2023-05-25 17:22:02
PARIS (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz and the opponent he just ousted from the top of the men’s ranking, Novak Djokovic, were left in the same sector of the French Open draw after Thursday’s draw and could meet in the semifinals.
Alcaraz will compete as the top seed in a Grand Slam for the first time in his career and the Spanish prodigy automatically entered the top of the bracket. Djokovic, as the third seed, could appear in either half — and if he had touched the bottom half, the Serb and Alcaraz would only have been able to meet in the Roland Garros final.
The Grand Slam on clay starts on Sunday with the notable absence of Rafael Nadal, owner of the tournament record with 14 titles. It will be the first time that the Spanish star will not compete at Roland Garros since he made his debut there in 20025.
Djokovic will try to win his 23rd singles title in a Slam to break the tie he has with Nadal at the top of the all-time ranking of men in major events.
Usually, the champions of the previous edition are invited to the draw, so Iga Swiatek — the 2022 women’s champion — attended the ceremony. Nadal, of course, could not. But anyway he was the first player to be kicked off by Gilles Morreton, the president of the French Tennis Federation, noting that he “unfortunately, he won’t be able to play the tournament this year.”
Swiatek showed no signs of problems with his right thigh, something that caused him to withdraw during the third set of their quarterfinal meeting in Rome last weekend. The Pole immediately pointed out that the discomfort was not going to prevent her from playing in Paris, where she has won two of her three majors.
“It’s my favorite tournament of the year, so I’m delighted to be back,” said Swiatek, the world number one for more than a year. “Before the tournament, I have an extra motivation to train harder, to do everything better.”
The draw gave her a potential quarterfinal against Coco Gauff (seeded No. 6) in what could be a repeat of last year’s French Open final.
Alcaraz, who just turned 20, and Djokovic, who just turned 36, have met just once, in the semifinals of the Madrid Open in May 2022. Alcaraz claimed victory 6-7 (5), 7-5, 7-6 (5) — one day after defeating Nadal in the quarterfinals, to become the first player to defeat both Djokovic and Nadal in the same tournament on clay. Alcaraz took the title from that loss with a straight sets win over Alexander Zverev in the final.
Zverev was tasked with breaking Alcaraz’s 14-match winning streak in the Roland Garros quarterfinals last year. That was the round in which Nadal defeated Djokovic in an electrifying four-set, four-hour battle.
This time, the quarterfinals to meet the preclassification, would have Alcaraz — reigning champion of the United States Open — against Stefanos Tsitsipas (5th); Djokovic facing Andrey Rublev (7th); Daniil Medvedev (2nd) against Jannik Sinner (8th); and Casper Ruud (4th) against Holger Rune (6th). Ruud lost to Nadal in the final last year.
Other possible crosses in that round in the women’s draw: Elena Rybakina (4th and reigning Wimbledon champion) against Ons Jabeur (7th and finalist of two majors); Aryna Sabalenka (2nd and reigning Australian Open champion) vs. Caroline Garcia (5th); and Jessica Pegula (3rd) against Maria Sakkari (8th).
A player who would have been among the seeds, Spain’s Paula Badosa (29th in the ranking) withdrew before the draw after suffering a stress fracture of the vertebra during the Italian Open.
1685035862
#Alcaraz #Djokovic #cross #paths #semis