John McEnroe said the tournament picture shifted dramatically after Carlos Alcaraz was sidelined at least through Wimbledon with a right wrist injury, and he named a short list of players now with clearer paths to major titles. “You’d have to say that when it looked even bleaker that he’d win another [major], the door’s opened up obviously more for [Djokovic] as well as [Alexander] Zverev, for example, and others that have been struggling,” McEnroe said.
The opening was not idle talk. Jannik Sinner arrived in Rome on an extraordinary run: he captured the Italian Open title on Sunday, extended his streak to 29 straight matches and has won five straight ATP Masters 1000 titles in 2026 and six straight titles overall. McEnroe framed that dominance simply: “You talk about wide open in a way, other than the obvious guy Sinner,” and later added, “But to me ultimately it’s Sinner against the field, I’d take Sinner right now.”
The numbers give weight to McEnroe’s call. Sinner’s streak through the Italian Open has outpaced a field suddenly missing its two-time defending French Open champion, Alcaraz. With Alcaraz sidelined at least through Wimbledon, McEnroe also listed players who could seize the moment: Felix Auger-Aliassime, Daniil Medvedev, Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz, and he mentioned Alexander Zverev among those who might benefit.
That reshuffling matters most where the surfaces and recent form intersect. Novak Djokovic, the Serbian who holds 24 major titles and is the world No. 4, remains a central figure; McEnroe pointed to grass as Djokovic’s clearest route back to another trophy. “He’s got that expertise, he knows that, he’s done that. The points are shorter. So I’d say that’s his best bet at this point,” McEnroe said, arguing that Wimbledon plays to Djokovic’s strengths more than Roland Garros right now.
Context sharpens the choices. Djokovic has won Roland Garros three times and Wimbledon seven times, and he beat Sinner in five sets in the Australian Open semifinals in January, evidence that he can still match the sport’s best on the biggest stages. Yet Djokovic’s form this month includes an awkward counterpoint: earlier this month he lost to world No. 79 Dino Prižmić of Croatia in his first match at the Italian Open, a result that complicates any simple narrative about his readiness for Paris.
That loss is the tension point beneath the optimism. Patrick McEnroe picked up on it, saying the Serbian would need momentum in Paris to be seen as a leading contender: “If he can get through the first couple rounds, then he can become one of the favorites, obviously,” Patrick McEnroe said, arguing that Djokovic must prove it match by match. He also acknowledged a deeper generational wrinkle, naming “the younger crew” and singling out Arthur Fils and Learner Tien as players “that could make a little run as well.”
The contradiction is clear: Sinner’s steamroller form and Alcaraz’s enforced absence create a vacuum at Roland Garros that sounds open on paper, but Djokovic’s history on grass and his 24 majors keep him in the conversation — even as a recent loss and a requirement to win early rounds temper that talk. McEnroe summed the new pecking order plainly, naming Djokovic and Alexander Zverev among those whose chances brightened while reiterating his vote for Sinner.
Ultimately, the clearest outcome is the one McEnroe voiced without hedging: Sinner stands alone at the head of an otherwise wide-open field. With Alcaraz out at least until after Wimbledon and Sinner riding a 29-match streak, the next decisive answers will come on court in Paris, where Djokovic must prove he can string together a few rounds, and in two months on grass, where his experience gives him his best shot. “But to me ultimately it’s Sinner against the field, I’d take Sinner right now,” McEnroe said — and that is the contest the tennis calendar now centers on.
