Alex Trelinski
MURCIA’S Carlos Alcaraz has been given a tough path if he’s to win his first Grand Slam at the age of 19.
The El Palmar player, ranked at number six in the world, has ended up in the same half of the French Open draw as Mallorca’s Rafa Nadal and world number one, Novak Djokovic.
Alcaraz beat them both in successive matches on his way to lifting the Madrid Open earlier this month.
He has the potential of meeting one of them in the semi-finals if the seedings work out.
The tournament- the second Grand Slam of the season- begins at Roland Garros, Paris this Sunday.
Alcaraz is also in the same half of the draw as Alexander Zverev who he defeated in the Madrid Open final.
The young Spaniard pulled out of the Italian Open as a precaution, after sustaining an ankle injury during his run to victory in Madrid.
The teenager’s first match will be against a qualifier.
The third round could see him play Sebastian Korda, who he lost to at the Monte Carlo Open.
The round of 16, according to the seedings, may offer a clash with Britain’s Cameron Norrie or Russia’s Karen Khachanov.
Rafa Nadal has 13 French Open titles to his name and leads the number of Grand Slams with 21, having lifted the Australian Open crown this year.
He suffered a foot injury in last week’s Italian Open, raising fresh questions about his fitness.
READ MORE:
- Teenage tennis starlet Carlos Alcaraz climbs to number six in the world after Madrid Open win in Spain
- Ten curious things you probably don’t know about Spain’s tennis hero Rafa Nadal
