Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic separated

Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic were placed in opposite halves of the French Open men’s singles draw on Thursday, setting up the possibility of a title match between the world No. 1 and the 24-time Grand Slam champion if both reach the final. Roland Garros posted the official draw on its website before main-draw singles play begins on Sunday, May 24, in Paris. Emma Raducanu, meanwhile, was drawn against Argentina’s Solana Sierra in the women’s first round. ### Where did Sinner and Djokovic land in the bracket? The Roland Garros men’s draw lists Sinner as the No. 1 seed at the top of the bracket and Djokovic as the No. 3 seed in the lower half. That separation means they cannot meet before the championship match. Sinner opens against French wildcard Clement Tabur, according to the official draw. Djokovic opens against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, and the same draw places Alexander Zverev as the No. 2 seed in Djokovic’s half. (rolandgarros.com) ### What does the official draw show about Sinner’s route? Sinner’s section includes potential early tests against players in the top half such as Corentin Moutet, Daniil Medvedev and Alex de Minaur, based on the seeded positions in the official bracket. (rolandgarros.com) The draw also shows Britain’s Jacob Fearnley in Sinner’s quarter, with a possible second-round meeting if Fearnley beats Juan Manuel Cerundolo. BBC Sport reported that Sinner arrived in Paris after a 29-match winning streak and clay-court titles in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome. BBC also said he starts as the favorite for a first French Open title. ### How difficult is Djokovic’s side? Djokovic’s half includes several established names, with the official draw showing Casper Ruud, Taylor Fritz and Zverev in the lower half. (rolandgarros.com) That alignment leaves Djokovic with a different route from Sinner through the tournament’s second week. BBC Sport said the separation also delays any immediate renewal of Djokovic’s rivalry with Sinner, noting the pair met in last year’s final in Paris. (aol.com) BBC described Djokovic as seeking a standalone record 25th major title. ### What happened with Emma Raducanu? Emma Raducanu was drawn to face Solana Sierra in the first round of the women’s singles, BBC Sport reported on Thursday. (rolandgarros.com) BBC described Sierra as an Argentine clay-court specialist and said Raducanu, unseeded in Paris, avoided one of the top favorites in the opening round. BBC said Raducanu could face Jasmine Paolini in the second round if both win their openers. (aol.com) Other British women in the main draw include Katie Boulter against Akasha Urhobo and Francesca Jones against Beatriz Haddad Maia, according to the same report. ### When does the tournament start? Roland Garros said men’s and women’s first-round main-draw action begins on Sunday, May 24. (aol.com) The tournament’s Opening Week page said the singles draws were made on Thursday, followed by media day on Friday and Yannick Noah Day on Saturday. The tournament schedule page says the 2026 French Open runs through Sunday, June 7, at Stade Roland-Garros. (aol.com) The official draws and daily order of play are being published on the tournament website. (rolandgarros.com 1) (rolandgarros.com 2)