Welcome to Roland Garros Paris

The grand event of the Claycourt competition flags off in Stade Roland Garros, Paris, with the top seeds likely to reach the last eight. However, they will have to win their first round matches and overcome tough challengers on the way to the quarter-finals in the second week.

The seedings keyed into the rankings for the top seven players: Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Thiem, Zverev, Tsitsipas and Nishikori.

With the absence of world number seven Kevin Anderson and John Isner (nine), Del Potro was seeded eight. The top eight seeds are drawn to face players they had not played before.

In the upper half of the Draw, Djokovic is pitched against world number 43, Hubert Hurkacz of Poland. Thereafter, he has Gilles Simon, Denis Shapovalov and Borna Coric in his path to the last eight.

Zverev takes on Australia’s John Millman and has to contend with Dusan Lajovic, Roberto Bautista Agut and Monte Carlo titlist Fabio Fognini. Thiem will start his campaign by playing against American Tommy Paul, the 22-year old wild card entrant from Voorhees, New Jersey.

Standing in the Austrian’s path are Gael Monfils, Fernando Verdasco and Jeremy Chardy. To round up the upper half of the men’s draw, Del Potro will tackle 23-year old Nicolas Jarry in the first round and Feliciano Lopez, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Karen Khachanov thereafter.

Nadal leads the lower half and will start off with a qualifier, Yannick Hanfmann from Germany. Successively, the 11-time champion will take on David Goffin and Nikoloz Basilashvilli.

Federer has a first round encounter with Italy’s Lorenzo Sonengo and could be facing Matteo Berrettini, Diego Schwartzman and March Cecchinatto. Stefanos Tsitsipas will face Germanys’ Maximilian Marterer, and followed by Hugo Dellien, Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic.

To round up the lower half of the draw, Kei Nishikori will play wild card entrant Quentin Halys of France and then Tsonga, Benoit Paire and Russia’s Medvedev as likely opponents.