John McEnroe Names Jannik Sinner’s Physical Condition as Greatest Threat at 2025 French Open

Speaking exclusively to Tennis365 at a TNT Sports media event ahead of the French Open, John McEnroe suggested that physical vulnerability — not an opponent’s form — represents the most realistic threat to Jannik Sinner’s dominance at Roland Garros.

“That, for me, is the best chance of him losing,” McEnroe said, referencing moments during Sinner’s current winning run where the Italian appeared to be in physical difficulty, specifically against Eliot Spizzirri in Australia and Daniil Medvedev more recently.

The 24-year-old arrives in Paris having won 29 consecutive matches, picking up titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome since his last defeat — a loss to Jakub Mensik at the Qatar Open in February. Across those five title runs, Sinner dropped just three sets, a statistical output that underlines the consistency of his level heading into the clay-court Grand Slam.

McEnroe, who won seven Grand Slam singles titles during his career, was measured in his assessment of Sinner’s recent form, noting that the world No 1’s high level was not unexpected. “He’s been playing at this level for a couple of years. Him and Carlos have won every major [between them]; nine in a row. So, this is not surprising,” the American said.

The absence of Carlos Alcaraz — who won the French Open in 2024 and holds a winning head-to-head record against Sinner — casts a significant shadow over the tournament. Alcaraz did not compete in Madrid or Rome ahead of Roland Garros, and his withdrawal from the event has shifted the weight of expectation firmly onto Sinner. McEnroe acknowledged the loss as a setback for the sport while noting the added burden it places on the Italian.

“It’s definitely a bummer [that Alcaraz is injured], there’s no question about that,” McEnroe said. “But at the same time, when you lose Carlos, then there’s more pressure on Jannik. Me, I’m picking him against the entire field, and probably so are a lot of other people.”

Sinner’s bid at Roland Garros carries historical weight beyond the immediate title race. Victory in Paris would give the Italian his fifth Grand Slam crown and complete the career Grand Slam — having won all four major titles across his career. He has previously claimed the Australian Open and the US Open among his four existing Grand Slam titles.

Despite the near-flawless run of results, McEnroe pointed to isolated moments where Sinner appeared to struggle physically as the only credible openings for an upset. “There’s been a couple of bumps, where physically he looked like he was toast,” McEnroe noted, before acknowledging that Sinner had navigated those situations successfully each time.

Sinner opens his 2025 French Open campaign against world No 171 Clement Tabur on Thursday, a match in which he will be a heavy favourite. Should he progress through the draw as expected, the tournament would represent the most significant individual test of a season in which he has so far faced few credible challenges.