Roland-Garros men's draw puts Sinner and Djokovic in opposite halves

Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic were placed in opposite halves of the Roland-Garros men’s singles draw at the ceremony in Paris on Thursday, May 21, leaving a potential meeting between them possible only in the final. The official Roland-Garros draw page published the full bracket after the ceremony. Olympics.com’s draw report said world No. 1 Sinner and No. 4 Djokovic were separated in the field and would not face each other before the championship match on June 7. Carlos Alcaraz is absent from the men’s field this year, according to pre-tournament coverage cited in the briefing, which shifts more attention onto the two biggest names left on opposite sides of the bracket. Roland-Garros’ own preview framed Sinner as the leading figure in the men’s draw, while Djokovic arrived in Paris pursuing a 25th Grand Slam singles title. (rolandgarros.com) ### Which side of the bracket did each man land in? Jannik Sinner was drawn into the top half and Novak Djokovic into the bottom half, according to the official bracket and Olympics.com’s draw report. That structure means they cannot meet in the quarterfinals or semifinals under the current draw. The June 7 men’s final is the first point at which the bracket allows a Sinner-Djokovic meeting. (rolandgarros.com) Roland-Garros’ tournament schedule lists the men’s singles final for that date at Stade Roland-Garros. ### Who do they play first? (rolandgarros.com) Novak Djokovic drew France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round, Olympics.com reported after the draw. That gives the Serbian a local opponent to open his campaign in Paris. (rolandgarros.com) Jannik Sinner opens against French wildcard Clément Tabur, according to the same draw report. Roland-Garros’ wildcard announcement said Tabur received the main-draw wildcard that became available after Lorenzo Musetti’s withdrawal. (olympics.com) ### Why does Alcaraz’s absence change the shape of the draw? Carlos Alcaraz’s absence removes one of the tournament’s central contenders from the men’s field, according to the briefing’s cited previews. In practical bracket terms, that leaves Sinner and Djokovic as the two biggest headline names placed on separate paths to the final. (olympics.com) John McEnroe, speaking on a TNT conference call cited by Roland-Garros in its draw preview, said: “To me, ultimately, it’s Sinner against the field, and I’d take Sinner right now.” That assessment came before the draw but was published by the tournament’s official site as part of its preview of the men’s bracket. (rolandgarros.com) ### What recent history sits behind a possible Sinner-Djokovic final? Jannik Sinner beat Novak Djokovic in the Roland-Garros semifinals last year to reach his first Paris final, according to the tournament’s official match coverage. That result is part of the backdrop to this year’s draw, even though the two men now start on opposite sides. (rolandgarros.com) Novak Djokovic is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam singles title, Olympics.com reported in its draw coverage. Sinner, meanwhile, arrives as the top-ranked man in the field and the player Roland-Garros highlighted most prominently in its men’s draw preview. (rolandgarros.com) ### Where can readers check the bracket and what comes next? Roland-Garros has published the full men’s singles draw on its official results page, where the bracket can be followed round by round. The tournament schedule page lists the men’s singles final for June 7 in Paris. First-round matchups are now set, with Sinner scheduled to begin against Clément Tabur and Djokovic against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. (olympics.com) Any meeting between the two would have to wait until the last Sunday of the tournament. (rolandgarros.com)