Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and young Spanish phenomenon Carlos Alcaraz, the three main favorites, have been placed in the same half of the Roland-Garros table, which starts on Sunday, according to a draw made on Thursday in Paris. Félix Auger-Aliassime is also in this part.
Félix Auger-Aliassime, 9th seed, will have an appointment with a qualified player in the first round. Quebecer could find its way into the round of 16 with Spaniard Rafael Nadal, and in the next round the tournament favorite, Serbian Novak Djokovic, world No. 1 and defending champion.
If Nadal, a 13-time Parisian Grand Slam winner, continues on his journey, he could face Djokovic in the quarter-finals. The winner will potentially meet Alcaraz, at the gate of the top 5 of 19, in the semi-finals.
On clay in Paris, Djokovic is looking for a 21st grand slam trophy that will allow him to equal the record held by Nadal since he was coronation at the Australian Open in January.
The Serb, who will be 35 on Sunday, will begin his two -week campaign against Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka. Nadal, close to 36, will start against Australian Jordan Thompson.
Alcaraz, who has grown a haircut in his first two Masters 1000 titles, in Miami in early April and in Madrid in early May, with a win over Barcelona meanwhile, will face a player from the qualifiers in the first round.
Like world No. 3 Alexander Zverev, the potential Spanish opponent in the quarter-finals.
Canadian Denis Shapovalov, the tournament’s 14th seed, is in the other half of the table and will have an appointment with Dane Holger Rune in the first round. The two players will face off for the first time in their careers on Parisian clay.
The theoretical semi-final in this table will face world No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas, outgoing runner-up, against No. 2 Daniil Medvedev, who had just returned after surgery for a hernia in early April.
Previously, the Greek could face Norwegian Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals, and the Russian, his compatriot Andrey Rublev.
On the women’s side, Leylah Annie Fernandez will begin her tournament against local favorite, Kristina Mladenovic. Quebecer, 17th seed, has never waged a sword against Frenchwoman, 110th in the world.
For her part, Bianca Andreescu of Ontario, the 72nd racket in the world, will face off in the first round with a qualified player.
Czech Barbora Krejcikova is the reigning champion of the Parisian tournament.
Source: Radio-Canada
