French Open 2022: Nadal-Djokovic, Alcaraz-Zverev on the cards as draws made
- The draws for the 2022 French Open have been made
- Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal could face each other in the French Open quarter-finals
- Madrid Open-winner Carlos Alcaraz could face Alexander Zverev
Defending champion Novak Djokovic and 13-time French Open winner Rafael Nadal were drawn in the same half of the tournament on Thursday, and could potentially face each other as early as the quarter-finals.
Along with the two veterans, 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, was also drawn in the same half, and could face either of the two serial winners in the semi-finals of the French Open, if he can overcome his likely opponent, number 3 seed Alexander Zverev.
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Alcaraz, who recently won the Madrid Open by beating his childhood icon and tennis legend Nadal, is looking to become the first teenager to win a Grand Slam. World number one Djokovic and world number five Nadal, meanwhile, will be looking to extend their already otherworldly records.
Djokovic, in particular, has a point to prove, having missed several tournaments – including the Australian Open where he was the defending champion, the Indian Wells Masters, as well as the Miami Open – due to his anti-vaccination stance.
The Serbian’s absence from competitive tennis allowed Russia’s Daniil Medvedev to briefly replace him as the world’s number one. It also allowed Nadal to win the Australian Open: the Spaniard’s 21st Grand Slam win took him past both Djokovic and Roger Federer, with whom he had shared the record earlier.
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Speaking ahead of the tournament, Djokovic expressed his determination to get back to winning ways, telling the press that he was “very motivated” to play his “best tennis.”
“In Paris, I always play very strong. Last year, it was the toughest major I won. Musetti, Rafa Tsitsipas — every match lasted more than three hours, a lot of sets. It was exhausting but I loved the outcome,” the two-time French Open winner and 20-time Grand Slam winner added.
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