Jannik Sinner has been almost unstoppable this year, winning 29 matches straight and dropping only two sets in the process. Slated to continue his momentum in the French Open, getting the Musketeers’ Trophy seems like a cakewalk for the Italian now that his arch-rival Carlos Alacaz is not in action. However, John McEnroe, a man who knows better than most about playing under pressure, has followed it all and pinpointed one factor that could cost him the title.

“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. So, it’s going to be more pressure,” he said in an interaction with Tennis365 during a TNT Sports Media event in Paris. “There’s been a couple of bumps, where physically he looked like he was toast, against [Eliot] Spizzirri in Australia and [Daniil] Medvedev recently. There’s been two or three times that it’s looked dicey, but he’s been able to get through it. That, for me, is the best chance of him losing.”

Sinner has won titles in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome since his last loss at the Qatar Open. Hence, his coming in as a favorite is not at all surprising, especially with Carlos Alcaraz sidelined through injury.

Back in January, at the Australian Open, Sinner dropped the first set to Eliot Spizzirri, cramping badly, barely able to push off to serve at 3-1 down in the third set. He looked done, but a heat rule stoppage gave him a crucial 10-minute recovery window, and he went on to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

Then, in Rome, taking on Medvedev in the semi-final of the Italian Open, Sinner was suffering from dizziness, cramps, and what looked like nausea mid-match. He had been leading 4-2 in the third when rain intervened. The tournament director later said he had been “seriously worried” about Sinner’s physical condition. Sinner returned the next day and finished the match in 15 minutes.

The question hanging over Roland Garros is whether that well of resilience has a bottom.

The Weight of Being the Favourite is on Jannik Sinner

McEnroe openly admitted that the absence of Alcaraz changes everything about Roland Garros 2026. The rivalry between the two had become the dominant narrative in men’s tennis. Last year’s French Open final was the longest in tournament history, lasting five hours and 29 minutes.

Carlos Alcaraz came back from two sets down to beat Sinner 4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 in a match so dramatic it finished with a super tiebreak for the first time in a French Open final. It was the sort of match that reminded everyone what elite tennis looks like when two generational talents don’t quit.

Sinner will face world No. 171 Clement Tabur in his opening French Open match on Thursday. It’s a straightforward first-round draw for Sinner in theory, but the French Open has had some shocking upsets with top stars like Taylor Fritz and Emma Raducanu being eliminated from the tournament in the first round of the event.

A win in Paris would give the 24-year-old his fifth Grand Slam and complete the career Grand Slam. The tennis world, including John McEnroe, largely supports him. The only thing that has come close to stopping Sinner this year is Sinner himself. That may be the most important story of the fortnight in Paris.