That’s a draw for Rafael Nadal, whose first round opponent was eagerly awaited. A remake of the historic 2022 duel won by the Mallorcan, after Zverev’s ankle injury. Alexander Zverev, 4th in the world and recent winner of the Masters 1000 in Rome, will be on court again against his Spanish friend. The German therefore arrives with confidence and stands as a real favorite against a Rafael Nadal full of uncertainties. His only notable performance in recent weeks remains a round of 16 in Madrid. It is therefore difficult to imagine seeing him overcome the Zverev obstacle, even if he always sublimates Porte d’Auteuil.
A draw that is anything but lenient for Arthur Fils. The Frenchman, seeded in the Parisian Grand Slam after his victory in the Bordeaux Challenger, must be biting his fingers. The young French hopeful, expected at the turn for his second Roland-Garros, will have to dismiss Matteo Arnaldi, 36th in the world and great hope of Italian tennis. The latter remains notably on a victory against the Ile-de-France, in the first round of the Masters 1000 tournament in Miami, last March. The winner will face either Muller, winner of Son in Rome or Luca Nardi, another promising Italian.
A clash of triple Grand Slam champions. While their respective careers will soon come to an end, Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray will have the right to offer themselves a great battle in the first round. Winner in 2015, Stan “The Man”, now 97th in the ATP rankings, won the last duel at Roland-Garros, in 2020. The two players arrive in a similar state of form, with little confidence, but will have to improve to remember their duels of yesteryear.
A poster that can cause sparks. If on paper it is not worth the one between Nadal and Zverev, on the field, it can be surprising. The Frenchman, accompanied by his audience, will be keen to play with all his mischief and variation to try to outwit the great Chilean, Nicolas Jarry, 16th in the world and recent finalist in Rome. Merciless in his fielding, the Chilean nevertheless lacked the resources to overcome the Frenchman on March 1 on the clay court of Santiago, at home. A performance to repeat for the native of Neuilly-sur-Seine if he definitely wants to show himself in the eyes of the French public.
Releasing a seed to continue his farewells. Alizé Cornet, facing Qinwen Zheng, will have to fight for the last Roland-Garros of her career, seeded N.8. A big piece for the Habs since the Chinese reached the final of the Australian Open last January. If the Frenchwoman were to overcome this first obstacle, the rest of the tournament could be more affordable for her. However, the future retiree has not won a match on the main circuit since February 6, in Romania.
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