Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, two males anticipated to go far on the French Open, make their 2023 Roland Garros debuts on Monday| Photo Credit: Reuters

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, two males anticipated to go far on the French Open, make their 2023 Roland Garros debuts on Monday in opposition to a pair of opponents who by no means have performed a Grand Slam match.

Alcaraz, a 20-year-old from Spain ranked No. 1 who received the U.S. Open in September, faces Flavio Cobolli, an Italian who's ranked 159th. Djokovic, who received two of his 22 main championships in Paris, takes on Aleksander Kovacevic, an American ranked 114th.

Asked to check the Alcaraz of at this time to the Alcaraz of a 12 months in the past, his coach, 2003 French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero, started by saying: “As a person, I would say he’s more mature.”

And then Ferrero added: “As a player, I think he grows up, like, super fast on the court. He can, let’s say, read the matches a little bit better.”

Djokovic begins his bid to interrupt the boys's file he at present shares with Rafael Nadal by incomes Grand Slam trophy No. 23. Djokovic can also turn into the one man with no less than three titles from every main.

Other main champs on the Day 2 schedule embrace Sloane Stephens, Petra Kvitova, Jelena Ostapenko, Stan Wawrinka and Dominic Thiem.

WHEN DO THEY PLAY MONDAY?

Play begins at 11 a.m. native time in Paris, which is 5 a.m. EDT, in all places besides the primary stadium, Court Philippe Chatrier, the place the primary match — 2017 U.S. Open champion Stephens in opposition to two-time main finalist Karolina Pliskova — is scheduled to start out at 11:45 a.m. native time, which is 5:45 a.m. EDT. Djokovic-Kovacevic will probably be subsequent on that court docket. Alcaraz-Cobolli is the third match at Court Suzanne Lenglen, so may start round 4 p.m. native time, which is 10 a.m. EDT.

WHAT HAPPENED SUNDAY?

A handful of seeded gamers exited: No. 8 Maria Sakkari, No. 21 Magda Linette, and No. 29 Zhang Shuai from the ladies's draw; No. 20 Dan Evans and No. 30 Ben Shelton from the boys's. The day's greatest news, although, emerged from a straight-set victory for No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus. That’s as a result of her opponent, Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, didn't shake fingers on the web — one thing she has constantly averted doing with gamers from Russia and Belarus since these international locations started the battle in Ukraine greater than a 12 months in the past. The crowd, seemingly unaware of why Kostyuk averted Sabalenka after the match, booed and whistled.

GET CAUGHT UP

What it's worthwhile to know concerning the 12 months’s second Grand Slam tennis event:

- Nadal shouldn't be right here

- Djokovic can break a tie with Nadal by successful Slam No. 23

- Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina cut up previous 4 main titles

- Alcaraz, Djokovic drawn to fulfill within the semifinals

- Facts and figures concerning the French Open, together with a glance again at 2022