It is time for clay courts to seize tennis fans' attention. The (relatively) slow, spinny surface will take centerstage again as the main draw of French Open 2024 is about to begin. The qualifiers are currently underway in Paris, and the top stars will be in action from Sunday (May 26) onwards. (Full Coverage | More Tennis News)
The biggest story from qualifying so far is that of the 11th-seeded Dominic Thiem losing in the second round to Otto Virtanen. Thiem, who has career high ranking of world number 3, faced defeat against Virtanen 2-6, 5-7 and with that, the Austrian's journey at Roland Garros comes to an end.
Thiem had announced earlier this month that he would retire at the end of the 2024 season. He had reached the final at the French Open in 2018 and 2019, and also progressed to the semi-finals in 2016 and 2017.
As for the main draw, all eyes will be on Rafael Nadal, who is expected to retire at the end of the season but his participation at Roland Garros is still unclear. The Spanish tennis legend has arrived in Paris amid much fanfare but has still not announced officially that he will compete at his pet event on the calendar, where he is a record 14-time champion.
Also under the scanner will be the form of his old rival Novak Djokovic, who is still the world number one but is having an uncharacteristically shaky year so far. If the two titans of the sport face off, it would make for riveting viewing, probably for one last time.
The 21-year-old sensation Carlos Alcaraz is also in the fray, and on the women's side, Iga Swiatek is in the running to become the first woman since Serena Williams (in 2013) to win three consecutive titles at a major.
From the Indian perspective, Sumit Nagal will be shouldering hopes in singles, while Rohan Bopanna and his partner Matthew Ebden are among the title favourites in the men's doubles category.
All that and more will depend on how the draw for the 2024 edition of French Open pans out.
Live Streaming Details Of French Open 2024 Draw
When will the French Open 2024 draw be announced?
The French Open 2024 main draw will be made on Thursday, May 23, 2024 at 5:30pm IST in Paris.
Where will the French Open 2024 draw be telecast and live streamed?
The draw ceremony of French Open 2024 will be live streamed on the official Roland-Garros YouTube channel in India. The Roland Garros tournament will be broadcast from the main draw onwards (May 26) on the Sony Sports Network. It will also be streamed online on the Sony Liv app and website in India.
