Paris, May 24 -- This year's French Open is going to feel rather strange to begin with.
It is the first Roland Garros since Rafael Nadal - the man who won 14 singles titles and is synonymous with the tournament - retired.
His abdication means there is a chance for a new 'King of Clay' to be crowned.
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz has long been the heir apparent and goes into this year's event as the
slight favourite.
The 22-year-old defending champion is a natural clay-courter with a 15-1 win-loss record on the surface this year - and, perhaps crucially, more match practice than rival Jannik Sinner.
Italy's Sinner is the other standout candidate.
The world number one has dominated over the past 18 months but only recently returned from a thr...