The French Open draw sets the stage for an exciting fortnight of tennis right from the start.
Led by the 14-time champion, Rafa Nadal, who is unseeded for the event, the opening match features him against the Rome champion, Alexander Zverev.
Known as the ‘King of Clay’, Nadal has been dealing with fitness issues since his early exit in Rome. Facing a tough challenge ahead, he aims to add to his record title wins at Roland Garros.
Zverev sees this match as an opportunity to make amends for their last encounter, where he suffered a serious ankle injury in the semi-finals two years ago, causing him to miss the rest of the 2022 season. Now fully fit, the German is in good form after his recent victory in Rome.
The 37-year-old Spanish legend, currently ranked 276th in the world, is likely participating in his last Grand Slam before retirement. However, he hopes to compete in the Paris Olympics later this summer at the same venue.
The world No.1 and defending champion, Novak Djokovic, starts his campaign against the French wildcard Pierre-Hugues Herbert. Meanwhile, Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner faces American Christopher Eubanks, and Carlos Alcaraz waits for a qualifier. Daniil Medvedev will take on Germany’s Dominik Koepfer.
Seventh seed Casper Ruud, aiming for a breakthrough after losing in the last two finals in Paris, plays against Jakub Mensik.
Andy Murray training on Court Four at Roland Garros
(Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
Another intriguing match-up features two three-time grand slam champions, Britain’s Andy Murray and Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka.
While Murray reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros in 2016, Wawrinka has conquered the event as the champion in 2015. With a 13-9 head-to-head record in favor of Murray, their 23rd meeting in 19 years promises a competitive clash.
Dan Evans is set to battle against 13th seed Holger Rune of Denmark, Cameron Norrie faces Russian Pavel Kotov, and Jack Draper’s opponent will be determined after the qualifying rounds.
In the potential second round, Norrie could face Murray or Wawrinka, while Draper might meet Alcaraz, setting up compelling matchups for the British players.
