Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz had been drawn in the identical half of the French Open, which means a possible semi-final between the 2 event favourites is feasible in essentially the most open males’s singles draw at Roland Garros in 19 years.
After regaining his No 1 rating on the Italian Open final week, Alcaraz will start a grand slam event as the highest seed for the primary time in his profession and he’ll begin towards a qualifier or fortunate loser.
Ought to 20-year-old Alcaraz and 36-year-old Djokovic meet within the semi-final, it could be their first contest in over a yr, relationship again to Alcaraz’s victory over Djokovic within the Madrid Open. The 14-time champion Rafael Nadal withdrew from the event final week as he introduced he could be taking a break after his current harm struggles.
Earlier than Alcaraz considers the prospect of a semi-final with Djokovic, different massive names are looming in his part. He might doubtlessly face 2021 Roland Garros runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas, the fifth seed, within the quarter-final.
Djokovic was unexpectedly pushed all the way down to the third seeding on account of Daniil Medvedev’s shock first profession ATP clay courtroom title in Rome. Within the backside half, Medvedev begins towards a qualifier, whereas Casper Ruud, the fourth seed, and eighth seed Jannik Sinner head the decrease half of that part.
There are not any British gamers within the ladies’s draw after six Britons had been defeated within the qualifying spherical earlier this week. This event will mark the primary time because the 2009 US Open that no British gamers will characteristic in the principle draw of a grand slam.
Iga Swiatek stays the event favorite as she appears to be like for her third Roland Garros title after an harm scare on the Italian Open final week. Swiatek, who begins her event towards Cristina Bucsa of Spain, retired from the third set of her Italian Open match towards Elena Rybakina with a thigh harm.
After taking some days off, Swiatek has been practising at Roland Garros. She faces a tough potential fourth spherical match towards Barbora Krejcikova, the 2021 French Open champion, who has defeated her of their final two conferences. Elsewhere, Rome champion Elena Rybakina, the fourth seed, has additionally been drawn in Swiatek’s half however the pair can’t meet earlier than the semi-finals.
The underside half is led by Aryna Sabalenka, who begins with a troublesome first spherical match towards Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine. Jessica Pegula, the third seed, will face former Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins in her first match.
The British males’s No. 1 Cameron Norrie, in the meantime, should neutralise the unpredictable aptitude of Benoît Paire, and the partisan French crowd, when the 14th seed opens his marketing campaign within the first spherical. Jack Draper faces a troublesome opening spherical match towards Tomas Etcheverry of Argentina and twentieth seed Dan Evans will begin towards wildcard Thanasi Kokkinakis.
