Non sopportabile: Jannik Sinner afferma che il gioco di tennis di choosin è stato il più grande errore che ha mai fatto di più….

te Carlo Masters
One of the big question marks heading into the French Open may be answered in the next 24 hours as Jannik Sinner appears to be winning his race to play at Roland Garros.

Sinner has been a huge doubt for the second Grand Slam of 2024 after pulling out of the Madrid Open with a hip injury, with conflicting reports suggesting it may rule the world No 2 out of action for a substantial period of time.

Yet after undergoing treatment at the medical facility attached to Italian soccer giants Juventus in recent days, Sinner made a tentative return to the clay courts at the Monte Carlo Country Club in recent days and the initial reaction to his injury appears to be positive.

Footage on social media of Sinner hitting balls fuelled hope that the Australian Open champion is on course to play at Roland Garros and now Sinner is expected to arrive in the French capital in the next 24 hours to step up his preparations for the tournament.

Sinner’s eagerness to play in Paris is understandable as his biggest rivals are set to enter the tournament with big question marks hovering over them.

World No 1 Novak Djokovic is struggling to find form and decided to enter this week’s Geneva Open as he strives to find some consistency in his game.

Meanwhile, world No 3 Carlos Alcaraz is struggling with a forearm injury that almost certainly won’t be fully recovered in time for the French Open, even if the Spaniard opts to play the tournament.

READ MORE: French Open 2024 men’s singles seeds: Djokovic and Sinner projected No 1 and 2
The worries for Djokovic and Alcaraz mean Sinner may be viewed as the favourite to win his first French Open if he is fit, yet that reality may not be the best environment for him to make a sensible decision about his next steps.

Hip injuries are notoriously challenging for tennis players and at the age of 22, Sinner needs to ensure he doesn’t take a decision now that will lead to long-term damage.

He is at the start of his career and will have a decade and more ahead of him to win the French Open title and if he is on the red stuff in Paris next week, we can only assume that he is fully fit given these comments earlier this month.

“At Roland Garros, I’ll only play if I’m 100 per cent and if there’s any doubt we have to see,” said Sinner.

“Some injuries can be prevented, some can’t. So far we’ve done a great job, last year I played a whole season without injuries and also in this season so far.

“With the MRI we saw that something isn’t 100 per cent ok. However, we have everything under control.

“If it doesn’t get 100 per cent cured, I’ll stop a little longer. Taking care of the body is more important than everything else.

“Preparation for Roland Garros will clearly not be optimal. We’ll give our best to get there in the best possible conditions to compete.”

They are words all medics would echo as the hip Sinner has damaged could derail a career that has already lifted into the sporting orbit.

Tennis fans around the world will be hoping to see Djokovic back to his best, Alcaraz firing his forehand with the venom we associate with him and Sinner raising the bar as he had done over the last six months.

Yet our appetite for a tennis feast at the French Open may not translate into what is realistic from the new ‘Big 3′ at the top of the men’s game.

The bookies’ odds will confirm that Djokovic, Alcaraz and Sinner are the favourites to win the French Open, but that is only relevant if all three are fit for the gruelling two weeks at Roland Garros.

Djokovic’s problems may be hard to solve if the sands of time have finally caught up with him, but Sinner and Alcaraz need to tread with caution as they will not want to jeopardise the era of success that may lie ahead for both of them.