With spring, it’s time for the clay court season on the ATP and WTA Tours, which is highlighted by the signature red clay of Roland Garros and the year’s second major: the French Open.

A year ago, Novak Djokovic was the men’s singles champion and hoisted the fourth French Open title of his career to add to his long list of major championships, while Iga Swiatek won the women’s singles event for a second straight time and third overall. The primary theme of this year’s event will be the coronation of Rafael Nadal, who is set to compete there for the final time.

Will we see new champions, or will Djokovic and Swiatek continue their dominance at Roland Garros? Long Island Tennis Magazine breaks down some of the players to watch out for in Paris in 2024, including Contenders, Pretenders and Sleepers.

Contenders, Pretenders, Sleepers

Contenders – Men’s Singles

Rafael Nadal

While the mileage on his body and sustained injuries have hampered the back-end of Rafael Nadal’s career, it’d be impossible to write a preview of the French Open and not include Nadal. Across all of sports, there is perhaps no one who has been more dominant at a single event than the 37-year-old Spaniard has been at the French Open, as he has racked up 14 titles in Paris during his career. He did announce towards the end of 2023 that this season would most likely be his last, and he wants to make sure to play at the calendar’s biggest events so he can have a proper send off. Nadal played Brisbane to begin the year before injuries forced him out of the subsequent events, but he has been working and training towards returning for the clay swing, and wouldn’t it be a storybook ending to his career if he can hoist one more French Open title?

Novak Djokovic

Nadal’s peer and longtime rival Novak Djokovic continues to be a dominant force on tour despite being deep into his 30s. Djokovic is the greatest player of all-time, owner of 24 Grand Slam singles titles, and will be motivated to win his fourth French Open title, and second straight one. After failing to win his 11^th Australian Open title earlier this year, Djokovic will look to claim his first major of 2024 and defend his title in Paris.

Jannik Sinner

Fresh off of the first Grand Slam of his career, Italy’s Jannik Sinner will be out to bring home his second when he arrives in Paris. Sinner seems to be on his way to having a dominant season, as he won 22 of his first 23 matches, a run that has included three titles. His only loss in that time frame was a thrilling three-set contest against Carlos Alcaraz at Indian Wells, but Sinner has very much looked like the best player in the world through the first four months of the year. Sinner’s best showing at the French Open was a quarterfinal run back in 2020, but with him playing the best tennis of his career, look for Sinner to make a deep run.

Contenders – Women’s Singles

Iga Swiatek

The top-ranked woman in the world will be in search of her third consecutive title when she arrives on the Parisian clay. Iga Swiatek has been the most dominant player in women’s tennis over the last several years, and it was at the French Open where that dominance began. She surprised everyone to win the event back in 2020 and has not looked back, winning again in 2022 and 2023. Swiatek dropped only one set en route to her title last year, which came in the finals against Karolina Muchova, and we can expect to see a similar performance from her at the 2024 French Open.

Coco Gauff

It’s crazy to think that Coco Gauff is still only 20-years-old. It seems as if she has been on the tour for years, but the young American is still the future of women’s tennis. She is also the present though, as she is one of the top players in the world, and a threat to win any major. Gauff won the U.S. Open last year so she has proven she has the pedigree to handle the two-week challenge of winning a major, and she has a track record of success at the French Open, evidenced by her run to the finals back in 2022. Gauff will make a strong push for the second major title of her career.

Ons Jabeur

It can be a demoralizing thing to reach the finals of a major only to lose. It’s even more crushing when it happens three different times, which is the case for Ons Jabeur, who has lost in the Wimbledon final twice and the U.S. Open once. But while those losses are difficult to overcome, Jabeur has shown that she is capable of making deep runs at the majors, and she should be in line for another one at the French Open. Jabeur has one of the most unique game styles on tour with the athleticism, craftiness and variety of shots that thrive on the clay courts. She had her best showing in Paris last year when she made it to the quarterfinals, and she will look to take the next steps in 2024.

Pretenders – Men’s Singles

Stefanos Tsitsipas

He has been a mainstay atop the ATP World Tour rankings for several years now, and there is no doubting that Stefanos Tsitsipas is one of the toughest players on tour. However, that has yet to result in a major title. The highest-ranked Greek player of all-time has reached two major finals, the French Open in 2021 and the Australian Open in 2023, with the former being a devastating five-set defeat to Novak Djokovic after leading him two-sets-to-love. Tsitsipas has a very aesthetically-pleasing game, with the picturesque one-handed backhand and a whipping forehand, yet he seems to play his worst tennis in the biggest moments, and that could be a trend that continues at this year’s French Open.

Taylor Fritz

The highest-ranked American in the world has never taken too kindly to the clay. He has never reached a final on the ATP tour on tournaments played on clay, and dating back to his junior days, the only clay court final he reached was at the 2015 French Open junior event where he lost to compatriot Tommy Paul. As a pro, Fritz has never made it past the third round at Roland Garros, something that should worry Fritz fans as he prepares for the year’s second major.

Andrey Rublev

Despite being a mainstay in the Top 10 of the rankings, the quarterfinals is as far  as Andrey Rublev has advanced at the Grand Slams. He has reached that stage 10 different times in his career and is 0-10 in those matches. It seems to be a massive hurdle for the Russian as he attempts to win his first ever major, and one has to think there is something mental associated with that. He reached the quarterfinals at the French Open in 2020 and 2022, and we shouldn’t expect a deeper run that that this time around.

Pretenders – Women’s Singles

Aryna Sabalenka

Earlier this year, Aryna Sabalenka defended her title at the Australian Open to secure her second career major as she avoided the dreaded “one-and-done” title. But as she heads into the spring and summer months, she will be competing in clay and grass court events, the two surfaces she is not as comfortable on. Sabalenka is a huge hitter who can power through her opponents on the hard courts, but at times lacks the variety and movement needed on clay. While she did reach the semifinals at the French Open in 2023, before that she had never been out of the third round. She is one of the best players in the world, but Sabalenka could be in for another early exit from Paris.

Jelena Ostapenko

Seven years ago, a young Latvian named Jelena Ostapenko used her massive forehand and power to win the French Open. She was ranked just 47^th at the time, and became the first player since 1933 to win the French Open as an unseeded player. Ostapenko’s career has had some ebbs and flows in the time since, but she now finds herself back into the Top 10 of the WTA Rankings and playing solid tennis. But Ostapenko is a tough player to read, and at times it seems she lets her emotions get the best of her. She plays risky and aggressive tennis which helps her outhit opponents, but also leads unforced errors of her own. If she has one of those matches where the errors are flying off her racquet, she won’t advance far at this year’s French Open.

Jasmine Paolini

Up to 14^th in the WTA Rankings, Italy’s Jasmine Paolini is enjoying the best stretch of tennis in her career. That includes a victory at the Duty Free Tennis Championships in Dubai, her biggest title to date, and a career-high ranking. But it remains to be seen if Paolini can find success at the majors, something she has yet to do. She reached the fourth round at the Australian Open at the beginning of the season which is her best result. At the French Open specifically, she has never made it out of the second round. While Paolini is playing her best tennis, don’t expect a deep run from her at Roland Garros.

Sleepers – Men’s Singles

Arthur Fils

Arthur Fils is a name that a lot of tennis fans may not know, but it’s one they should get to know. The French teenager has been steadily climbing the rankings since he broke onto the scene towards the beginning of 2023, and has the game style to potentially make a surprising run at this year’s French Open. He reached the 2023 Next Generation ATP Finals a year ago, an event at which he made it to the championship match before falling in five sets. As a result of his 2023 success, he was named the ATP Tour’s Newcomer of the Year, and has carried that momentum into 2024. He will have the crowd on his side during any of his matches during the French Open (save for a couple of opponents), and will try to use that energy to make a run into the event’s second week.

Lorenzo Musetti

In his young career, Lorenzo Musetti has already proven he is capable of beating the best players in the world, something that is inevitably needed when trying to make a run to the late stages of a Grand Slam. Musetti has defeated the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Frances Tiafoe, Casper Ruud, amongst others, and the wins over Alcaraz and Djokovic both came on clay. He won four titles at the lower levels on clay and has shown that he is comfortable and indeed prefers to play on clay. Musetti may be overshadowed by his compatriot Jannik Sinner, but he is a promising young Italian player who hopes to showcase his potential by making a run at Roland Garros.

Nicolas Jarry

The 28-year-old from Chile is ranked inside the Top 25 and has the talent to be able to string together matches at the French Open. He reached the fourth-round a year ago which is his best showing at any of the four majors. Jarry is a player that thrives on the clay. He has reached six ATP Tour level finals in his career, winning three of them, all of which came on clay. Jarry has shown he can beat the biggest names in the sport, in 2024 alone he has wins over Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud and is playing some of the best tennis in his career. Jarry is a player that the top seeds will not want to see on their side of the draw.

Sleepers – Women’s Singles

Danielle Collins

The former University of Virginia standout has been playing great tennis thus far in 2024, and it is ironic because it comes on the heels of her announcing that this will be her last year competing professionally. Thus, she is seemingly playing with nothing to lose and seems to be playing tennis with a freer mindset. Collins made it all the way to the finals at the Miami Open and proceeded to handily defeat fourth-ranked Elena Rybakina in straight sets to secure the title, the biggest of her career. Collins is a former French Open quarterfinalist and is set to try to return to that stage of the event, and possibly go further.

Beatriz Haddad Maia

A year ago, Beatriz Haddad Maia powered her way into the French Open semifinals, one victory away from competing for a major title, and becoming the first Brazilian woman to advance that far since 1966. Haddad Maia comes from a family with a rich tennis history who plays an aggressive style of play, enjoying coming to the net to finish off points and using her lefty craftiness in order to disrupt her opponents. She has demonstrated she is capable of making a run at Roland Garros, and could be due for a repeat performance this year.

Emma Navarro

The New York City-born Emma Navarro has burst onto the scene over the last year, and is set up for Grand Slam success. She has broken into the Top 20 and is playing the best tennis of her young career, which includes her first career title at the Hobart International back in January. She is a big-hitter who likes to play aggressive and can give the best players in the world trouble. She did win a match at the French Open a year ago, which was her first career victory at a major, and previously had made it to the finals of the French Open Juniors back in 2019. Navarro is a young player on the rise who will be out to make the second week when she arrives in Paris.