very heavy for Nadal in the first round, the French are not clear – Libération

Roland-Garros 2024dossierThe Spaniard, who returns to Porte d’Auteuil after two blank seasons, will face number 4 seed Alexander Zverev. The French players are, for many, also opposed to favorites.

Everyone only had eyes for one name. That of a Spaniard, just 274th player in the world, and yet 14 times winner here, at Roland-Garros. After two years without playing or almost the fault of a bruised body, Rafael Nadal is back at Porte d’Auteuil. Not seeded for the first time in a long time, the Mallorcan knew he could catch a big fish for his entry into the running. The draw and the innocent hand of Marie-José Pérec, this Thursday, May 23, had very, very heavy things in store for him: Alexander Zverev, seed number 4, in his element on earth. The German, winner of the master 1000 in Rome, remains in three semi-finals at Roland-Garros, including one lost in 2022 against… Rafael Nadal.

The triple Olympic champion (over 200 and 400 meters) will not have been more lenient with the French players. Hugo Gaston, Arthur Cazaux, Corentin Moutet and Harold Mayot all inherited a seed. Special mention to Pierre-Hugues Herbert who inherited the jackpot, Novak Djokovic, for his entry into the running. Gaël Monfils will be pitted against Thiago Seyboth Wild who caused a sensation last year by knocking out the number 2 seed, Daniil Medvedev, in the first round. A colleague, hilarious, sums up: “The French, they have no luck!”

Seeded, Adrian Mannarino, Ugo Humbert and Arthur Fils were assured of a more favorable draw. The first, and the least comfortable on clay, will inherit a qualifier. Humbert will fall against Lorenzo Sonego, the Italian who took him out of the competition, in the second round last year. As for Son, he will also be pitted against an Italian, the young Matteo Arnaldi, not the worst clay court player there is. Finally, the draw has reserved a poster which will make the most nostalgic salivate: Andy Murray, 37 years old, will play in the first round against Stanislas Wawrinka, 39 years old. The two men have six Grand Slams and four Olympic medals.

A qualifier for Caroline Garcia

On the women’s side, the draw was rather lenient towards Caroline Garcia, the only Frenchwoman to have top seed status. Eliminated in the second round in 2023, this year she will face a player from qualifying for her entry into the running, before potentially crossing swords with Ons Jabeur in the round of 16 and then with Coco Gauff in the quarters. The other French women were less varnished. For her last Roland, Alizé Cornet, who will retire at the end of the season, inherited the number 7 seed, the Chinese Qinwen Zheng, when Varvara Gracheva will play against Maria Sakkari in the first round.

Triple winner of Roland-Garros (at only 22 years old), double title holder and ultra-favorite this year, the Polish Iga Swiatek will face a qualifier for her entry into the running. Before, in the second round, perhaps playing against Naomi Osaka, former world number 1 with four Grand Slams to her credit, who returns to Porte d’Auteuil after a year’s break linked to her pregnancy.