Rafael Nadal to play Alexander Zverev, Iga Swiatek faces qualifier at French Open

PARIS – Rafael Nadal was handed a tough start to what is expected to be his farewell to the French Open as the record 14-time champion was drawn against fourth seed Alexander Zverev in the first round.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic will begin his quest for a 25th Grand Slam crown against local hope Pierre-Hugues Herbert, while top-ranked Iga Swiatek opens her French Open title defence against a qualifier, after the draw was made on May 23.

Unseeded Nadal, who missed his favourite Grand Slam tournament due to injury in 2023, has plummeted down the rankings during an extended spell on the sidelines and has said he expects to retire after this season.

“I’m going to play the French Open thinking that I can give my all, 100 per cent,” said the Spaniard, after a second-round exit in Rome last week.

The pairing drew an audible gasp in the room and the two will meet for the first time since their 2022 semi-final clash at Roland Garros, which Nadal won after Zverev suffered an injury and retired.

“It’s coming a little early in the tournament, surely. This is good news for neither of them,” former world No. 1 and tournament director Amelie Mauresmo said about the Nadal-Zverev pairing.

Should Nadal beat the Italian Open champion, he could face 2021 US Open winner Daniil Medvedev in the quarter-finals.

There were cheers from the audience when Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka was drawn against fellow three-time Grand Slam winner, Briton Andy Murray.

“It’s a superb match-up,” said Mauresmo, who used to coach Murray.

Djokovic has struggled in the first half of 2024 and is yet to win a title this season. The Serb was knocked out of the Italian Open in the third round in May after suffering a freak head injury.

The world No. 1 will be looking to put that disappointment behind him and get his season back on track in Paris, where he could meet Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals in a rematch of the 2023 final.

Two-time Grand Slam champion and 2023 losing semi-finalist Carlos Alcaraz begins against a qualifier, while newly crowned Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner faces American Christopher Eubanks.

Missing from the men’s side will be two-time finalist Dominic Thiem, who said a sad farewell to Roland Garros after the soon-to-retire Austrian was knocked out in the second round of qualifying on May 22.

Thiem, the 2018 and 2019 finalist, went down 6-2, 7-5 to Finland’s Otto Virtanen and was then presented with a commemorative trophy by Mauresmo. Thiem was visibly moved as he spoke fondly of his connection with the French clay.

“Thank you for this marvellous goodbye,” the Austrian said as he received his trophy.

“I have had so many good results, good memories and good moments on these courts, I’ll never forget it,” he said.

In the women’s draw, Swiatek is in a hot streak of form after winning both the Madrid Open and Italian Open, and is favourite to claim her fourth title at Roland Garros.

However, the Pole could meet four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in the second round and if she reaches the quarter-finals, she could potentially face Miami Open winner Danielle Collins or reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova.

“This season has been really great already for me. I know that I can adjust to any kind of conditions even in a short amount of time,” Swiatek said.

World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka meets Erika Andreeva while Elena Rybakina, who reached the semi-finals in Madrid but was forced to pull out of Rome due to illness, takes on Belgium’s Greet Minnen.

US Open champion Coco Gauff, who reached the final of the French Open in 2022, will play a qualifier in the first round and could face Ons Jabeur in a mouth-watering quarter-final clash.

Missing from the women’s draw is world No. 5 Jessica Pegula, who, on May 23, said she had not yet sufficiently recovered from an injury.

She posted on Instagram: “If I had another 5-7 days, I would have been there 100 per cent.”

Mauresmo said Swiatek was the favourite in the women’s draw, while there was a lot of uncertainty in the men’s singles. “Everything is open,” she added. 

Meanwhile, in on-court action, Djokovic celebrated his 37th birthday with a 6-3, 6-3 win over German Yannick Hanfmann on May 22 in the second round of the Geneva Open.

He faced Tallon Griekspoor in the quarter-finals on May 23, but the match ended after press time. REUTERS, AFP