Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have spectacularly been drawn in the same half to set up a mouth-watering potential quarter-final at the French Open. It’s a top-heavy draw, with the winner between the World No. 1 and the 21-time Grand Slam champion set to face teenage superstar Carlos Alcaraz.
The top names have discovered their fate ahead of the Roland Garros major, which begins next week. In the men’s draw, Djokovic could meet Nadal in a stunning quarter-final.
The World No. 1 will open his French Open title defence against Yoshihito Nishioka, who has never made it past the second round at Roland Garros before. In the second round, Djokovic could face Alex Molcan – who is trained by his former head coach Marian Vajda – if the Slovak can defeat Federico Coria.
The Serb could face American Jenson Brooksby in the third round before a real test against either Grigor Dimitrov or World No. 15 Diego Schwartzman. The win would set up the exciting clash with Nadal as the two men vie to claim the second Grand Slam title of the season.
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Nadal will kick off his bid to claim a stunning 14th French Open title against Jordan Thompson. The 28-year-old Australian made it to the third round back in 2019, but he will undoubtedly be an immense underdog against the Spaniard.
If Nadal moves to the second round, he could face Stan Wawrinka before setting up a third round clash with Botic van de Zandschulp. In order to set up a quarter-final with Djokovic, Nadal will have to defeat either Reilly Opelka or Felix Auger-Aliassime – ranked 17th and ninth.
Nadal’s teenage compatriot, Carlos Alcaraz, could also throw a spanner in the works having beaten both Nadal and Djokovic on his way to a stunning Madrid Open title earlier this month. In the first round, the 19-year-old will face a qualifier before either Albert Ramos-Vinolas or Thanasi Kokkinakis, who won the Australian Open in men’s doubles alongside Nick Kyrgios.
Alcaraz could then face American Sebastian Korda in the third round before a clash with Brit Cam Norrie in the fourth round. He will face his first real test in the quarter finals against Olympic champion Alexander Zverev at the French Open.
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The teenager would then face the winner of Nadal and Djokovic’s potentially explosive clash in the semis. If he reaches the final, Alcaraz could face either Daniil Medvedev or Stefanos Tsitsipas for the maiden Grand Slam title.
Meanwhile, the women’s draw could see US Open champion Emma Raducanu act as the best British hope for success in Roland Garros. The 19-year-old is seeded 12th and will face a qualifier in the first round.
The Brit has landed herself in the opposite side of the draw to Polish superstar Iga Swiatek, but could be on a collision course towards a meeting with World No. 6 Ons Jabeur in the Round of 16. As for other Brits, Dan Evans, Heather Watson and Harriet Dart complete the five-strong group as former World No. 1 Andy Murray is focusing on the grass-court season.
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