The draw for Roland Garros, the second Grand Slam of the year, has been made, and Croatian tennis players are set to face a variety of opponents in the early rounds of the Paris clay-court tournament.
Marić vs. Young Talent
Marin Čilić will start his tournament against 17-year-old Frenchman Moise Kouame, the 316th ranked player in the world, who received a wildcard from the organizers. If Čilić advances, he will face the winner of the match between 20th seed Cameron Norrie and Paraguayan Daniel Vallijio.
Dino Prižmić is still unsure of his first-round opponent, as it will be a qualifier. The third Croatian, Borna Gojo, is currently in the qualifiers and will play his final match for a potential main draw spot on Friday. If Prižmić advances, he will likely face Brazilian João Souza, the 28th seed, in the second round, and possibly face Novak Djokovic in the third round. The two recently played at the clay-court tournament in Rome, where Prižmić won in three sets.
Promising Draw for the Ladies
Antonia Ružić will face an unknown opponent from the qualifiers in the first round, but should she advance, she would likely face American 19th seed Madison Keys in the second round.
Donna Vekić will start against 25-year-old French wildcard Alice Tubello, and if she advances, she will face the winner of the match between Japanese Naomi Osaka and German Laure Siegemund.
Petra Marcinko will face 24-year-old German Eva Lys, the 81st ranked player in the world, and should she advance, she would likely face Frenchwoman Alizé Cornet or Romanian Sorana Cîrstea, the 18th seed.
The top seeds for the men’s draw are Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev, while for the women’s draw, it is Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina. The men’s trophy will not be defended by the injured Carlos Alcaraz, while Coco Gauff was the champion in the women’s draw last year.
This draw is a mixed bag for Croatian players. Who do you think has the best chance of making a deep run? Let's hope they can bring home some glory for Croatia!