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French Open draw LIVE: Latest updates as Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz learn fate

Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu have all withdrawn due to injury

Michael Jones
Thursday 25 May 2023 14:32 BST
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Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are yet to meet at a grand slam
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are yet to meet at a grand slam (Getty Images)

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Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz could meet in the French Open semi-finals after they were drawn in the same half of the tournament, while defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek was handed a tough route to the final.

British No 1 Cameron Norrie could face Alcaraz in the fourth round, with Stefanos Tsitsipas a potential quarter-final opponent for the 20-year-old Spaniard. Djokovic, who will attempt to win a record 23rd grand slam title in Paris, was drawn in the same quarter as Andrey Rublev.

In the women’s draw, defending champion Swiatek and Barbora Krejcikova - the winners of the last three women’s singles titles at Roland Garros - could meet in the fourth round, with Victoria Azarenka also a potential opponent at that stage.

Swiatek is also projected to play Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals - in what would be a rematch of last year’s final - while the Pole also landed in the same half of the draw as Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina - who has won all three of their meetings this season.

Follow all the updates from the French Open draw:

Pinned

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz learn path to French Open meeting

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz could meet in the French Open semi-finals after they were drawn in the same half of the men’s tournament, while defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek was handed a tough route to the final.

Djokovic and Alcaraz have met just once since the Spaniard burst onto the scene on his way to becoming world No 1 last season - with the 19-year-old winning in three sets at the Madrid Open last April.

Alcaraz was absent for Djokovic’s Australian Open victory in January due to injury, while the 36-year-old Djokovic missed Alcaraz’s US Open win last season because of his Covid vaccine status.

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz learn path to French Open meeting

Iga Swiatek was meanwhile handed a tough draw and landed in the same side as Elena Rybakina

Mike Jones25 May 2023 14:01

French Open full draws

For the full draws of the men’s and women’s singles tournament follow the links from the Roland Garros Twitter page below:

Mike Jones25 May 2023 14:06

A sexism ‘fiasco’ hangs over the French Open — its response will be telling

Tennis has a new big three.

Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina arrive at the French Open as the winners of the previous three grand slams in the women’s singles, and with a clear gap having opened up over the rest of the field.

In the past six months, they have met in the latter stages of the biggest tournaments, with the variety of their individual match-ups delivering contests of the highest calibre, resetting the power rankings. A year on from Swiatek storming to a second French Open title and looking a level above the rest, it no longer appears to be a conversation of one.

The sport needed this.

With so much change coming at the top of the game over the past two years, women’s tennis had reached the point where it needed a rivalry.

It now has three in one, its own triumvirate, which will be enhanced should Swiatek, Sabalenka and Rybakina continue to compete against each other for the grand slams, beginning with Roland Garros over the next fortnight. But the reason why this year’s French Open is important is not to do with rivalries.

The tournament will be under a scrutinous eye as it looks to respond to controversy, stemming from last year’s French Open to the events of recent weeks.

A sexism ‘fiasco’ hangs over the French Open — its response will be telling

The French Open will be under pressure to respond to criticism of last year’s scheduling following a series of controversial incidents at tournaments in Madrid and Rome

Mike Jones25 May 2023 13:57

French Open 2023 draw live

And in the men’s draw, this is how the quarter-finals could line-up:

Alcaraz vs. Tsitsipas

Djokovic vs. Rublev

Rune vs. Ruud

Sinner vs. Medvedev

Mike Jones25 May 2023 13:56

French Open 2023 draw live

Take a look at these potential quarter-final match ups in the women’s draw:

Swiatek vs. Gauff

Rybakina vs. Jabeur

Sakkari vs. Pegula

Garcia vs. Sabalenka

Mike Jones25 May 2023 13:52

French Open 2023 draw live

The British players have their opponents too.

Cameron Norrie takes on France’s Benoit Paire in the first half of the draw.

Dan Evans has a difficult first round match against Thanasi Kokkinakis, also in the same side of the draw as Norrie, Djokovic and Alcaraz.

Jack Draper meanwhile plays Tomas Martin Etcheverry from Argentina in the second half of the draw.

Mike Jones25 May 2023 13:48

French Open 2023 draw live

Holger Rune (6) is put in the second half of the draw and faces Christopher Eubanks from the USA.

On the same side of the draw Jannik Sinner (8) plays Alexandre Muller.

Mike Jones25 May 2023 13:41

French Open 2023 draw live

Stefanos Tsitsipas (5) plays Jiri Vesely.

Andre Rublev (7) faces Laslo Djere.

Mike Jones25 May 2023 13:39

French Open 2023 draw live

Novak Djokovic (3) is the first name out of the pot, he is placed in the first half of the draw with Carlos Alcaraz and will face Aleksandar Kovacevic in the opening round.

Casper Ruud (4) takes on a qualifier too.

Mike Jones25 May 2023 13:37

French Open 2023 draw live

Antoine Dupont is back up on the podium to draw the next lot of names.

First though Carlos Alcaraz (1) and Daniil Medvedev (2) is drawn against an unknown qualifiers.

Mike Jones25 May 2023 13:36

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