Alcaraz starts the defense of the Roland Garros title against Nishikori
Carlos Alcaraz, the current champion, will begin his title defense at Roland Garros facing the experienced Kei Nishikori. The Spanish tennis player is “excited” to return to Paris after a standout season on clay.
Alcaraz has dominated the circuit in the weeks leading up to the Parisian tournament, solidifying himself as the main favorite after his victories in Barcelona and Rome. Nishikori, for his part, is a former top-5 player who has had difficulties on this surface in recent years.
With an impressive 15-1 record on clay this season and ranked number 2, Alcaraz will not be able to face number 1, Jannik Sinner, until a hypothetical final, because they are on opposite sides of the bracket.
It’s been a great clay court season so far. I’m excited. Confidence is very high at the moment.
Carlos Alcaraz
Both Alcaraz and Sinner have won the last five Grand Slam titles.
Sinner, after returning from a three-month doping suspension, pushed Alcaraz in the Rome final, but ultimately lost in straight sets. Sinner will begin his participation against local Arthur Rinderknech.
Last year, Alcaraz defeated Sinner in five sets in the Roland Garros semi-finals, and then successfully defended his Wimbledon title, obtaining his fourth Grand Slam trophy. Sinner has only won one of his 19 titles on clay, in Umag, Croatia, in 2022, where he defeated Alcaraz in the final.
Novak Djokovic, who finally achieved a victory on clay this year at the Geneva Open, will face Mackenzie McDonald of the United States in the first round. The 24-time Grand Slam singles champion won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics last August at Roland-Garros, but has struggled on clay since then.
Sinner could face Jack Draper in the quarterfinals, with other potential matchups including Alexander Zverev (3) against Djokovic (6), Taylor Fritz (4) against Lorenzo Musetti (8), and Alcaraz against Casper Ruud (7).
Iga Swiatek seeks to regain her best form in the women’s tournament
In the women’s draw, four-time champion Iga Swiatek is still seeking her best form. She has fallen outside the top four and hasn’t won a title or reached a final since her victory at Roland-Garros last year. Seeded number 5 in Paris, Swiatek will begin her campaign against Rebecca Sramkova, ranked 41st. She could face former US Open champion Emma Raducanu in the second round.
I am proud of my achievements here. I am working hard to be ready. Surely this season has had more ups and downs than previous years. But I know my game is here.
Iga Swiatek
Aryna Sabalenka, seeded number 1, will face Kamilla Rakhimova, while Coco Gauff, number 2, will play against Olivia Gadecki. An interesting match will be that of Paula Badosa, number 10, against four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka.
The possible women’s quarterfinals are Sabalenka against Qinwen Zheng (8), last year’s runner-up Jasmine Paolini against Swiatek, Jessica Pegula (3) vs. Mirra Andreeva (6), and Gauff against Madison Keys (7).
The Roland Garros starts on Sunday and will conclude on June 8.
