[English Language] Rafael Nadal to bid Roland Garros farewell, Sabalenka begins title quest.

Rafael Nadal to bid Roland Garros farewell, Sabalenka begins title quest.

Roland Garros will pay tribute to its greatest champion on Sunday with a ceremony for the retired Rafael Nadal, while Aryna Sabalenka begins her French Open campaign on the opening day of the tournament.

Nadal, the record 14-time champion on the Paris clay, retired from tennis last November following an illustrious career. He returns to Court Philippe Chatrier a year after suffering a first-round exit at the hands of Alexander Zverev in what proved to be his final French Open appearance.

The Spaniard concluded his French Open career with a remarkable 112-4 win-loss record, having dominated the tournament since claiming the title on his debut in 2005.

Nadal hung up his racquet after the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Málaga, initially denying him the opportunity to bid farewell to his adoring fans in Paris. His 14 titles at a single Grand Slam remain an extraordinary feat, with Margaret Court's 11 Australian Open triumphs second on the all-time list.

Nadal's heir apparent, Carlos Alcaraz, will begin his title defence next week as a slight favourite to become the first man to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires since his compatriot's retirement. Victory over world number one Jannik Sinner in last weekend's Italian Open final earned Alcaraz the second seeding for Roland Garros, raising the prospect of the world's top two players meeting in a Grand Slam final for the first time on 8 June.

"I think for the people, for the tennis fans, it's great to have a match-up with players that make them excited about watching," Alcaraz said at his pre-tournament press conference, speaking about his growing rivalry with Sinner.

"I think even people who don't usually watch tennis may start watching because of it."

Novak Djokovic will launch his sixth bid for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title against American Mackenzie McDonald, fresh from claiming his 100th ATP title in Geneva.

The 28-year-old became just the third man to reach a century of tour-level titles, after Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer, defeating Hubert Hurkacz in a three-hour epic in Switzerland on Saturday.

However, questions persist over Djokovic's form, following early exits in both Monte Carlo and Madrid to Alejandro Tabilo and Matteo Arnaldi respectively.

The Serb faces a challenging draw, with last year's runner-up Alexander Zverev a potential quarter-final opponent, and Sinner possibly awaiting in the semi-finals.

World number one Sabalenka headlines Sunday's women's action, opening her campaign on Court Philippe Chatrier against 75th-ranked Russian Kamilla Rakhimova.

The Belarusian will be hoping for a strong start as she seeks her maiden French Open title. Sabalenka has never reached the final at Roland Garros, but the women's field appears more open than in recent years, with three-time defending champion Iga Świątek struggling for form.

The Pole has dropped to fifth in the rankings and has not reached a WTA final since winning her fourth French Open title last year.

Sabalenka believes she is well placed to take advantage.

"Over the years I've improved a lot on clay and now I feel physically, mentally... my game is pretty much ready. Yes, I definitely feel stronger than ever," said Sabalenka, who won the Madrid Open earlier this month.

Italian Open champion Jasmine Paolini, who was soundly beaten by Świątek in the 2024 final, plays China's Yuan Yue.

Chinese star Zheng Qinwen, Ukraine's Elina Svitolina and rising Russian talent Diana Shnaider are also among the women in action.

In the men's draw, eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti — who has reached at least the semi-finals in all three clay-court Masters events this year — faces Germany's Yannick Hanfmann.

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