French Open 2026: Jannik Sinner defeat opens Roland Garros draw – can Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and others take advantage?

As well as Djokovic and Fonseca, Zverev’s half of the draw still includes Norway’s Casper Ruud and Spanish teenage sensation Rafael Jodar.

Two-time runner-up Ruud, 27, has the knowledge and ability to go far on the Paris clay.

He is the canny choice to go all the way – although he could face Djokovic in the fourth round.

But 19-year-old Jodar – seeded 27th after a rapid rise over the past year – is arguably the most exciting pick.

Jodar, who has the raw baseline power to trouble any opponent, plays American Alex Michelson in the third round and would not face another seed in the last 16.

“Rafa has become, in my opinion, the best player of this new generation and the one with the greatest potential,” said Toni Nadal, who coached his nephew Rafael to 16 of his 22 major titles.

Speaking before the French Open, the older Nadal also predicted Jodar to challenge for Grand Slams in the future.

Given Jodar’s confident start and the draw opening up, it may be sooner than he thought.

But his path could lead to Djokovic or Ruud in the quarters and potentially Zverev in the semis.