Roland-Garros 2023: Caroline Garcia leader, the interrogation Gaël Monfils, a new generation on the lookout … Update on the French chances

What do Hugo Gaston, Caroline Garcia and Fiona Ferro have in common? They are the last French people to have reached the round of 16 at Roland-Garros, during a 2020 edition marked by the Covid-19 and disputed in the fall. After two years of slack, the 29 Tricolores will try to climb into the second week of the tournament, which begins on Sunday May 28. A few arguments are reassuring, but many gray areas darken an uncertain overall picture.

Caroline Garcia at the head of the gondola

Fifth in the WTA rankings, Caroline Garcia is the best – the only one? – French chance of victory. Yes, but the Lyonnaise started her season on clay very quietly, in line with a lackluster 2023 vintage. Even if his return with his trainer Bertrand Perret gives him a “positive energy”, as she said before the Madrid tournament, the results are up and down. Garcia has indeed fallen in the 3rd round in Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome, the last two times against opponents ranked above 50th place.

“You have to get back in the right direction, but we know that one or two good matches can revive itsays Arnaud Clément, franceinfo consultant: sport. She is able to express herself well on earth.” Absent from Roland’s quarters since 2017, Caroline Garcia could benefit from the – relative – slack of Iga Swiatek, less dominating this year. But it will first have to start against Xiyu Wang, 62nd in the world.

Gael Monfils, questioning

If we refer to pure talent, Gaël Monfils still appears, even at 36, in the tricolor gratin. By integrating the physical state and the shape of the moment into the equation, the situation changes significantly. Relegated to 386th in the world, “la Monf'” relapsed at the Masters 1000 in Miami at the end of March, hit in the hand. “This injury is not trivial and the recovery takes longer than with a few years less”explains Arnaud Clément.

For his 16th Roland-Garros and when the twilight of his career is not very far away, Monfils is under no illusions. “I want to get back to a good level of playhe said after his elimination in the first round in Lyon on Tuesday. Win or lose, but play well.” “If he passes the first round, it’s already good”, confides Arnaud Clément, about a player with only one victory (on abandonment) in 2023 in eight games played. In the first round, he will face Argentinian Sebastian Baez, 44th in the world, whom he has never met.

Van Assche et Fils, is the next generation ready?

For their first Roland-Garros, Luca van Assche (19) and Arthur Fils (18) will be closely scrutinized. The expectation they arouse says a lot about the decrepitude of the French clan, but their progress over the last few months is real. The first city, winner of the junior edition in 2021 (against … Son), is 79th in the world and has two Challengers victories this year, in San Remo and Pau.

As for Son, 112th in the world, he beat Francisco Cerundolo (28th) twice very recently, in Rome (in Masters 1000, May 10), then also and especially in the final, his first in his career, of the ATP 250 from Lyon, Saturday. “They have very mature games for their age and will progress very quickly”, predicts Arnaud Clément. But he warns: “Let’s give them time, don’t expect one of them to win Roland-Garros this year!” They could deprive themselves of it since the reunion between the two players would take place from the 2nd round if they win their first match. It will be against Marco Cecchinato (73rd) for Van Assche and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (34th) for Son.

Elsewhere, the desert?

Beyond these curiosities, the French side has only meager chances. “We have a lot of in-form players, some are capable of knocking off seedswants to believe Arnaud Clément. If we have one or two in the second week, it’s already good.” Even modest, this record would still exceed the poor recent performance in Paris.

38th in the ATP rankings and victorious in the Challengers of Cagliari and Bordeaux in May, Ugo Humbert can be a good surprise, even if he has never passed the first round at Porte d’Auteuil in four appearances. He will find the French number 2 Adrian Mannarino (47th), hardly more comfortable on clay, from the 1st round. The veteran Richard Gasquet (50th) is also present, like the ghost Lucas Pouille, survivor of the qualifications. Wink of the draw, he will find in the 1st round the Austrian Jurij Rodionov, whom he beat in the 3rd and last round of these qualifications before being drafted as lucky loser.

In the women’s circuit, the young Diane Parry (20), 77th in the WTA rankings, will try to repeat her good run from last year (3rd round). Despite an average start to the season, Alizé Cornet (55th), the other member of the top 100 (59th), is also expected. Like Lucas Pouille, Fiona Ferro will try to extend the upturn after months of trouble, she who got out of qualifying and inherited a rather affordable first round against Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson, 86th player in the world.