China’s rising tennis star Zheng Qinwen has been drawn into the same section as World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka for the upcoming French Open, setting the stage for a possible quarterfinal showdown.
The eighth-seeded Zheng will kick off her campaign against Russian veteran Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Should she advance, she may face either No. 28 seed Peyton Stearns of the USA or Russia’s No. 19 seed Liudmila Samsonova before a potential clash with Sabalenka.
The 22-year-old Zheng recently broke a six-match losing streak against Sabalenka at the Italian Open, boosting her confidence ahead of the Grand Slam event in Paris.
Fellow Chinese players Yuan Yue and Wang Xinyu are also set for challenging starts. Yuan will face fourth seed Jasmine Paolini, who is coming off a historic home victory at the Italian Open. Wang is up against former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu of Britain. A win could see Wang face defending champion Iga Swiatek of Poland or Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova in the second round.
In the men’s draw, Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz begins his title defense with high expectations after dominating the clay season. With impressive victories in Barcelona and Rome, Alcaraz is considered a favorite for the French Open crown. He holds a remarkable 15-1 record on clay this season.
“It’s been a great clay season so far,” Alcaraz said. “I’m excited. The confidence is really high right now.”
Top-ranked Jannik Sinner of Italy is on the opposite side of the draw, meaning he and Alcaraz can’t meet before the final. Sinner opens against local hope Arthur Rinderknech and could face three-time champion Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.
The stage is set for an electrifying tournament at Roland Garros, with both seasoned champions and rising stars ready to make their mark on the iconic clay courts.
