At Roland Garros Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are set to compete in the same tournament for just the second time this season.
They will aim to win their 23rd or 25th Grand Slam title respectively. The Spaniard can win an unprecedented 15th trophy on the Parisian clay, while the World Number One is aiming to successfully defend the French Open for the first time and claim a fourth title in the process.
Both tennis stars will begin the tournament aged 37 and could face each other for the 60th time in their illustrious careers should they reach the semi-finals.
If either player is to reach the championship match and compete for another Grand Slam, they have differing journeys and at least on paper, one player’s French Open draw looks significantly harder than the other.
Rafael Nadal’s nightmare Roland Garros draw
Should Nadal come through this draw, it will be arguably the greatest Grand Slam win of his career, especially given his lack of matches and injury issues.
The Spaniard will face World Number Four Alexander Zverev in a very difficult round one matchup. The German just won his second Italian Open title and will be keen to face Nadal again after his ankle injury prematurely ended their 2022 Roland Garros semi-final.
Should the former World Number One defeat the 2020 US Open runner-up, it would likely set up a eighth meeting against Belgium’s David Goffin, which would set up a possible third-round contest against either Talon Griekspoor or MacKenzie McDonald.
The road only gets tougher for Nadal, as a potential showdown with Karen Khachanov or a first meeting with Holger Rune awaits in round four, while he could face Daniil Medvedev or Alex De Minaur in the quarter-finals.
Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud or Djokovic could be on the other side of the net should Nadal reach the semi-finals, and a match against Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz could took place in the final.
What is Novak Djokovic’s path to the Roland Garros final?
As the French Open’s top seeded player, Djokovic avoids some of his fellow top rivals until later in the tournament.
The Serbian will begin the event against home favourite Pierre-Hugues Herbert before taking on either Roberto Carballés Baena or Constant Lestienne round two.
A showdown with old rival Gael Monfils, Lorenzo Musetti or Brazil’s Thiago Seyboth Wild could lie ahead in round three, following a possible fourth round showdown against Francisco Cerundolo or Italian Open semi-finalist Tommy Paul.
Ruud or Fritz are likely quarter-final opponents while Medvedev, Rune, Khachanov, or Nadal could stand in between Djokovic and another Roland Garros final. Should he reach the final, it could be Alcaraz or Sinner waiting to try and win their first French Open title.
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