There will be a new men’s major champion at Roland Garros this year.
Novak Djokovic lost in the third round 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 to Brazilian 19-year-old João Fonseca on Friday, sending the tennis Grand Slams into a state of rare unpredictability. One day earlier, No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner lost in a five-setter to Juan Manuel Cerúndolo after suffering from cramping and heat exhaustion; he had been a game away from ending the match in straight sets.
With those top contenders out of the bracket, there are no men remaining who have won a Grand Slam. It’s the first time in the Open Era that no former champions have reached the round of 16 at a major. In the top half of the draw, only one player has ever even been to a major final—Matteo Berrettini.
No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev, in the draw’s lower half, is now the clear favorite, with +120 odds to win the event on DraftKings. The German, who has been dogged by domestic abuse allegations but never convicted, has reached three major finals and 10 major semifinals in his career, though he has frequently come up empty on the biggest stage. He has made $62.6 million in prize money, the seventh most all-time on the ATP Tour.
The tournament winner’s prize of approximately $3.3 million is greater than the career earnings for nine of the 25 players still alive—that includes teenage Spaniard Rafael Jodar, who has the second-best odds right now at +500. For six others, including Fonseca, winning the trophy would boost their lifetime on-court winnings by at least 50%.
