Rafael Nadal is a potential early foil to Novak Djokovic’s bid for an elusive Olympic gold medal in Paris following the release of the draw on Thursday.
Nadal on clay at Roland Garros is the most daunting unseeded opponent at the Games and could run into his greatest rival, top seed Djokovic, in just the second round at Paris 2024 should both pass their first hurdle.
“Roland Garros, as everybody knows, is the most special place in tennis for me. I am enjoying the fact I am back for the Olympics,” the Spaniard, a gold medallist in singles at Beijing 2008 and doubles at Rio de Janeiro 2016, said at the draw ceremony. “I am just trying to enjoy every single moment.”
The 22-time major champion was pitted against Hungarian Marton Fucsovics first up, while 24-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic drew Australia’s Matt Ebden. Djokovic holds a 30-29 edge over Nadal in their head-to-head record.
Home hope and 14th seed Arthur Fils looms as a possible third round opponent for the winner before eighth-seeded Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas and the reigning Olympic champion, third-seeded German Alexander Zverev, as potential hurdles to the final.
Zverev, who opens against Spain’s Jaume Munar, could run into American seventh seed Taylor Fritz in his quarterfinal.
Alcaraz learns Olympic singles path
This year’s Wimbledon and Roland Garros champion, Carlos Alcaraz, opens against Lebanon’s Hady Habib, a player he has never met.
The second seed could meet 15th seed Alejandro Tabilo, of Chile, Australian fifth seed Alex de Minaur – who returns following a Wimbledon-ending hip injury – and fourth seed Daniil Medvedev in succession to reach the final.
Medvedev, who starts against Australian Rinky Hijikata, could meet Norwegian sixth seed Casper Ruud – a two-time Roland Garros finalist – in the quarterfinals should both advance.
Swiatek back on familiar soil
Like Alcaraz, women’s top seed Iga Swiatek bids to pick up where she left off at Roland Garros when she opens her Olympic campaign against Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu.
A four-time champion on the clay in Paris, the Pole could face in-form 15th seed Diana Shnaider in the third round ahead of a possible clash against eighth seed Danielle Collins.
Her projected semifinal foe, Kazakhstani third seed Elena Rybakina, withdrew after the draw ceremony.
Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia, the highest-ranked unseeded player, took her place in a quarter that also features Chinese sixth seed and Australian Open finalist Zheng Qinwen. Zheng opens against Australian Daria Saville.
Gauff carries US hopes
American second seed Coco Gauff, one of four Olympic tennis flag-bearers for the opening ceremony alongside Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, Chile’s Nicolas Jarry and Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic, begins against Australian Ajla Tomljanovic.
“I almost feel like I’m having a little bit of imposter syndrome,” Gauff said after becoming the first tennis player chosen as US flag-bearer. “But I am going to try to just take it in and be happy for myself.”
Gauff could cross 13th seed and recent Wimbledon semifinalist Donna Vekic in the third round, but the Croatian may potentially need to beat former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu in the second round.
Greek seventh seed Maria Sakkari and Italian fourth seed Jasmine Paolini loom as Gauff’s successive opponents before the final.
Roland Garros and Wimbledon finalist Paolini, who opens against Romanian Ana Bogdan, could face American fifth seed Jessica Pegula or the Wimbledon champion, Czech ninth seed Barbora Krejcikova, in the quarterfinals.
The last hurrah
Two-time Olympic gold medallist Andy Murray and silver medallist Angelique Kerber both declared Paris 2024 as the last events of their careers before their respective retirements.
Murray, who won gold in singles at London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016, and a silver in mixed doubles in London, withdrew from the singles event to focus solely on the men’s doubles with fellow Brit Dan Evans.
The pair will face Japanese duo Kei Nishikori and Taro Daniel in the opening round.
Fellow three-time major champion and former No.1 Kerber revealed on the eve of the draw ceremony that Paris 2024 would be her final event having returned this season from 18 months on a maternity break.
In the most high-profile women’s singles first round, Kerber meets fellow former No.1 and comeback mother, four-time major champion Naomi Osaka. The German holds a 4-2 ledger over her Japanese opponent, but this will be their first meeting on clay.
The winner could take on 17th seed Garcia in the second round.
Doubling down for national glory
Arguably the most high-profile of any doubles pairings at Paris 2024, Spaniards Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal were drawn to face sixth-seeded Argentines Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni at the first hurdle.
Second-seeded Germans Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz are also in their half and face Medvedev and Roman Safiullin first up.
Top-seeded Italians Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori open against Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta and Marcel Granollers. Also in the top half, Greek brothers Stefanos and Petros Tsitsipas take on Portuguese pair Nuno Borges and Francisco Cabral in the opening round.
US flag-bearer Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula are top seeds in the women’s doubles and begin their campaign against Australians Ellen Perez and Daria Saville.
They could meet third seeds Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini in the semifinals, but the Italians would first need to beat New Zealand’s doubles world No.1 Erin Routliffe and Lulu Sun.
Reigning Olympic champions Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova have reprised their hugely successful partnership. The second-seeded Czechs open against Chinese Taipei’s Hao-Ching and Latisha Chan.
Unbeaten as a combination en route to Germany’s United Cup triumph in January, Laura Siegemund and Zverev reunite in Paris as the mixed doubles top seeds where they meet Czechs Siniakova and Tomas Machac in the first round.
The German duo could face third seeds Gauff and Taylor Fritz in the semifinals. The Americans face Argentines Nadia Podoroska and Maximo Gonzalez first up.
Second-seeded Australians Ebden and Perez face Spaniards Sara Sorribes Tormo and Marcel Granollers first with fourth-seeded Greeks Sakkari and Tsitsipas a potential roadblock in the semifinals.