Carlos Alcaraz Big Winner In French Open Draw; Sinner, Djokovic, Zverev Share Same Half

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz is the big winner in the French Open men’s draw, while world No. 1 Jannik Sinner shares the top half of the draw with No. 3 Alexander Zverev and 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic.

No. 2 Alcaraz, coming off a decisive win over Sinner in the Italian Open final, opens Roland Garros in the bottom half of the draw against former U.S. Open finalist Kei Nishikiori and could face No. 8 Lorenzo Musetti, No. 4 Taylor Fritz or No. 10 Holger Rune in the semifinals. The Spaniard is wouldn’t have to face Sinner, No. 6 Djokovic or Zverev until the final.

Sinner, who has won the last two majors on hardcourts, opens against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech and has a tricky draw that could culminate with No. 5 Jack Draper or No. 9 Alex de Minaur in the quarters; Zverev or Djokovic in the semis; and then Alcaraz in the final.

Djokovic, who skipped Rome and is playing this week in Geneva, opens his bid for a record 25th Grand slam title against American Mackie McDonald and could face No. 11 Daniil Medvedev in the fourth round before a potential quarterfinal clash with Zverev.

If he survives those encounters, the Serb could potentially still have to beat Sinner in the semis and Alcaraz in the final.

“Novak has been struggling,” Jim Courier said Tuesday on a TNT Zoom call with reporters ahead of the network’s maiden broadcast of the year’s second Grand Slam. “He’s not winning the matches he’s used to winning, but he has shown some really high peaks this year – his gutsy win over [Carlos] Alcaraz in Australia while injured; his quarterfinal and semifinal wins in Miami, he looked like the guy we recognized. It’s just been sporadic for him. So it’s a good sign he’s he’s taken a wildcard into Geneva this week, and he’s looking to get some matches there to build a little momentum into RG.

“You write him off at your run of risk.”