2023 French Open: Here's all you need to know
The prestigious Roland Garros is right around the corner. The 127th edition of the French Open will begin on May 28. The clay-court event will take place at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France. Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are among the hot picks in men's singles. Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek is the top seed among women. Here is all you need to know.
Top 10 seeds (men and women)
Alcaraz is the number one seed in men's singles. Daniil Medvedev, Djokovic, Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Holger Rune, Andrey Rublev, Jannik Sinner, Taylor Fritz, and Felix Auger-Aliassime are the others. Swiatek is the top seed in women's singles. Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, Elena Rybakina, Caroline Garcia, Coco Gauff, Ons Jabeur, Maria Sakkari, Daria Kasatkina, and Petra Kvitova follow suit.
Players to watch out for in men's singles
It is worth noting that Alcaraz and Djokovic have been drawn in the same half of the 2023 French Open. Alcaraz, who has won three trophies on clay this season, could meet the 22-time major winner in the semi-finals. Notably, Djokovic will start against American Aleksandar Kovacevic. Last year's runner-up Casper Ruud could meet Medvedev in the semi-finals.
Players to watch out for in men's singles
Defending champion Swiatek is likely to face the 2021 winner Barbora Krejcikova in the fourth round. Rybakina, who has troubled Swiatek this year, is in the same half. Besides, the latter will play Spain's Cristina Bucsa in the opening round. Victoria Azarenka will lock horns with the 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu. Second seed Sabalenka could face Karolina Pliskova in the fourth round.
French Open to miss Nadal's presence
Spanish ace Rafael Nadal is set to miss the upcoming edition of the French Open. The 14-time Roland Garros winner, also the reigning champion, is yet to recover from an injury. Nadal will miss the season's second Grand Slam for the first time since his tournament debut in 2005. The 36-year-old has a 112-3 win-loss record at the French Open.
Nadal won the 2022 French Open title
Nadal beat Casper Ruud to win the 2022 French Open men's singles title in Paris back in June 2022. Rafa claimed victory in straight sets to down Ruud 6-3, 6-3, 6-0. With this win, Rafa won his 22nd Grand Slam title.
Key dates, prize money, and points on offer
The French Open main draw will commence on May 28. The women's singles will conclude on June 10, while the men's singles final will be held on June 11. For men, the winner and runner-up will cash in €2,300,000 (2,000 points) and €1,150,000 (1,200 points), respectively. In the women's category, the champion and runner-up will receive €2,300,000 (2,000 points) and €1,150,000 (1,300 points), respectively.
All about the French Open
The French Open is one of four tennis Grand Slam tournaments, held annually in May-June. It takes place after the Australian Open and precedes Wimbledon and the US Open. The Roland Garros is the only Grand Slam played on clay courts, making it the most challenging tennis tournament. Interestingly, it was the only major not played on grass until 1975.
