7. Flavio Cobolli — Quietly Consistent
ATP Rank: 12
Previous Power Ranking: Not ranked
Cobolli has spent much of this clay season quietly putting results together without generating the headlines of some of his peers, which may actually work in his favor at Roland Garros. He is not the player who will blow the top guys off the court, but on a slow red clay in a best-of-five format, he can do some damage. Especially if he picks up some good form in Hamburg where he won the trophy last year.
8. Luciano Darderi — The Clay Machine
ATP Rank: 16
Previous Power Ranking: Not ranked
The numbers around Darderi on clay are striking. He has accumulated 82 clay-court wins since the start of 2024, one of the highest totals on tour over that period. He also reached the Rome sem-finals this week before being dismantled by Casper Ruud, which still represents his first Masters 1000 semifinal and a significant step forward. Darderi is not the flashiest player in the draw, but his physical endurance, his footwork on clay and his comfort in long baseline battles make him exactly the kind of player who can quietly put together five consecutive wins and find himself in the second week without anyone quite noticing.
9. Rafael Jodar — The Teenager Nobody Saw Coming
ATP Rank: 29
Previous Power Ranking: Not ranked
Six months ago, Rafael Jodar was a name known only to those deep in the ATP rankings. Today, he has earned a place in any serious version of the ATP Power Rankings for Roland Garros. The 19-year-old Spaniard won his first ATP title in Marrakech and reached the quarterfinals in Madrid, announcing himself as the breakout story of the spring clay swing. He’s accumulated over 30 wins already and we’re not even halfway done through the season. That’s a genuine 60-win season which would be impressive for somebody who is essentially playing his first season on the ATP Tour.
9. Alex de Minaur — Nothing but Consistency
ATP Rank: 9
Previous Power Ranking: 9
Rounding out the top ten is Mr. Consistent himself Alex de Minaur. Look, not many will give the Australian much of any chance of winning the French Open, but you can’t dismiss his consistency. Very few player bring close to their best on a daily basis and de Minaur is one of them.
Six of eight of his last Grand Slam appearances have ended in at least a quarterfinal including the French Open once. What he lacks in power he makes up in running ability and there is no other surface where that’s more useful than clay.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images
