Key talking points ahead of the upcoming clay-court tennis season.

PARIS April 1, 2025: Czech teenager Jakub Mensik and Aryna Sabalenka triumphed at the Miami Open last weekend, but now they turn their focus to the European clay-court season, with all attention on Roland Garros.

Novak Djokovic will be aiming for his 100th title before the French Open begins on May 25, after a narrow loss in Miami.

Iga Swiatek hopes a return to her preferred surface will boost her form, while several young players are looking to continue their strong starts to the year.

Here, AFP Sport highlights three key talking points ahead of the European clay-court season:

The men’s buildup to the French Open kicks off this weekend at the Monte Carlo Masters, where Djokovic is hoping to win the title for the first time since 2015.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion has not won a tournament since the Paris Olympics, and questions about his future emerged after unexpected defeats by Matteo Berrettini and Botic van de Zandschulp, following an injury-induced retirement from his Australian Open semifinal against Alexander Zverev.

However, Djokovic, who turns 38 in May, regained form in Miami by reaching the final without dropping a set, before losing to Mensik.

“Miami brought me a lot of joy and great feelings both on and off the court,” said the former world No. 1.

Djokovic, who has won three French Opens, could set a record of 25 Grand Slam titles in Paris this year.

Swiatek has had a challenging period, including a doping ban, and has not reached a final since securing her fourth Roland Garros title last year.

While the Polish star has consistently reached the later rounds of tournaments, she has lost the dominant form she once had as world number one.

Sabalenka has solidified her position at the top of the rankings, but Swiatek is still regarded as the "Queen of Clay."

The 23-year-old made history by winning a trio of titles in Italy, Madrid, and at the French Open last season, so she has plenty of ranking points to defend in the upcoming months.

“I don’t want to dwell on this too much,” she said after an unexpected quarterfinal loss to Filipino wildcard Alexandra Eala in Miami.

“It’s nice to learn from losses, but there are other things ahead, and I’m excited to play on clay.”

Mensik, Eala, Mirra Andreeva, and Joao Fonseca have all proven themselves as some of the sport’s brightest young talents this year and will be looking to continue challenging the best players.

Mensik entered the world’s top 25 after his victory over Djokovic, while 17-year-old Andreeva has secured a place in the women’s top 10 following WTA 1,000 titles in Dubai and Indian Wells.

Eala, a former US Open junior champion, defied her wildcard status by reaching the Miami semifinals, and 18-year-old Brazilian Fonseca has already won an ATP title and is nearing the top 50.

Fonseca, Mensik, and Eala are set to make their Roland Garros debuts, while Andreeva has already made an impact on the Paris clay, reaching the 2024 semifinals.

American Learner Tien and Australia’s Maya Joint, 19 and 18 years old, respectively, have also broken into the top 100 this year.