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Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic are in opposite French Open halves, Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka could meet in the semis.
Jannik Sinner is the top seed for French Open (AP)
Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic have been placed in opposite halves of the French Open draw, meaning the two stars can only meet in the final at Roland Garros.
With defending champion Carlos Alcaraz sidelined through injury, world number one Sinner enters Roland Garros as the overwhelming favourite for the men’s title. The Italian begins his campaign against French wildcard Clement Tabur, ranked 165th in the world, as he chases the only Grand Slam title missing from his collection.
Sinner arrives in Paris on the back of a dominant run that has included victories at the Masters events in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome. His triumph in Rome also made him only the second man after Djokovic to win all nine Masters 1000 tournaments.
Djokovicmeanwhile, continues his pursuit of a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title despite limited preparation due to injury concerns. The Serbian great opens against Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, with second seed Alexander Zverev potentially awaiting him in the semi-finals.
Women’s Singles Draw
The women’s draw also promises several blockbuster clashes. Defending champion Coco Gauff could face world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals, a repeat of last year’s title match.
Gauff, who starts against fellow American Taylor Townsend, expressed confidence ahead of her title defence.
“I feel I had a good tournament in Rome, similar to the preparation I had last year, so I feel really ready.”
Sabalenka faces a challenging path that could include four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka in the last 16 and rising Canadian talent Victoria Mboko later in the tournament.
Prize Money?
Away from the action on court, tournament organisers are also dealing with growing tensions involving players over media obligations and prize money discussions.
“We are not going to budge,” tournament director Amelie Mauresmo told reporters at the draw in Paris, adding she was “a little saddened” by the situation.
“We have prize money that has (…) doubled in 10 years, and has also increased significantly recently.”
(With inputs from Agencies)
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