Roland-Garros men’s singles draw misses injured champion 14 times Raphael Nadal for the first time since 2004, leaving the Mousquetaires Cup ripe for the taking.
The main draw begins Sunday, live on Peacock.
Novak Djokovic is not only in contention for a third Roland Garros crown, but also to lift a 23rd Grand Slam singles trophy to break his tie with Nadal for the most in men’s history.
OPEN DE FRANCE: Broadcast schedule | Women’s draw
But the No. 1 seed is Spanish Carlos Alcarazwho won the US Open last year to become, at 19, the youngest man to win a major tournament since Nadal’s maiden French Open title in 2005.
Now Alcaraz is looking to become the second youngest man to win at Roland Garros since 1989, after Nadal of course.
Alcaraz missed the Australian Open in January with a right leg injury but has since gone 30-3 with four titles. Notably, he hasn’t faced Djokovic this year. They could meet in the semi-finals.
Russian Daniel Medvedev, who lost in the first round of Roland-Garros in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, is improved on clay. He won the Italian Open, the last high-level event on clay before the French Open, and is the second seed ahead of Djokovic.
No. 9 Taylor FritzNo. 12 Frances Tiafoe and No. 16 Tommy Paul are the highest-ranked Americans, all seeking to become the first American to qualify for the French Open quarter-finals since Andre Agassi in 2003. Since then, five different American men have combined to make the fourth round eight times.
MORE: Everything you need to know for Roland-Garros 2023
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