The French Open, also known as Roland Garros, is preparing to bid farewell to legendary tennis player Rafael Nadal as the Grand Slam begins today in Paris.
Meanwhile, Naomi Osaka and Carlos Alcaraz are among the stars who will bring the curtain up on the opening day.
In the first round on the main court, Phillippe Chatrier, Italian Lucia Bronzetti will face off against four-time Grand Slam singles champion Naomi Osaka.
Additionally, Alcaraz, the defending Wimbledon champion, will be starting his campaign against the lucky loser from qualifying, J.J Wolf of the United States.
Andy Murray, the British professional tennis player, and his fellow, Stan Wawrinka, the three-time Grand Slam champion, will conclude with a match in the night session.
Former top-ranked Japanese tennis player, Osaka, has had a complex time at the French Open in Paris. She was fined for missing out on crucial engagements, and later she withdrew from the tournament to protect her mental health, back in 2021.
Moreover, she was defeated in the first round a year later, after which she decided to take a break for 16 months and focus on starting her family.
“I’m learning a lot of lessons through motherhood, and I hope that I can remember to apply them on the tennis court,” said the 26-year-old.
Additionally, Osaka has progressed to 134th in the world rankings after being below 800 in January. She has started practicing on clay courts, where the only way to win is by hitting powerful shots.
“Just observing other players more, watching how they play, watching how they move. I think the clay court is a little bit like a dance,” she said.
Alcaraz, the world’s number three tennis player, ended up in the semi-finals last year. However, he was defeated by Novak Djokovic.
On the other hand, J.J Wolf, ranked at 107, had won only one match on his tour in 2024.
One of the main attractions at the event, Nadal mentioned that he is not open for retirement anytime soon.
“It’s a big, big chance that this is going to be my last Roland Garros, but if I have to tell you it’s 100% my last Roland Garros, sorry, but I will not. I cannot predict what’s going on,” Nadal said Saturday.
The Spanish player has won 112 matches out of 115 at the event. He achieved his first success in 2005, when he was just 19.
Nadal was in a challenging situation because of his recent injury, his ranking tanked to 276 in the world. However, the 38-year-old reported that he had recovered.
“I have been going through a long process of recovery with a very difficult injury, almost two years of suffering, but I feel better now,” he added.
“I have fewer limitations than three, four weeks ago, without a doubt.”