Novak Djokovic might face world primary Carlos Alcaraz within the semi-finals of the French Open after each gamers had been positioned in the identical half of the draw on Thursday. Djokovic is chasing a document twenty third males’s Grand Slam title within the absence of the injured Rafael Nadal, who will miss the event at Roland Garros for the primary time since his 2005 title-winning debut. The third-seeded Djokovic, Roland Garros champion in 2016 and 2021, meets 114th-ranked Aleksandar Kovacevic of the US within the first spherical in Paris — the primary French Open since 1998 with out Nadal or the now retired Roger Federer.

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The 24-year-old Kovacevic is making his Grand Slam foremost draw debut.

Djokovic, who turned 36 on Monday, has been bothered by a recurrence of a proper elbow harm which has disrupted his clay-court season.

He did not transcend the final eight at any of the three occasions he performed on clay this spring, dropping his primary spot to Alcaraz.

Djokovic has additionally fallen behind Daniil Medvedev within the rankings after the Russian succeeded him as Italian Open champion final weekend.

US Open champion Alcaraz and Medvedev each begin their Roland Garros campaigns towards a qualifier or fortunate loser.

Alcaraz faces a difficult path to a second Grand Slam title, with Lorenzo Musetti a doable last-16 foe earlier than 2021 runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas probably awaits him within the quarter-finals.

For Djokovic to arrange a blockbuster last-four conflict with Alcaraz he could must get previous Monte Carlo Masters champion Andrey Rublev within the quarters.

Casper Ruud, who was thrashed by Nadal in final 12 months’s ultimate, is seeded fourth and performs a qualifier in his opening match.

The in-form Holger Rune arrives in Paris at a career-high six on this planet and takes on Christopher Eubanks of the US in spherical one.

Swiatek contends with Rybakina menace

Two-time girls’s champion Iga Swiatek begins her title defence towards Spain’s Cristina Bucsa, the world quantity 67 who was crushed by the Pole within the third spherical of this 12 months’s Australian Open.

The top-ranked Swiatek, bidding to grow to be the primary back-to-back girls’s champion on the French Open in 16 years, is coming off a thigh harm which compelled her to retire in Rome.

She is seeded to satisfy 2022 runner-up Coco Gauff within the quarter-finals and will face Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, final week’s Italian Open winner, within the final 4.

Rybakina has crushed Swiatek 3 times this season, knocking her out of the Australian Open Melbourne and Indian Wells earlier than advancing when harm halted her rival in Rome.

Barbora Krejcikova, the 2021 winner, might await Swiatek within the final 16. The Czech misplaced within the first spherical a 12 months in the past.

“This is my favourite tournament. I always get this extra motivation to practise harder here. I’m really excited to be here,” Swiatek mentioned in the course of the draw ceremony.

Aryna Sabalenka, who received her maiden Grand Slam crown in Melbourne, performs Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine in spherical one. Sabalenka has by no means obtained past the third spherical in Paris regardless of making no less than the semi-finals at all the different three majors.

Furthermore, her title win in Madrid this spring was adopted by a first-up exit by the hands of 134th-ranked Sofia Kenin in Rome.

Third seed Jessica Pegula has a difficult opening match towards fellow American and 2022 Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins, whereas Rybakina will get a qualifier first up.

Ons Jabeur, seeded seventh, is a possible quarter-final opponent for Rybakina, who defeated the Tunisian within the 2022 Wimbledon ultimate. Jabeur additionally completed runner-up to Swiatek on the US Open.

Rybakina, a Russian-born Kazakh has but to get previous the final eight at Roland Garros.

French fifth seed Caroline Garcia meets China’s Wang Xiyu as two-time main winner Victoria Azarenka squares off with 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu within the first spherical.

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