As if Novak Djokovic needed any more motivation ahead of the French Open. The talk of tennis right now is on the future and the seemingly indomitable pair of Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz, but there is also a grizzled and grittier tale to contest it. Djokovic’s return to the grand slam arena was never going to be a subtle one and Thursday’s draw has thrown up a line of targets directly in his path. The prospect of facing his great rival Rafael Nadal and then Alcaraz, the heir apparent, in order to reach the final ensures that once again, Djokovic should find himself centre stage once this all kicks off.
It is all there, clear to the eye and laid out for Djokovic in an unbalanced bracket grouping together three of the tournament favourites, to add another intriguing twist to a French Open already bursting with storylines. It is what we do when casting an eye over an upcoming tournament. Roland Garros and tennis is lucky to have a pair in Swiatek and Alcaraz arrive at such a stage in such confident form. Victory in Paris for either would be historic. Both would be pure romanticism.
