Top 5: men's dark horses at 2019 Roland Garros

These five dark horses have the results—and the goods—to make a significant impact in the men's event at this year's French Open.

1. Cristian Garin

The Chilean workhorse entered the season ranked No. 85 in the world, relatively unknown to the average tennis fan. He has since reached three ATP finals, winning two titles in Houston and Munich. He is one of just five players to win multiple titles this season (Djokovic, Federer, Tsitsipas, and Thiem). His record on clay in 2019 is a stellar 18-4. Currently ranked No. 37, he is projected to fall just short of the last seed at Roland Garros. This is bad news for all the seeded players who could potentially draw Garin in the first few rounds. At 6' 1'' and nearly 190 pounds, he is a tank. Garin is built for three out of five sets on clay. He plays like a young David Ferrer; every point feels like his last, and he will never sell himself short on a single shot. He rips the ball to safe targets and almost never misses. Given his track record this clay-court season, reaching the second week of Roland Garros feels more like a probability than a possibility.

2. Fabio Fognini

In terms of pure shotmaking and ball striking on clay this season, no one has impressed more than Fognini. The Italian has won eight of his nine titles on this surface, including the biggest win of his career in Monte Carlo. In the semifinals, he completely dismantled the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal, winning a whopping 58% of all points. In his last three tournaments, the world No. 11 owns a 10-2 record, losing only to Stefanos Tsitsipas and Dominic Thiem. Fresh off a career-best result in Monte Carlo and holding a career-high ranking, all signs point to a huge week in Paris for the flashy Italian Stallion.

3. Felix Auger-Aliassime

Arguably the most exciting young prospect in tennis, anytime Auger-Aliassime enters a tournament, he has a chance to make a deep run; he is that gifted. At 18-years-old, 'FAA' could be mistaken for a college freshman this year, but instead is ranked No. 28 in the world. While clay is not his best surface, he has all the tools to excel on the dirt in Paris. Armed with a devastating serve and forehand combo, Auger-Aliassime is already one of the better movers on tour. All of these are imperative skills for getting into week two of a major. Speed kills, especially on clay. He has defeated four Top 20 players this season, including wins over Fognini, Tsitsipas, and Coric. He will be seeded, so he should be able to play his way through the first few rounds, picking up steam along the way. The Canadian is ready to make his mark in his first French Open main draw appearance.

4. Juan Martin del Potro

When fully healthy, the Tower of Tandil can win any tournament he enters. After yet another injury plagued season, Del Potro advanced to the quarterfinals of Rome in just his third tournament of the year. Due to rain delays, he was forced to play two matches in one day, the second of which he held two match points against Novak Djokovic in one of the highest quality matches of the year. Despite his limited action in 2019 (Delray Beach, Madrid, and Rome), the Argentine has somehow not missed a beat and is playing some world class tennis ahead of the French Open. Del Potro will greatly benefit from the extra day of rest allotted at Grand Slams. If he can avoid any five-set matches in the first few rounds, his chances increase exponentially. A semifinalist last year, Del Potro has the biggest forehand in the tournament and is primed to crush his way to another deep run in Paris.

5. Matteo Berrettini

The 6' 5'' Italian won his first title this year in Budapest. One week later, he advanced to the final  in Munich. Due to rain delays and scheduling complications Berrettini was forced to play Roberto Bautista-Agut in the semifinal round early in the morning, a match he won in straight sets. Later that afternoon, he was back on court facing fellow French Open dark horse Christian Garin for the title. Having to beat Bautista Agut and Garin in the same day is a near impossible ask. Berrettini lost 7-6 in the third, but who knows what would have happened had he received a full day's rest before the final. Berrettini plays extremely aggressive and powerful tennis. If he gets hot he has the power to hit almost anyone off the court. He is 11-3 on clay this year—which includes a Top 5 win over Alexander Zverev in Rome—and is a name no one wants to see early in their section of the draw.