Carlos Alcaraz Expected To Be No. 1 Seed At French Open

Carlos Alcaraz will return to No. 1 in the world on May 22 and is expected to be the top seed at the French Open, the ATP said.

Alcaraz, 20, is currently ranked No. 2 behind Novak Djokovic but by stepping on the court at the Italian Open on Saturday with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos Viñolas, he insured he would vault to No. 1 beginning May 22.

Roland Garros officials could still opt to seed Djokovic No. 1, but that is highly unlikely.

At 19, Alcaraz won his maiden Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open last summer to become the youngest-ever man to ascend to world No. 1.

Alcaraz will be the first non-Big Four member — Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Andy Murray — to be the No. 1 seed in Paris since Lleyton Hewitt in 2003, per Relevant Tennis.

Djokovic, 35, has been the No. 1 seed at Roland Garros in seven of the last 10 years. He holds the all-time record— men’s or women’s — for weeks at world No. 1 with 386.

Djokovic and Nadal are tied for the all-time men’s record with 22 Grand Slam singles titles.

Djokovic has won two of his at Roland Garros (2016, ‘21), while Nadal, 36, has captured 14 French Open titles, including last year.

Nadal has yet to play a clay court match this year due to injury and had to withdraw ahead of the Italian Open, ensuring that if he does play in Paris, that would mark his clay court debut in 2023.

“Despite having noticed an improvement in recent days, there have been many months without having been able to train at a high level and the readaptation process has its times and I have no choice but to accept them and continue working,” Nadal said May 5 via social media.