Rafa's absence, open spaces, dark horses: Jim Courier talks Roland Garros men's storylines

WATCH: The Break discusses Rafael Nadal's withdrawal from the 2023 Roland Garros.

The biggest headline on the men's side coming into Roland Garros is Rafael Nadal’s absence from the clay-court major for the first time in 19 years. While it's difficult to imagine a French Open without the 14-time winner, there is plenty to look forward to in Paris.

“We don’t know what level Rafa would have been able to bring had he been healthy enough to give it a go, but he is still Rafa, and there’s an intimidation factor that is clear,” Jim Courier said during a media call Tuesday. “Now there’s a little bit of open space.”

Could that opening be seized by more than the likes of 22-time major champion Novak Djokovic and current world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz? This generation of tennis pros are well-rounded surface players as opposed to the so-called “surface-specialists” that a wider net should be cast on the terre battue.

Cameron Norrie, for one, is an all-court threat. He’s difficult to beat because he doesn’t get tired, and while he doesn’t have that one big weapon that overpowers certain players, he still manages to give them a run for their money.

Then there are players like Daniil Medvedev who are surprised by their level of play on specific surfaces. This past weekend, the 27-year-old won his first clay-court title in Rome, yet still doesn’t believe he played so well on red dirt. It's worth noting that three different men tasted victory at the trio of ATP Masters 1000 events on European clay, with Medvedev joining Andrey Rublev (Monte Carlo) and Alcaraz (Madrid).

Courier also has his eyes on the young Frenchman, Arthur Fils, who is playing eye-catching tennis and is making significant progress on tour at just 18 years old.

“As for a dark horse,” Courier began. “Someone who probably hasn’t been talked about because he hasn’t played much in the last few months, but we know can play well on clay, Sebastian Korda.”

Korda, along with his countrymen in the draw, are hungry to once again deliver on the biggest stage tennis has to offer. Earlier this year in Australia, viewers were seeing a new wave of U.S. men's tennis command attention. Eight Americans reached the third round for the first time in 27 years, and three of them went on to reach the quarterfinals, including Korda.

As tennis fans gear up for some major competition over the next couple of weeks, Courier will be making the most of the on-court action and the setting that surrounds it.

“I think Paris is one of the great cities in the world,” Courier said. “It’s one of those cities that I think would be very hard to get tired of.”