In what is widely expected to be the 14-time champion’s final farewell in Paris this coming fortnight as retirement beckons, Rafael Nadal begins his French Open campaign against Rome champion Alexander Zverev after today’s singles draws were unveiled. The pair were engrossed in a thrilling Major semifinal battle here two years ago, before the latter suffered torn ankle ligaments.
It belongs in week two, but Nadal vs. Zverev headlines R1
Year’s second Major: French Open, first-round singles ties begin this Sunday
Alexander Zverev [4] vs. Rafael Nadal headlines round one matchups
Spaniard, who turns 38 on June 3, expected to retire by this season’s end
Brit watch: Dan Evans faces #13 seed Holger Rune, Andy Murray faces 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka while lucky loser or qualifier awaits Jack Draper
IT FEELS fitting that Rafael Nadal’s finale in Paris will begin against a man sandwiched between two generations, set to defend his Olympic title on clay in two months’ time, while undoubtedly keen to separate himself from the rest of a strong contender group tasked with becoming the sport’s new long-standing king.
24-time Major champion Novak Djokovic, 37 on Wednesday, has struggled for form and consistency so far this term. His existing reign as the ATP’s world number one-ranked player will inevitably end and likely next month, after early tournament defeats at Indian Wells and Rome exemplify a legend enduring changes aplenty.
Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who recovered from a set down to beat Djokovic at Wimbledon last summer, are widely regarded as the duo best placed to dominate major events over the next decade and beyond.
Former world no. 1 Daniil Medvedev (28), Olympic champion Zverev (27) and three-time Major champion Stefanos Tsitispas (25) are a well-established trio looking to assert themselves as the Djokovic-Nadal duopoly has tailed off increasingly into the bullish Serb stifling newcomers all on his own. Everyone knows it can’t last forever.
Tomas Martin Etcheverry, an unseeded quarterfinalist last year, faces a tricky start if he’s to defend his surprise ranking points this time around in a section packed with danger men – that starts against Montpellier’s 21-year-old rising talent Arthur Cazaux, who reached the fourth round on his Australian Open debut in January.
Prevail there and the exciting Argentine [28] could face another home hopeful in Arthur Rinderknech, while Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and last year’s runner-up Casper Ruud are potential opponents before round four in a packed section.
But first, he has a Lyon final (ATP 250) to prepare for against – you guessed it – another Frenchman in 20-year-old Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, looking to snap his 0-2 streak at this level for a welcome morale boost on the eve of another Major.
Ruud is the other tournament seed going deep at another event elsewhere this week, on home soil in Geneva where he is the two-time champion (2021, 22). He’ll play a qualifier early next week to kick-off his fortnight and given his uptick in form, it’ll be interesting to see how he fares in what is statistically his favourite Grand Slam event.
Given his sensational form over the past six months, it’s easy to forget that Sinner lost surprisingly early last year, in a five-set rollercoaster vs. Germany’s Daniel Altmaier that headlined the second-round shocks at Roland Garros and prompted an exaggerated inquest over the Italian’s deficiencies – that certainly aged well, didn’t it?
The 25-year-old features in an open section featuring Madrid champion Andrey Rublev [6], the aforementioned Tsitsipas and a pair of seeded Frenchman who will be bullish about their chances of making unprecedented noise and earning new career-best results on home soil this coming week – Ugo Humbet [17] and Arthur Fils [29].
Humbert (25) has only been into the second week of a Major once in 21 main draw appearances and while Fils (19) is still very green by comparison with four entries, was a junior finalist here three years ago – losing to his compatriot Luca Van Assche.
Van Assche faces an unpredictable first-round test in the form of Denis Shapovalov, with 2022 US Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe potentially lurking in R2.
French tracker
Section 1: How long will Djoko’s defence last?
Novak Djokovic [1] vs. Pierre-Hugues Hubert [WC] and Roberto Carballes Baena vs. Constant Lestienne — winners play one another
Gael Monfils vs. Thiago Seyboth Wild
Section 2: Ruud, Fritz feature
Giulio Zeppieri [Q] vs. Adrian Mannarino [22]
Tomas Martin Etcheverry [28] vs. Arthur Cazaux and Arthur Rinderknech vs. Adam Walton [WC] — winners will play one another
Section 3: Zverev-Nadal, Rune here
David Goffin vs. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard [WC]
Section 4: Medvedev, de Minaur placed
Gregoire Barrere [Q] vs. Alexander Bublik [19]
Section 5: Rublev, Tsitsipas lurk
Ugo Humbert vs. Lorenzo Sonego
Matteo Arnaldi vs. Arthur Fils and Luca Nardi vs. Alexandre Muller [WC] —- winners will play one another
Section 6: Carlos Alcaraz returns
Ben Shelton [15] vs. Hugo Gaston and Sebastian Korda [27] vs. Harold Mayot
Section 7: Hubert Hurkacz, Grigor Dimitrov
Luca Van Assche vs. Denis Shapovalov
Section 8: Jannik Sinner features here
Nicolas Jarry [16] vs. Corentin Moutet and Richard Gasquet [WC] vs. Borna Coric
Picture source: Getty Images
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