The 2023 French Open is underway in Paris, without Rafael Nadal in the draw for the first time in 19 years.

Who is going to make the most of his absence to lift the men´s trophy? Will Iga Swiatek defend her womens title? Or could we see Sabalenka win her 2nd Grand Slam of the year?

We have a packed panel of coaches and players joining CTC host Dan Kiernan to give their expert opinions on all this and more:-

• Denmark´s Davis Cup Captain and 2012 Wimbledon Doubles Champion, Freddie Nielsen
• Canadian WTA player Gaby Dabrowski who has been as high has 4 in the world doubles rankings
• Piotr Sierzputowski is coach to USA´s Shelby Rogers, and guided Iga Swiatek to her first Grand Slam back in 2020.
• Kieron Vorster is Liam Broady´s S&C Coach, and has also worked with Tim Henman and Wayne Ferreira.
• GB´s Emily Webley-Smith who has been on the women´s tour for more than 20 years.

Hear their picks for the mens and women´s title at this years event, as well as their ‘dark horses to watch’. The panel also discuss whether the Masters events leading up to the French Open are working for players and spectators, now that they are two weeks long. 

Enjoy all the excitement from Roland Garros and don´t forget to check back in at the end of the fortnight for our French Open Review!

Read full show notes here.

Mentioned in this episode:

Train Smarter Anywhere: Strength & Conditioning for Tennis Players On the Go 🎾

For players who don’t always have access to in-person coaching, progress doesn’t have to stop.

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