Roland Garros is just around the corner, and with the draw having been made, we can finally start visualising the path to the final.
Whether it be an underdog going deep or a star name cementing their spot as one of the world’s best, this promises to be yet another enthralling Grand Slam event, particularly on the women’s side.
And, with every good Major, there are bound to be a few upsets.
With that in mind, here are three star players who could all realistically suffer first-round exits following yesterday’s draw.
Coco Gauff faces one of the worst possible first-round opponents in title defence
Coco Gauff may be the defending champion, but she received no preferential treatment when the draw was made.
After all, she was pitted against Taylor Townsend in the very first round, arguably the toughest unseeded opponent she could have faced.
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Predominantly a doubles specialist, the 30-year-old has begun placing more focus on her singles career over the last year, and has achieved some great results because of this.
She may not be a hugely consistent threat, but at her best, Townsend has proven her ability to trouble most on tour.
Gauff would have likely hoped for a far easier re-introduction in Paris. Instead, she will have to dig deep to avoid an embarrassing title defence.
Andrey Rublev faces in-form clay-court specialist in first round
Andrey Rublev has had a confusing relationship with the clay throughout his career, and remains an unpredictable asset at Roland Garros.
After all, whilst some of his greatest-ever triumphs have come on the dirt, like his Madrid Open title or two French Open quarter-finals, he has also suffered plenty of shock results too.
However, the Russian will have to be at his very best to defeat Ignacio Buse in their first-round match.
This marks a tricky opening match for Rublev, given the Peruvian will head to Paris brimming with confidence. He has already beaten Flavio Cobolli, Jakub Mensik and Ugo Humbert in Hamburg this week in his final tournament before the French Open.
A specialist on the clay, Buse is one to watch for a potential early upset.
Novak Djokovic’s nightmare first-round opponent
Djokovic’s full Roland Garros draw makes for grim reading, and that is started by his torrid first round.
There, he will face Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in front of his home crowd.
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The 22-year-old has one of the most fearsome serves in the sport’s history, and if on form, can provide his opponents with no chance in the match.
It is also worth mentioning how the 38-year-old heads to Paris having played just one clay-court match all season, a loss in Rome.
It will take supreme concentration for Novak Djokovic to avoid a shock first-round exit, facing the one player who most seeded players pray to avoid in the first round.
