The second Grand Slam of the year begins at Roland Garros on Sunday and for the first time in nearly two decades, Rafael Nadal will not compete at the French Open.
The 14-time champion has hit the clay courts every year since making his debut in 2005, but has been sidelined by a hip injury and is unsure when he will return to the tour. It leaves everyone wondering who will leave Paris with the men’s trophy in two weeks.
Current No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, former No. 1 Daniil Medvedev, 22-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic and talented 20-year-old Holger Rune are the most mentioned names as contenders for the men’s title. There are other players believed to be up for the task, including Stefanos Tsitsipas, Djokovic’s runner-up at the French Open in 2021 and again at the Australian Open this January.
Defending champion Inga Swiatek, who also won Roland Garros in 2021 and the US Open last September, leads the women’s field.
The most anticipated matchup on the first day will see No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka, the 25-year-old Belarusian, who won the Australian Open in January, face Ukrainian 20-year-old Kostyuk Marta Kostyuk, ranked 39th. , won her first WTA title in March in Austin, Texas, and reached the fourth round at Roland Garros in 2021. Kostyuk has refused to shake hands after matches with opponents from Russia or Belarus during the war in Ukraine.
All matches can be viewed in Mexico and the rest of Latin America via the ESPN signal.
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