated to start May 28th and end on June 11th. Nadal is highly respected for having the most French Open titles; however, current world number one, Novak Djokovic, has only taken the highly coveted trophy home twice. The French Open offers premium entertainment and punters get the chance to use a free offer in sportsbooks such as bet365 to back Djokovic or other fan favorites to win the tournament.

Here are the top tennis stars that will be hoping to show their Grand Slam supremacy at the Roland-Garros 2023. 

The Serb tennis star won his first Roland-Garros title in 2016 and his second in 2021. Djokovic believes in his speed, agility and flexibility; however, it has not been effective with Rafael Nadal around. Having previously lost to Nadal and Wawrinka, the “Nole Slam” was completed in 2016 after Djokovic won the Roland-Garros final, defeating Andy Murray in four sets. In 2021, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal delivered an epic semifinal clash before Novak went on to win the final. He came back from behind in 2 matches to defeat Tsitsipas. The current world number one is hoping the 2023 Roland-Garros title will be his own, having already won his tenth Australian Open. The Roland-Garros title is highly coveted by the Serb and, in preparation for this year's edition, Novak is leading the way in an ongoing Monte-Carlo Masters. Novak Djokovic will be hoping to stay fit to take up the challenge by the new generation of tennis stars, and possibly Rafael Nadal.

The "King of Clay" has made a name for himself at the Roland-Garros Stadium in Paris, winning 112 matches and having just 3 defeats. It is unsure if he will be able to meet the physical demands of the Roland-Garros tournament in 2023. This is because Rafael Nadal is undergoing treatment after stepping out during a match in the Australian Open earlier this year. In his last social media message to his fans in March, he mentioned he will be available for the clay season and the French Open tournament. The Spanish tennis star is the current Roland-Garros title holder, having won the 2022 tournament after defeating Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-3,6-0 in the finals. Rafael Nadal has raked home 14 French Open titles, making him the most decorated tennis player on the clay court. He has won all the Roland-Garros titles but four since 2005. 

"Fast like Djokovic, Smart like Federer, Fierce like Nadal..." Highly rated Carlos Alcaraz, who has been tipped for greatness, is the new Spanish sensation that has climbed up the ATP rankings in a short time. Last September, Alcaraz became the youngest World No. 1 in the history of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings at the age of 19. He retained the position for 20 weeks and finished the year as World No.1. Novak came back this year to reclaim the top spot, and Alcaraz now sits number two on the log. Carlos Alcaraz has shown mental strength in recent months battling injury, but will be raring to make his mark at the 2023 Roland-Garros tournament. He missed the recent Australian Open due to a leg injury and the same injury kept him out of the Monte Carlo Masters. However, the young Spaniard is back to fitness and the qualities needed to win the matches with five-sets on the clay are in his arsenal. Carlos Alcaraz's abilities will be tested as this has not been really exploited by his opponents in other competitions. Fans will also look forward to his resolve and response when he is pushed to the wall. 

Stefanos Tsitsipas is one of the few young stars who understands the Roland-Garros terrain. The Greek professional tennis superstar rose through the ranks and surprised the world in 2021 when he reached the French Open finals. The match ended 6-7(6-8), 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. He gave Novak Djokovic a good run for his money and became world number three in August of that same year. The sleek Greek tennis player became first runner up to Novak Djokovic in January 2023 again, after a pulsating 6-3, 7-6, 7-6 match. In his preparation for the Roland Garros tournament, he played in the Monte Carlo Masters, playing well until the quarter final stages where he lost out to Taylor Fritz in a 6-2 6-4 encounter. Stefanos Tsitsipas will be looking to build on his decent form on the clay court and even go a step further than he went in 2021 to win the 2023 Roland-Garros tournament.

Casper Ruud is a Norwegian tennis star known for his dominance on the clay court. He has won ten ATP tour singles and nine were on clay. The Roland-Garros tournament is a familiar terrain for the fast rising Norwegian tennis star. He became world number two in September 2022. The current world number four was in two finals last year where he lost to young Carlos Alacaraz in the US Open and veteran Rafael Nadal in the French Open. His loss to the King of Clay will be a much-needed inspiration for the 2023 Roland-Garros tournament. 

The Russian's highest level in the Roland-Garros tournament is the Quarter Final stage. He is a big threat to the traditional duo of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, and his understanding of the new generation tennis stars is impeccable. Although, his strength on clay is yet to be uncovered, Daniil Medvedev will look to surprise everyone by competing at the highest level at the 2023 Roland-Garros tournament.

The tournament dates back to 1891 and currently has 13 courts alongside Court Philippe-Chatrier. Philippe-Chatrier is the main court with a roof that can close for 15 minutes and is capable of hosting about 15,000 spectators. The likes of A Rublev, Fritz, Augar-Aliassime, Sinner, Rune, and Tiafoe will join in the power tussle for Grand Slam supremacy at the Roland-Garros 2023