Alcaraz-Nishikori, Zverev-Tien headline Roland Garros blockbuster openers

The headline of the Roland Garros draw Thursday was that Novak Djokovic is in Alexander Zverev’s quarter and on Jannik Sinner’s half. But there were plenty of other takeaways, including a number of tantalising first-round matches.

ATPTour.com looks at five first-round matches to watch in the first round of the clay-court major.

(2) Carlos Alcaraz vs. Kei Nishikori - First Meeting
Nishikori has spoken several times about his interest in playing the rising stars who have ascended to the top of the sport, including Alcaraz and Sinner.

“It’s forced me to adjust my game, change how I play to stay competitive,” Nishikori said in Madrid. “And that challenge has been good motivation.”

The Japanese superstar will get his wish in Paris, where he will take on Alcaraz in the first round. It will be the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.

The 35-year-old former No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings is still one of the purest ball-strikers on the ATP Tour, but he will have his work cut out for him against Alcaraz. The defending champion is high on confidence after winning titles in Monte-Carlo and Rome, and will try to remove the Japanese from his dominating comfort zone.

(3) Alexander Zverev vs. Learner Tien - Tien 1-0
In Acapulco earlier this year, Tien earned the best win of his career by PIF ATP Ranking against then-World No. 2 Zverev, stunning the German 6-3, 6-4.

"I just went out there and tried to control my side of the court," Tien said.

Will the #NextGenATP American be able to replicate his feat in the best-of-five-set format? It will be a tough task against Zverev, who has advanced to at least the semi-finals on the Parisian clay in his past four appearances.

Last year’s Roland Garros finalist lost to Alexandre Muller in the second round in Hamburg, but has not lost before the fourth round at the clay-court major since 2017 (R128). Another key to the match is Tien’s relative inexperience on clay.

The Californian has never competed at Roland Garros as a professional. Two years ago, the lefty made the semi-finals in the boys’ singles event, defeating Joao Fonseca in the quarter-finals.

(13) Ben Shelton vs. Lorenzo Sonego - Shelton leads 2-1
In the first major of the year, Shelton and Sonego met in the quarter-finals, with the American claiming a fourth-set tie-break to make the last four. One of them will suffer a disappointing first-round exit in Paris.

Shelton leads the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series 2-1, but his defeat came two years ago at Roland Garros. Sonego was victorious on that occasion 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

The big question: How much Shelton has improved on clay since then? The lefty has one of the world's biggest serves and is able to use pace, spin and placement to beat his opponents. The results show he has grown more comfortable on clay, lifting the trophy last year in Houston, and this season making the final in Munich.

Sonego will bring a steady game and make Shelton work for every point. It will be up to the American to seize the victory.

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(30) Hubert Hurkacz vs. Joao Fonseca - First Meeting
Hurkacz and Fonseca will open their Lexus ATP Head2Head series in one of the most interesting first-round clashes at Roland Garros.

One of the stories of the year has been the rise of Fonseca, last year’s Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion. The Brazilian stunned Andrey Rublev at the Australian Open and won his first ATP Tour title in Buenos Aires. His dynamic play has captivated countless fans around the world. However, he enters the clay-court major on a three-match losing streak.

Former World No. 6 Hurkacz entered Rome with a 7-8 record for the season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. But with coach Nicolas Massu on his side and a run to the quarter-finals at the Foro Italico, the Polish star appears to be rounding into form.

Hurkacz is one of the biggest servers of his era and can take the racquet out of his opponent’s hand. Will Fonseca be able to work his way into enough rallies to bring his jaw-dropping shotmaking into play?

(11) Daniil Medvedev vs. Cameron Norrie - Medvedev leads 4-0
Both Medvedev and Norrie have been inside the world’s Top 10, but only one will advance to the second round in Paris.

Medvedev leads Norrie 4-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series and has never lost a set to the Briton. Just two weeks ago in Rome, Medvedev defeated Norrie 6-4, 6-2. And despite his many jokes over the years about his feelings regarding clay, the former World No. 1 has advanced to at least the fourth round in three of his past four Roland Garros appearances.

But Norrie has long been one of the best competitors on the ATP Tour and the World No. 90 will be hungry to make a statement and show fans that he still belongs near the top of the sport.