Following the draw on Thursday, defending champion Novak Djokovic and 13-time winner Rafael Nadal is set to meet in the quarterfinals of the French Open (May 19).
Djokovic, who was deported from Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open due to his refusal to get a COVID-19 vaccine, will begin his campaign against Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka.
He was put in the most challenging part of the draw, with Nadal, in-form Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, and world number three Alexander Zverev, who might face off in the last eight.
For the first time in three years, the French Open will be fully operational after the COVID-19 epidemic halted the previous two championships.
“It’s incredible to see all the supporters who have already been here for the qualifiers,” Djokovic remarked at the Roland Garros draw ceremony.
READ MORE: Novak Djokovic defeats Stefanos Tsitsipas to win his sixth Italian Open title
Last year’s runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas had a difficult first-round encounter against Lorenzo Musetti of Italy, who pushed Djokovic to five sets in the fourth round last year.
Because Russian players have been permitted to participate despite their country’s invasion of Ukraine, world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev might face compatriot Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals.
The organizers of Wimbledon have decided to exclude Russian and Belarussian players from the grasscourt Grand Slam this year.
In the women’s draw, hot favorite Iga Swiatek might play former champion Jelena Ostapenko in the last 16 as she seeks her second French Open victory in three years.
Ostapenko was the last player to defeat the Polish world number one before she began a 28-match undefeated run that included five championships before the French Open began on Sunday.
In the bottom half of the draw, defending champion Barbora Krejcikova will meet former world number one Victoria Azarenka in the last 16.
Naomi Osaka, who withdrew from the event last year after missing her media responsibilities and citing mental health difficulties, has been paired with Amanda Anisimova, a 27th seed from the United States.
