Roland Garros gets a new king: Who is ready for the biggest challenge?

Roland Garros semifinals, Friday:

2:30 PM — Menšík vs Zverev

7:00 PM — Arnaldi vs Cobolli

Czech player Jakub Menšík has long been considered one of the biggest talents who could challenge the dominance of Sinner and Alcaraz.

The 20-year-old possesses an extremely powerful serve, excellent defense, and very good movement, which he demonstrated best in an impressive quarterfinal victory over Brazilian teenager João Fonseca.

He particularly impressed with his composure, as he needed until his seventh match point to secure the win.

Menšík has already shown that he has the mental strength to win major titles, having defeated Novak Djokovic in the Miami Masters final last year.

However, the question remains how he will respond on the biggest stage of all.

Former Roland Garros champion Michael Chang, who in 1989 became the youngest Grand Slam winner in history at just 17, believes that youth alone is not a guarantee of success.

“It may be easier in some aspects if you don’t overthink everything, but young players also feel great pressure,” Chang said.

“There are expectations, and that doesn’t always give them the freedom to go out and play without burden.”

Flavio Cobolli and Matteo Arnaldi – the Italian underdogs

In contrast to him, Arnaldi finds himself in completely uncharted territory.

In his previous 12 Grand Slam appearances, he has managed to reach the second week of a tournament only twice.

A persistent foot injury prevented him from training and competing regularly at the start of the season, and in April he admitted that the previous six months had been the most difficult period of his career.

That is why he made the most of the opportunity that came his way in Paris, spending nearly 20 hours on court on his way to the semifinals.

“I can’t complain. I’ve played a lot of tennis, but I’m happy to be on court because I missed playing,” Arnaldi said.

“I still have enough energy for the next matches.”