The singles draw for the second Grand Slam event of the season, Roland Garros, has been announced. The tournament will take place in Paris from May 26 to June 9.
Fourteen-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal faces a blockbuster opener against world No 4 Alexander Zverev, who won last week’s Internazionali BNL d’Italia on clay in Rome. Rafa’s match against Zverev is a rematch of their 2022 semi-final that ended when the German tore ligaments in his right ankle.
The winner will face former World No. 7 David Goffin or French wild card Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the second round. Two-time quarter-finalist Holger Rune is a potential fourth-round opponent for our champ.
Rafa’s potential route to the final:
- 1st round: Alexander Zverev
- 2nd round: David Goffin
- 3rd round: Tallon Griekspoor
- Last 16: Holger Rune or Karen Khachanov
- Quarter-final: Daniil Medvedev
- Semi-final: Novak Djokovic
- Final: Jannik Sinner
What are your thoughts on Rafa’s first-round match against Alex? Do you have any additional thoughts on the draw?
All the best of luck in the world to you, Rafa! VAMOS!
Yes, I feel like Rafa still has a lot of tricks up his sleeve and can win the match against Zverev. We haven’t seen the true Rafa yet this year. Looking forward to seeing Rafa play his best tennis all year in a few days!
Not many are giving Rafa a chance but we all know that Rafa at his best can win this. Vamos Rafa!
Anything can happen!
Godspeed, Rafa and the love of your true fans: below, behind, above and all around you. We’ll all be there in spirit!
Unheralded Tabilo took a set off of Zverev 6-1, in Rome, so I can’t say that Zverev’s level is as good as Rafa’s level a few years ago. Rafa would steamroll everyone in his path. Zverev will have more pressure since he is the favorite in the match, but never count out Rafa. Looking forward to seeing Rafa play his best tennis this year at the French open.
I don’t think Rafa will become a 15 time winner here this year that’s for sure. It’s like a who who challenges, he hasn’t played a 5 setter since when? Early 2023? Good luck Rafa. If this is last French Open, it’s been great witness many wins over the years!
Will they put Rafa on center court on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday? The whole world will be watching and this will bring in some superb ratings. Good luck, Rafa! 😊 🍀
Rafa’s record at Roland Garros will stand the test of time. He is the greatest ever to play at Roland Garros. Martina Navratilova said on a show recently that if she could come back 500 years from now, Rafa’s record at Roland Garros will still be unbroken. I agree that no one will ever win 14 or more titles at Roland Garros.
This is absolutely the most ridiculous draw! Look at the names he has to play! It’s like the French are attacking Rafa. And not giving him a seed?! Really?! I feel it was planned to have him face Zverev first as well. Almost every match in his route is seeded. That’s crazy.
I pray Rafa out does himself and wins all of them and takes home Number 15/23. I am disgusted by how they are treating our fighter and champion.
You got this, Rafa. Vamos!!
So glad you wrote this because we are stunned by how obvious Paris is throwing Rafa to the wolves.. The only one I CARE about is Zverev.. He could have gone thru to 4th round AND Guess what? HE WILL and can win the whole thing!!
Vamos Rafa loved and lived tennis with you these last 20 years.. Thank you
Rafa will get to play Zverev on Philippe chatrier court. Does that mean the defending champion Djokovic is bumped down to play on another court?
Who cares where djoko will be playing? He can play on court no. 10 for all I care….
No: Rafa and Djokovic are in separate sections of the draw and will start on different days.
I thought Rafa and Djokovic are in the same half of the draw and play on the same day. Only one of them can play on center court during the day. Rafa should get that honor because he won 14 times there. They should put Djokovic on a lesser court even though he is defending the title.
Tara, The top half of the men’s draw which Rafa and Djokovic are in is split up as usual. RG has announced that their section will play Monday and Tuesday so they could be scheduled on different days.
I feel that Rafa will be motivated to play his best tennis we have seen this year in Round 1 against Zverev. Vamos!
We know the world will support Rafa against Zverev. Rafa is ready and willing to fight for the victory.
Zverev is a coward who bashed his girlfriend and is afraid to go to court to face the truth and trial.
Such bad luck for zverev. He must be cringing at the draw. Memories of that match against Rafa in 2022 will send shivers down his body and petrify him. Vamos Rafa! Roger Federer will be at the match to support Rafa based on an article I read.
It’s an absolute outrage and disgrace that Rafa wasn’t seeded by the RG officials! They should at least have given him the courtesy to make him no. 32 seed. But this is how the French treat the greatest legend of clay court tennis… Same thing with not granting 2 time finalist Dominic Thiem a wild card! Absolutely no respect! Mauresmo should be ashamed of herself as tournament director. The French only care about their own players, giving wildcards to many french nobodies!
We know it is nothing short of a miracle that Rafa is competing this year. Win or lose, he
deserves this moment at Roland Garros. Z will never outshine Rafa, on or off court❤️
If Rafa gets past Zverev, he will string together several great wins. I believe Rafa can find the magic again and his confidence again at Roland Garros. 💪🍀🎾☀️🍷
Alex won Rome but did not look impressive. Looking forward to seeing the best version of Rafa this year when they play in R1.
I saw that reference to David Goffin as world number 7 elsewhere as well. David Goffin has not been in the top 10 for years. Ruud is the current ATP number 7. That is a real head scratcher.
The Zeverev draw is a shocker. Sascha is playing better than anybody right now. Like Hurcasz only much better. Rafa didn’t ask for any favors so no one can say that the tournament is trying to help him. And Sascha had to work his way up on his own after his injury. Rafa and Coach Moya will come up with some kind of strategy to give him at least a chance. If he could beat Zeverev there would be absolutely no reason to retire
What rotten luck for our beloved Rafa, drawing the in-form player in the first round! I was rather hoping that he might be able to play and win a couple of rounds before having to meet one of the top players; so that he could ease himself in and build a little confidence. He has worked so hard, against all the odds, to try to recover from the injuries that have plagued him in the last two years in order to play well in his final year. It is so disappointing that he should draw Zverev in the first round of what will probably be his final Roland Garros. Historically, his toughest opponents have been the biggest servers. Rafa will need to serve at full throttle to hold his serve, because it will be extremely difficult to break the Zverev serve, the way Zverev is playing at the moment, but, unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to do that since he returned from injury with a modified serve to protect his body from further injury. I don’t think I will be able to watch the match live. I will be too anxious for him. Such a shame.
It annoys me that Roland-Garros didn’t grant Rafa a seeded position. They had the option to do so, other Grand Slams like Wimbledon have and with all Rafa’s wins and his reputation at this tournament especially, he deserved that courtesy. As other sports analysts have stated he could have been seeded 15th. That would not only give Rafa a better chance at getting further, but it would also have given all the fans who love him (look at the thousands who have turned out just to watch him practice) more opportunities to see Rafa at his final French Open. I never doubt Rafa and know he will give it all, so it’s certainly a possibility he will win, but Zerev is a very tough first round, especially with the little amount that Rafa has played this year!
I couldn’t agree more , Tennis Girl !
The French organisers at Roland Garros are as usual up themselves ! I hope Rafa doesn’t turn up – but of course he is such strong and proud sportsman and would never do that !I have often thought the French were always so jealous that a Spanish player was the icon of their grand slam , has made history forever and was netting all their trophies , while only one , Yannick Noah , could ever win it in my lifetime …, I am 74 !
Sour grapes , but their nastiness with Rafa will raise a lot of criticism and negative emotions and hopefully will mean less visitors ! Wimbledon however have given Rafa a protected ranking of 9 ….. ‘Thank you to my home club down the road from me !
The same goes for Dominic Thiem, he should have had a wild card : they have no values, respect or style : they just flood their tournament with their own players 🥶🥶🥶
FYI-Wimbledon have not “given” Rafa a protected ranking. He has been using his pr of #9 since his return to play as that was his average ranking when he took his injury leave. However if he plays there he will not be seeded as players using their pr are not allowed to be seeded.
🍀💪🫶
Good luck and Vamos Rafa. We are all with you❤️
Fight, as always and all could happen.
He’s fucked! 6-3 7-5 6-1
No need for such foul language and cynicism if you are a Rafa fan. Respect others here.
Zverev will lose to Rafa 6-4 6-4 7-5
Rafa has always made us proud at Roland Garros and will continue to do so. Rafa will crush Zverev.