Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal look to derail hype surrounding19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz at French Open

Alcaraz is a potential semi-final opponent. “I feel I am always in contention to fight for any Grand Slam trophy,” said Djokovic who arrives in Paris fired up by his inability to defend his Australian Open title in January when he was deported over his vaccination status.

“Reliving the memories from last year is something that obviously gives me goose bumps and motivation to try to replicate that.” Djokovic, who turns 35 on Sunday, captured a second French Open title in 2021. Djokovic has played only five tournaments in 2022 but arrives in Paris buoyed by a sixth Italian Open title, becoming just the fifth man to win 1,000 career matches in the process. It was his 38th Masters triumph, two more than Nadal at the top of the all-time list. Djokovic starts his French Open against 94thranked Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan. Nadal has played down concerns over the chronic foot issue that resurfaced in Rome last week. On Wednesday, he practiced in front of thousands of fans at Roland Garros without any obvious discomfort. “There is nothing to recover,” Nadal told reporters Friday.

“What happened in Rome is something that happened very often in my practices.” “I was suffering after that for a couple of days, but I feel better. That’s why I’m here.” Nadal began the year with a 20-match winning run, capturing a second Australian Open title to claim a record 21st Grand Slam and move ahead of Djokovic and Roger Federer.

The 35-year-old’s record at the French Open stands at a staggering 105 wins and just three losses since his 2005 title-winning debut. Djokovic has been responsible for two of those defeats. One of those came in the bruising semi-final 12 months ago, the most recent clash of the pair’s epic 58-match rivalry. Nadal takes on Australia’s Jordan Thompson in the first round. Alcaraz, just 19, has rocketed to six in the world on the back of four titles — three on clay — in 2022. He won a second Masters title in Madrid, sweeping Nadal, Djokovic and Zverev on the way. “He definitely is special,” admitted Djokovic of Alcaraz who also claimed the prestigious Miami Masters earlier in the year.

Alcaraz was ranked 97 this time last year. He was only two when Nadal won the first of his 13 French Opens in 2005 but he made his mark at the 2021 tournament where he came through qualifying to reach the third round. Alcaraz, who has 28 wins and just three defeats this year, opens his campaign on Sunday against Argentine lucky loser Juan Ignacio Londero, ranked at 141 but who made the last 16 in 2019.

SWIATEK STREAK

Iga Swiatek is the undeniable favourite for a second French Open title after winning her past five tournaments but says she won’t be “heartbroken” if her 28-match unbeaten run comes to an end at Roland Garros. Since the shock retirement of world number one Ashleigh Barty, the 20-year-old Swiatek has swept aside all-comers and transformed herself into the player to beat in women’s tennis.

The Pole hasn’t lost since falling to another former Roland Garros champion, Jelena Ostapenko, in Dubai in February. Her winning streak is the longest on the WTA tour since Serena Williams won 34 matches in a row in 2013. “I’m aware that this streak is something that may be coming to an end soon, so I don’t want to be like heartbroken when it’s going to happen,” said Swiatek, the 2020 French Open winner. “I think being aware of that is pretty healthy. “I haven’t played a Grand Slam since the streak started. So I guess we’re going to see if everything I have been doing before is going to be enough.”