Nadal to Face Zverev in Challenging first round at Roland-Garros
The draw for the men’s and women’s brackets at Roland-Garros took place on Thursday, May 23. Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal faces a formidable opponent in the first round: Germany’s Alexander Zverev.
Currently ranked 276th by the ATP, Nadal, known as the “King of Clay,” will face Zverev, who recently won the Rome Masters 1000 and enters the match as the favourite.
This encounter comes two years after their memorable 2022 semi-final, where Zverev suffered a severe ankle injury.
Now, Zverev has a chance for symbolic revenge by potentially eliminating Nadal in what might be Nadal’s last Roland-Garros.
Meanwhile, reigning champion Novak Djokovic has a favourable draw, starting against French wildcard Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
Potential quarterfinal matchups include Djokovic against Norway’s Casper Ruud (7th), a rematch of the 2023 final, and Carlos Alcaraz (3rd) against Russia’s Andrey Rublev (6th).
In the semifinals, Djokovic could face Zverev. Jannik Sinner (2nd) will begin his campaign against Christopher Eubanks, with a potential meeting with Alcaraz, who will start against a qualifier.
