Play in the year’s second Grand Slam tournament is set to start at Roland Garros, and for the first time in nearly two decades, Rafael Nadal will not be competing in the French Open.
The 14-time champion had entered the clay-court major every year since making his debut there in 2005, but he is out with a hip injury and isn’t sure when he will return to the tour. With play set to start Sunday, everyone is wondering who will walk away from Paris with the men’s trophy in two weeks.
Current No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, former No. 1 Daniil Medvedev, 22-time Grand Slam champ Novak Djokovic and talented 20-year-old Holger Rune are the names most commonly mentioned as contenders for the men’s title. There are other players who consider themselves up to the task, including Stefanos Tsitsipas, the runner-up to Djokovic at the French Open in 2021 and again at the Australian Open this January.
Defending champion Iga Swiatek, who also won at Roland Garros in 2021 and at the U.S. Open last September, leads the women’s field.
What's Coming On Sunday?
Among the most-anticipated matchups on Day 1 will be No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka, a 25-year-old from Belarus who won the Australian Open in January, against Marta Kostyuk, a 20-year-old from Ukraine, Kostyuk, who is ranked 39th, won her first WTA title in March at Austin, Texas, and reached the fourth round at Roland Garros in 2021. Kostyuk has been refusing to shake hands after matches with opponents from Russia or Belarus during the war in Ukraine. “If she hates me, OK. I can’t do anything about that. There is going to be people who loves me; there is going to be people who hates me,” Sabalenka said. “If she hates me, I don’t feel anything like that (toward) her.” Other matches include No. 3 Jessica Pegula vs. 2022 Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins in an all-American showdown; No. 8 Maria Sakkari vs. Karolina Muchova; No. 24 Sebastian Korda vs. Mackenzie McDonald.
When Do They Play?
Play begins at 11 a.m. local time in Paris, which is 5 a.m. EDT; that’s when Sabalenka-Kostyuk will start in the main stadium. Sakkari-Muchova is second on Court Suzanne Lenglen, so might get underway at around 2 p.m. local time, which is 8 a.m. EDT. That’s also when Korda-McDonald could be starting on Court 6. Pegula-Collins is last on Court 2, so that should be much later, perhaps 6 p.m. local time, which is noon EDT.
Where To Watch French Open 2023 Live In India
You can catch the LIVE coverage of Roland Garros 2023 in India on Sony Sports Ten 5, Sony Sports Ten 2 (English), Sony Sports Ten 3 (Hindi) & Sony Sports Ten 4 (Tamil & Telugu) channels from 28th May 2023. Moreover, you can also stream the action on SonyLIV.
Upcoming Singles Schedule
-Sunday-Monday-Tuesday: First Round (Women and Men)
-Wednesday-Thursday: Second Round (Women and Men)
-Friday-Saturday: Third Round (Women and Men)
-Sunday-Monday: Fourth Round (Women and Men)
-June 6-7: Quarterfinals (Women and Men)
-June 8: Women’s Semifinals
-June 9: Men’s Semifinals
-June 10: Women’s Final
