Rafael Nadal, the 13-time French Open champion who is seeking a fifth consecutive title at Roland Garros beginning Sunday, bears an ill-fitting label in the men’s singles draw this year: the No. Nadal will be a heavy favorite in every match he plays at Roland Garros, where he has a 100-2 record, but his path to a 14th title does include some hurdles. If he beats 62nd-ranked Alexei Popyrin in the first round, Nadal will face a Frenchman, either the veteran Richard Gasquet or the wild card Hugo Gaston. Gaston, 20, made a surprise run to the fourth round of the French Open last year, beating Stan Wawrinka before losing in five sets to Dominic Thiem. Nadal could face seventh-seeded Andrey Rublev, whom he lost to at the Monte Carlo Masters in April, in the quarterfinals before what would be a highly anticipated match against Djokovic in the semifinals.

Source: New York Times May 27, 2021 18:22 UTC