<p><a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/other-sports/article/carlos-alcaraz-is-the-best-player-on-clay-23547585" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"><strong>Carlos Alcaraz</strong></a> will begin his French Open title defence against Japan&rsquo;s Kei Nishikori as Iga Swiatek faces a difficult route to a fourth successive Roland Garros title after a year-long trophy drought.</p>
<h2>Pressure on Sinner&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Jannik Sinner takes on home hope Arthur Rinderknech in the World No. 1&rsquo;s first Grand Slam match since serving a three-month doping ban. Alcaraz and Sinner have combined to win each of the last five men&rsquo;s Grand Slam titles and are the two chief contenders again in Paris.&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/other-sports/article/novak-djokovic-ends-it-with-andy-murray-23542193" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"><strong>Novak Djokovic</strong></a>, who had not won a clay-court match this season before this week, starts his latest quest for a record-setting 25th major against American Mackenzie McDonald. Seeded sixth, Djokovic could have been drawn to meet either Alcaraz or Sinner in the quarter-finals, but Thursday&rsquo;s draw spared him from that prospect.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Instead, he could run into 2024 runner-up Alexander Zverev in the last eight before a potential semi-final against Sinner. Alcaraz is in the other half. Zverev opens against US teenager Learner Tien. Alcaraz could play Fabian Marozsan or Luca Nardi in the second round, with Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard a possible third-round opponent. Then could come Stefanos Tsitsipas or Ben Shelton followed by Casper Ruud in the quarters.</p>
<h2>Alcaraz high on confidence</h2>
<p>&ldquo;The confidence is really high right now. I&rsquo;ve been playing great matches, I&rsquo;ve got great wins in this clay season. I&rsquo;m excited,&rdquo; Alcaraz said on Thursday. The 22-year-old has won in Monte Carlo and Rome this season. He also reached the final in Barcelona.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Meanwhile, a struggling Iga Swiatek will need to rediscover her best form to retain the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen following a troubled past 12 months. The Pole, who has dropped to fifth in the world, is in the same quarter as last year&rsquo;s finalist Jasmine Paolini, former champion Jelena Ostapenko and 2022 Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Swiatek plays Slovakian Rebecca Sramkova in the first round before a possible meeting with Britain&rsquo;s Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open winner making just her second visit to Paris. Elina Svitolina, Belinda Bencic, Donna Vekic and Marta Kostyuk also feature alongside Swiatek in a loaded section.</p>
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Serbian Novak could face Russia’s Zverev in quarters followed by World No. 1 Sinner in semis; Iga may run into 2021 US Open champion Raducanu in Rd 2

Tricky tracks for Djokovic, Swiatek

Pressure on Sinner

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