Murray-Stan, Rafa-Zverev headline intriguing Roland Garros first-rounders

All eyes at Roland Garros will be glued to the blockbuster between 14-time champion Rafael Nadal and third seed Alexander Zverev, but it is not the only compelling first-round match in Paris. Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka will renew their rivalry and Casper Ruud looks to avoid an early upset against Jakub Mensik.

ATPTour.com looks at five intriguing matches to watch in the opening round.

Andy Murray vs. Stan Wawrinka
It is not very often a pair of three-time major champions, who have twice met in the semi-finals at Roland Garros, clash in the first round of a Grand Slam. But fans in Paris will be treated to the 23rd Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting between Murray and Wawrinka. [Murray leads 13-9].

Wawrinka, 2015 Roland Garros champion, has won two of his three clashes against Murray at the clay-court major, including a thrilling five-setter in the 2017 semi-finals. The Swiss also defeated the former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings in the first round four years ago and will aim to match that result this fortnight.

Rafael Nadal vs. Alexander Zverev
The ultimate popcorn first-rounder is a rematch of the 2022 semi-final between Nadal and Zverev. The Spaniard narrowly led Zverev 7-6(8), 6-6, having played more than three hours and yet to finish two full sets in a back-and-forth battle. But the German suffered a brutal ankle injury just as Nadal sent the second set into a tie-break, forcing Zverev to not only retire, but also miss the rest of the season. Nadal went on to win the title. The 22-time major champion will now make his first appearance at Roland Garros since that triumph in 2022, and it could double as his final showing.

Boasting a ridiculous 112-3 record at the season’s second major, Nadal’s meeting with the in-form Zverev, who arrives after winning Rome, will draw fans from even beyond the tennis world. Nadal looks to improve upon his 7-3 record against the 27-year-old.

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Ben Shelton vs. Hugo Gaston
French fans will flock to support one of their own in Gaston, who aims to relive his dramatic 2020 run to the fourth round. As a wild card then-ranked No. 239, the lefty upset Wawrinka in five sets before nearly stunning the previous year’s finalist Dominic Thiem. The Austrian needed three hours and 32 minutes to outlast Gaston, who two years later downed 19th seed Alex de Minaur in a first-round five-setter.

Shelton, who is seeded to meet Carlos Alcaraz in the fourth round, will be focussed on the task at hand when he steps on court searching for his first Roland Garros main-draw win. One of the more charismatic players on the ATP Tour, Shelton and home hope Gaston are sure to produce fireworks in the early stages of the two-week tournament.

Holger Rune vs. Daniel Evans
Two of the most intense competitors in the sport, 13th seed Rune, a two-time quarter-finalist, and 33-year-old Brit Evans meet in a clash of styles. The Dane’s fearless ballstriking goes toe-to-toe against Evans’ slice-and-dice and his ability to skillfully absorb firepower from the game’s heaviest hitters.

Rune has been involved in several thrilling matches across just two appearances on the Parisian clay, where last year the 21-year-old needed four hours to escape Francisco Cerundolo in the fourth round. He then fell to Ruud in a rematch of their dramatic 2022 clash. Rune and Evans have never played before.

Casper Ruud vs. Jakub Mensik
If the Norwegian Ruud were to make a third consecutive final at Roland Garros, or better yet win his first major title, he must first surpass an opening-round test in #NextGenATP 18-year-old Mensik.

Currently second in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, the 6’4” Mensik will look to rely on his hefty serve to force Ruud deep beyond the baseline and punish the Norwegian with first-strike tennis, much like what he did to defeat Top 10 opponents Andrey Rublev in Doha and Grigor Dimitrov in Madrid. Ruud, seeded seventh, can add to the chess match by countering the Czech with the baseline prowess that has helped him win 12 of his past 14 matches at the clay-court major.

Editor's note: Jakub Mensik has withdrawn from Roland Garros.