Novak Djokovic avoids Sinner half

Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner were placed in opposite halves of the French Open draw on Thursday, leaving the two men unable to meet before the final at Roland-Garros. Tournament organizers held the main-draw ceremony on May 21 ahead of the clay-court Grand Slam, which runs from May 24 to June 7 in Paris. Djokovic is pursuing a record-extending 25th Grand Slam singles title, while Sinner arrived as the men’s top seed and with a chance to complete the career Grand Slam. The bracket also set early first-round matchups across the women’s field, where defending champion Coco Gauff begins her title defense and Emma Raducanu drew Argentina’s Solana Sierra. The women’s event includes four previous French Open champions and 10 Grand Slam singles champions in the field, according to the WTA. ### Why does Djokovic’s half of the draw matter? (rolandgarros.com) Thursday’s draw kept Djokovic away from Sinner until the championship match, a significant detail in the men’s bracket because Sinner is the No. 1 seed and enters Paris in strong form. Roland-Garros said Sinner brought a 29-match winning streak into the tournament, and its draw preview said he is seeking a first title in Paris that would complete his collection of all four majors. (wtatennis.com) CBS Sports reported that Djokovic, seeded No. 3, would only face Sinner if both reached the final. Roland-Garros coverage also described Djokovic’s section as difficult, with potential early pressure despite the separation from Sinner. ### Who does Djokovic play first? Novak Djokovic opens against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round, according to the official Roland-Garros match listing. (rolandgarros.com) Roland-Garros flagged that matchup as one of the notable first-round contests and said Djokovic entered the tournament with only one clay-court match in 2026, a loss in Rome to Dino Prizmic. Roland-Garros’ live draw coverage said Djokovic could also run into Joao Fonseca or Prizmic later in his section. (cbssports.com) That leaves the former champion with a demanding route even without Sinner in his half. ### What is Sinner playing for in Paris? Jannik Sinner entered Roland-Garros as the world No. 1 and top seed in the men’s field. Roland-Garros said a title in Paris would make him the seventh man in the Open era to complete the career Grand Slam. (rolandgarros.com) John McEnroe, speaking on a conference call cited by Roland-Garros, said: “To me, ultimately, it’s Sinner against the field.” Roland-Garros attributed that view to Sinner’s recent form and to the absence of defending men’s champion Carlos Alcaraz, who its preview said is out with a wrist injury. (rolandgarros.com) ### How does the women’s draw shape up? Coco Gauff starts the tournament as defending champion, and WTA coverage said she could meet Amanda Anisimova in the quarterfinals. (rolandgarros.com) The WTA also said Aryna Sabalenka is in the same section as Jessica Pegula, while recent WTA 1000 champions Marta Kostyuk and Elina Svitolina landed in the same quarter as Iga Swiatek. WTA tournament information lists Roland-Garros 2026 as running from May 24 to June 7 in Paris. The field includes Gauff among the leading seeds as she tries to win the title again. ### Where does Raducanu fit into the opening rounds? Emma Raducanu is in the women’s main draw, and Solana Sierra is also listed in the field by the WTA. The upstream reporting for this story, including BBC Sport and The Guardian coverage cited in the briefing, said Raducanu opens against Sierra in a first-round match viewed as an early test on clay. (wtatennis.com) Roland-Garros begins main-draw singles play on Sunday, May 24, according to the tournament schedule. (wtatennis.com) The women’s and men’s first rounds continue through May 26 before the second round starts on May 27. (rolandgarros.com) (wtatennis.com)