French Open 2023: With just 6 days left before the start of Roland Garros 2023, Wimbledon finalist and tennis’ bad boy Nick Kygrios has withdrawn from the clay-court slam. Kyrgios joins US Open champion Emma Raducanu on the list of players to miss out on the second slam of the season this year. On the men’s side, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal continue to be the main contenders, while Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, and Elena Rybakina lead the contention on the women’s side.
Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has withdrawn from the 2023 French Open due to the same knee injury that kept him out of the Australian Open in January. pic.twitter.com/vPGFmUpfjb
— FirstSportz Tennis (@FS_Tennis1) May 16, 2023
Men’s Entry List
Top 10 Seeds
| 1 | Carlos Alcaraz |
| 2 | Novak Djokovic |
| 3 | Daniil Medvedev |
| 4 | Casper Ruud |
| 5 | Stefanos Tsitsipas |
| 6 | Andrey Rublev |
| 7 | Holger Rune |
| 8 | Jannik Sinner |
| 9 | Taylor Fritz |
| 10 | Felix Auger-Aliassime |
Top Contenders
- Carlos Alcaraz: The Spaniard will enter the French Open as the reigning world number one and holds a 30-3 win-loss record for the year. On clay this season, he has lost only one match out of the 13 he has played so far.
French Open 2023: Carlos Alcaraz hopes to ‘reset’ ahead of French Open after Rome shock
- Novak Djokovic: The two-time champion is a heavy favourite, having won the title two years ago in 2021. The 22-time Grand Slam champion has gone 5-2 on clay after playing great at the start of the season.
- Rafael Nadal: The 14-time champion is the best player in the history of the French Open. However, he hasn’t played a match since the Australian Open in January. Given his record in Paris, he can never be ruled out of his favourite tournament.
- Stefanos Tsitsipas: French Open finalist in 2021 and two-time Monte Carlo champ Tsitsipas has been among the top 3 players on clay in the last 3 years and is considered the ‘Prince of the Clay.
Players missing or doubtful for French Open
Nick Kyrgios has been ruled out just a week before the tournament starts. Apart from the Aussie, former quarterfinalist Matteo Berrettini is also in doubt after missing Madrid and the Italian Open.
However, the biggest miss for the tournament will be Rafael Nadal, the best player on clay in French Open history. Nadal was expected to return to the tour in Monte Carlo but hasn’t recovered completely with just 12 days left before the main draw starts.
French Open 2023: Rafael Nadal refuses Bordeaux Challenger WILD Card as French Open future remains question mark
Women’s Entry List
Top 10 Seeds
| 1 | Iga Swiatek |
| 2 | Aryna Sabalenka |
| 3 | Jessica Pegula |
| 4 | Ons Jabeur |
| 5 | Caroline Garcia |
| 6 | Coco Gauff |
| 7 | Elena Rybakina |
| 8 | Daria Kasatkina |
| 9 | Maria Sakkari |
| 10 | Petra Kvitova |
Top Contenders
- Iga Swiatek: Iga is 12-1 on clay so far this season and is going into the tournament as the defending champ and World No. 1.
- Aryna Sabalenka: Sabalenka won the Australian Open in January, is 8-3 on clay so far, and will enter the tournament as the 2nd seed.
- Elena Rybakina: Rybakina had a great start to the year, finishing runner-up at the Australian Open and Miami Open while winning Indian Wells. Her clay court season hasn’t gone as per plan, and her win-loss record on clay is 4-2 so far.
Players missing from French Open entry list
Simona Halep is among the top players who will miss the French Open after she was banned by the WTA for doping.
English star player Emma Raducanu is also set to miss the tournament after she underwent wrist and ankle surgery, which will force her out of action for the French Open and Wimbledon.
Emma Raducanu undergoes surgery as Injury Hell continues, British ace to miss French Open and Wimbledon
When Does the French Open start?
The first match of the French Open 2023 will begin on Sunday, May 28 at 11 a.m. (local time). The last match that will be played will be the gentleman’s final on Sunday, June 11 at 3 PM (local time).
The qualifying stage for the tournament will begin on May 22, and the main draw will be announced once the qualifying stage is complete.
Editors pick
