French Open 2024 Men's Semifinal: Early Preview, Predictions for Updated Bracket

The French Open men's semifinals do not feature at least one of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic for the first time in 20 years.

Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Casper Ruud and Alexander Zverev are all two wins away from their first French Open victories.

Alcaraz and Sinner face off in the higher-profile semifinal on Friday that pits two of the last three men's singles major winners against each other.

The Zverev-Ruud semifinal will put at least one player without a Grand Slam title into Sunday's championship match.

Ruud has come the closest of the four semifinalists to winning at Roland Garros. He lost to Nadal and Djokovic in the last two years.

Ruud is also the most rested member of the quartet since he won his quarterfinal by walkover over an injured Djokovic.

No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz vs. No. 2 Jannik Sinner

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PARIS, FRANCE - June 04: Carlos Alcaraz of Spain during his match against Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece on Court Philippe-Chatrier during the Quarter-Final of the 2024 French Open Tennis Tournament at Roland Garros on June 4th, 2024, in Paris, France. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

The only major champions left in the men's semifinals square off on Friday.

Alcaraz is a two-time winner from his triumphs at the 2022 U.S. Open and Wimbledon in 2023, but he has never made it past the semifinals at Roland Garros.

Sinner captured the Australian Open title to start the 2024 major season and is in search of his second major final appearance.

Alcaraz has had more success in his career on the clay-court surface. He reached the quarterfinal and semifinal in the last two years at Roland Garros. Sinner is appearing in his first French Open semifinal.

Alcaraz and Sinner split their eight head-to-head meetings, six of which have come hard courts. Sinner won the only clay-court battle in 2022 in three sets.

The head-to-head series is also split at one each from two previous Grand Slam meetings. Sinner won at Wimbledon in 2022, while Alcaraz returned the favor at the U.S. Open later that year.

Both players have been in impeccable form in Paris. They have each lost a single set across five matches.

Alcaraz may be considered a slight favorite because of his previous clay-court success, but it should be an even battle across four or five sets.

No. 7 Casper Ruud vs. No. 4 Alexander Zverev

DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images

US Taylor Fritz plays a backhand return to Norway's Casper Ruud during their men's singles round of sixteen match on Court Suzanne-Lenglen on day nine of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros Complex in Paris on June 3, 2024. (Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP) (Photo by DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images)

Ruud and Zverev also have a split head-to-head series through four matches.

Ruud defeated Zverev in the last meeting in the French Open semifinals a year ago.

The No. 7 seed took care of Zverev in straight sets. Ruud swept the final set to clinch his spot in the final 12 months ago.

Ruud should have the edge on Zverev because of his success at Roland Garros over the last two years and due to his freshness.

The Norwegian last played in the round of 16 due to Djokovic's withdrawal ahead of the quarterfinals.

Zverev is looking to try and finally get past the semifinal round at Roland Garros. He stumbled at this stage in each of the last three years.

Zverev is 1-6 in Grand Slam semifinals and he'll be playing with the shortest rest of any semifinalist. He beat Alex De Minaur in straight sets on Wednesday night.

Ruud has not lost any of his three Grand Slam semifinal matches. He is 0-3 in finals, though.