Alkaraz is a potential semi-final opponent. “I think I’ve always struggled to fight for any Grand Slam trophy,” said Djokovic, upset at his inability to defend his Australian Open title in January.
“Reminiscing about last year’s is something that apparently inspires and motivates me to try to replicate it.” Djokovic, who turned 35 on Sunday, won a second French Open title in 2021. Djokovic has only played in five tournaments in 2022, but arrived in Paris buoyed by a sixth Italian Open title, becoming just the fifth man to win 1,000 career matches in the process. , It was his 38th Masters win, two more than Nadal at the top of the all-time list. Djokovic made his French Open debut against number 94 Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan. Nadal played down concerns over a chronic foot problem that resurfaced in Rome last week. On Wednesday, he practiced at Roland Garros without any trouble in front of thousands of fans. “There is nothing to recover,” Nadal told reporters on Friday.
“What happened in Rome is something that has happened many times in my practices.” “I suffered for a few days after that, but I feel better. So here I am.” Nadal started the year with a winning run of 20 matches, capturing a second Australian Open title, claiming a record 21st Grand Slam and surpassing Djokovic and Roger Federer.
The 35-year-old holds a record 105 wins at the French Open and just three losses since the 2005 title win. Djokovic is responsible for two of these defeats. One of them came in the grueling semi-final 12 months ago, the most recent clash of the pair’s 58-match rivalry. Nadal will face Australia’s Jordan Thompson in the first round. Alcaraz, just 19, has captured six in the world with four titles – three on clay – in 2022. He won his second Masters title in Madrid, beating Nadal, Djokovic and Zverev along the way. “He’s definitely special,” admitted Alcaraz’s Djokovic, who also claimed the coveted Miami Masters earlier in the year.
Alkaraj was ranked 97th this time last year. He was only two years old when Nadal won his first of 13 French Opens in 2005, but he made his mark in the 2021 tournament, where he reached the third round via qualifying. Alcaraz, who has scored 28 wins and just three losses this year, began his campaign on Sunday against lucky loser Juan Ignacio Lowndero of Argentina, who was ranked 141 but who made it to the last 16 in 2019.
sweet streak
Inga Swietec is the undisputed favorite for a second French Open title after winning their last five tournaments, but says he “won’t be heartbroken” if his 28-match unbeaten run ends at Roland Garros. Since the shock retirement of world number one Ashleigh Barty, 20-year-old Sweetek has outdone all players and transformed herself into a player to beat in women’s tennis.
The pole hasn’t been lost since a fall to another former Roland Garros champion, Jelena Ostapenko, in Dubai in February. Her winning streak on the WTA tour is the longest since Serena Williams won 34 consecutive matches in 2013. “I know this series is something that could end soon, so I don’t want to be heartbroken when it is about to happen,” said 2020 French Open winner Swietec. “I think about it. Being aware is very healthy. He said, ‘I haven’t played any Grand Slam since the streak started. So I think we’re going to see if whatever I’m doing first will suffice.”
