2023 Roland Garros Draw Preview and Analysis

The void left from the absence of Rafael Nadal in the 2023 Roland Garros draw will soon be filled with drama and intrigue over the most open French Open in decades. The men’s side of Roland Garros presents a major opportunity in one particular quarter– because the recent form of Casper Ruud is lagging behind his 4th seeding.

On the women’s side, there’s no such problem. The stars have finally lined up to their rightful place under the Paris sky. After weeks of playing better than her ranking due to no points awarded at Wimbledon, Elena Rybakina presides over her own bracket in this 2023 Roland Garros draw.

The Alcaraz Quarter

World number one Carlos Alcaraz has received a favorable draw. The Spanish phenom is rested, having surprisingly departed Rome early, but make no mistake. Alcaraz has had an exemplary clay campaign, and the rest will give the Spaniard a chance to recharge his considerable Energizer battery.

However, the biggest reason this 2023 Roland Garros draw is so sweet for Alcaraz? The next highest seed in his quarter is Stefanos Tsitsipas. While the Greek star is typically sublime on clay, Tsitsipas has had a slight dip in level and in ranking. He continues to spar with his family of coaches during matches. And finally, Alcaraz owns the head-to-head with Tsitsipas 4-0. Carlitos is the puzzle Stef has yet to solve, even in their practice sessions.

Elsewhere in this section, we find a list of players uncharacteristically out of sorts including Sebastian Korda, Diego Schwartzman and Felix Auger-Aliassime. Lucky for Alcaraz.

The Djokovic Quarter

Two-time French Open champion and Big 3 member Novak Djokovic looks to ignore any nagging injuries and find his best stuff in this rare opportunity at a Roland Garros without Rafa. Djokovic has drawn a somewhat trickier wicket than Alcaraz, but it’s doable nonetheless.

Novak’s first round match is a fascinating story. Aleksandar Kovacevic is a New York City-born son of table tennis pros who…