Rafael Nadal’s absence marks the first time since 2005 that he is not in Paris for Roland Garros. The draw reveals where Novak Djokovic sits, and the prize goes to Carlos Alcaraz, who is slated to meet the Serbian in the semi finals on Friday if both advance to the penultimate round.
Before his clash with world number one Djokovic, Alcaraz will play his opener from the previous stage. If he reaches the final on June 11, a potential meeting with Djokovic in the last 16 becomes a real possibility. In the quarterfinals, Cameron Norrie and Stefanos Tsitsipas could shape the path, following the recent Rio de Janeiro results and Tsitsipas reaching the 2021 final. A hypothetical last-16 lineup looks like this:
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Alcaraz 1 versus Norrie 14
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Tsitsipas 5 versus Auger-Aliassime 10
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Djokovic 3 versus Hurkacz 13
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Rublev 7 versus Khachanov 11
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Ruud 4 versus Paul 16
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Rune 6 versus Fritz 9
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Sinner 8 versus Tiafoe 12
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Medvedev 2 versus Korik 15
The Spaniards are grouped in the early rounds as follows: Bernabe Zapata versus Diego Schwartzman, Roberto Carballes versus a qualifier, Alejandro Davidovich versus Arthur Fils, Roberto Bautista versus Yibing Wu, Albert Ramos versus Stan Wawrinka, and Jaume Munar against Francisco Cerúndolo, with Pedro Martinez advancing from the qualifying rounds for another potential matchup.
Bucsa makes her debut against Swiatek
Spanish player Cristina Bucsa opens against the world top seed and defending champion, Iga Swiatek, in the women’s draw. The draw also places Rebeka Masarova in a challenging first match against Cory Gauff, who sits at sixth in the world.
Swiatek remains the favorite after recovering from an injury that interrupted her Rome campaign. In a theoretical quarterfinal run, Swiatek would meet Cory Gauff, Elena Rybakina would push through to the later rounds, and Ons Jabeur would be in the same half, potentially meeting Maria Sakkari and Jessica Pegula, with Caroline Garcia facing Arina Sabalenka in another high-stakes pairing.
Main Spanish presence at the tournament includes Paula Badosa, who withdrew before the draw due to a spine stress fracture. The update clarified she would miss Wimbledon as well. In a statement posted on social media, the Catalan player explained the setback followed a previous injury flare and would sideline her for weeks, casting a shadow over her season.
In addition to Bucsa and Masarova, Nuria Parrizas will take on a former professional opponent, and Sara Sorribes will duel the French competitor Clara Burel. Aliona Bolsova has advanced to the final round of qualifying, closing the field with competitive momentum ahead of the main event.