Ben Shelton, Daniil Medvedev Backed to Derail Jannik Sinner’s French Open Hopes As Former ATP Pros Sound the Alarm
Jan 28, 2026; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Jannik Sinner of Italy after his match against Ben Shelton of United States in the quarterfinals of the mens singles at the Australian Open at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne Park. © Mike Frey-Imagn Images At the 2026 French Open, there’s no clearer favorite than Jannik Sinner. With the winning streak he is on this year, his aura of invincibility leaves tennis analysts grasping at straws to think of a possible challenger.
On their recent podcast, former American ATP stars, including Sam Querrey, picked three players and a poorly prepared meal who could beat Sinner or at least bring it close. Ben Shelton, Daniil Medvedev, and Arthur Fils Named Lone Hurdles to Jannik Sinner’s Title Chase During a recent discussion breaking down the Roland Garros draw on their podcast “Nothing Major,” former pros Querrey, John Isner, and Steve Johnson couldn’t help but laugh at the futility of picking against the world No. 1.
When Querrey asked his co-hosts for their men’s champion prediction, the immediate and unanimous answer was the Italian. However, the conversation moved on to a follow-up question: Who is the player most likely to defeat the heavy favorite? Querrey took an analytical route, backing Daniil Medvedev as the only legitimate threat to Sinner’s Parisian campaign.
Before Sinner’s recent meteoric rise, Medvedev actually owned the H2H, winning their first six consecutive matches. While Sinner has come a long way since then, Querrey highlighted Medvedev’s unique capacity to drag matches into deep waters. “Medvedev battled him in Indian Wells and he battled him in Rome.
I think he’s the only guy that can retreat behind the baseline, play awkward, and try to extend the match to five hours,” Querrey said as Medvedev thrives in marathon fixtures. John Isner, a former top-10 player, admitted that an upset for Sinner could only be due to the notoriously fickle Parisian weather working in Sinner’s favor. And he picked Ben Shelton.