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Rough draw for French Open heavyweights

Julien PretotAP
Tennis titans Novak Djokovic (l) and Rafael Nadal could clash in the French Open quarter-finals.
Camera IconTennis titans Novak Djokovic (l) and Rafael Nadal could clash in the French Open quarter-finals. Credit: AP

Defending champion Novak Djokovic and 13-times winner Rafael Nadal are on a quarter-final collision course at the French Open.

Thursday's draw in Paris gave world No.1 Djokovic, back on the grand slam scene after being deported from Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open following his decision not to have a COVID-19 vaccination, an opener against Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka.

Djokovic was drawn in the toughest half of an unbalanced draw with Nadal as well as in-form Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz and world No.3 Alexander Zverev, who could clash in the last-eight in what promises to be an explosive second week of action.

Nadal, who has concerns over a recurrence of a chronic foot problem, will meet Australian Jordan Thompson in his first match.

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The French Open will operate at full capacity for the first time in three years after the last two tournaments were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It's amazing to see all the fans who have already come here for the qualifications," said Djokovic, who attended the draw ceremony at Roland Garros.

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"I am very motivated to play my best tennis. Last year in Paris was the perfect result.

"Roland Garros was maybe the hardest of my career, of all the grand slams I have won. Very emotional, tiring, but at the end, I got the result."

If the Djokovic-Nadal showdown in the last-eight happens, the winner could face No.6 seed Alcaraz in the semis.

Alcaraz is just 19, recently won the Madrid Open on clay and became the youngest man to break into the top 10 in the rankings since Nadal in 2005.

In the bottom half of the draw, last year's runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas faces a tricky first-round match against Italian Lorenzo Musetti, who last year took Djokovic to five sets in the fourth round.

World No.2 Daniil Medvedev could take on compatriot Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals as Russian players have been allowed to compete despite their country's invasion of Ukraine.

In the women's draw, overwhelming favourite Iga Swiatek, looking to secure her second French Open title in three years, could face former champion Jelena Ostapenko in the last 16.

Ostapenko was the last player to beat the Polish world No.1 before she started her 28-match unbeaten streak, winning five titles before the start of the French Open on Sunday.

Defending champion Barbora Krejcikova is on a last-16 collision course with former world No.1 Victoria Azarenka in the bottom half of the draw.

Naomi Osaka, who withdrew from the tournament last year after skipping her media duties and citing mental health issues, has been drawn to face American Amanda Anisimova, the 27th seed in perhaps the toe of the round.

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