Paris 2024 Olympics: First-round opponents revealed for Coco Gauff, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal in tennis draw
The world’s leading tennis players have learned their fate at the Paris 2024 Olympics after the draw took place on Thursday morning, with a potential blockbuster second-round match in the offing.
World number one Iga Swiatek faces Irina-Camelia Begu in the opening round of the women’s singles, while world number two Coco Gauff takes on Ajla Tomljanović.
In the men’s singles, 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic begins his bid for a first Olympic gold against Matthew Ebden.
The recent Wimbledon and French Open winner Carlos Alcaraz faces Hady Habib, 2008 Olympic singles champion Rafael Nadal is up against Márton Fucsovics, while Tokyo 2020 winner Alexander Zverev plays Alex de Minaur.
The draw means Djokovic and Nadal could meet in the second round if they win their opening matches.
Meanwhile, two-time Olympic champion Andy Murray follows Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune in withdrawing from the men's singles, although the Briton is still set to play the men’s doubles with partner Dan Evans.
Naomi Osaka, who lit the cauldron at the Tokyo 2020 Opening Ceremony, takes on Angelique Kerber in the women's singles.
Paris 2024 tennis draw and schedule
Alcaraz and Djokovic are the leading male contenders after world number one Sinner withdrew earlier this week having been being diagnosed with tonsillitis, while Nadal will be aiming for a third gold overall and playing on his favourite surface.
The Olympic tennis tournament takes place on the clay of Roland-Garros, where Nadal has won the French Open 14 times, most recently in 2022.
Back in June, Alcaraz and Swiatek won the Grand Slam singles titles here, with the former set to partner Nadal for Spain in the men’s doubles.
Nadal, who also won doubles gold at Rio 2016, and Alcaraz will face Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni of Argentina in the opening round.
Murray, who won singles gold at London 2012 and Rio 2016, will team up with Evans for Great Britain and take on Japan's Taro Daniel and Kei Nishikori in the men's doubles opening round.
Meanwhile, Kerber, a three-time Grand Slam winner, also confirmed this Olympics will be her last event before retiring. The German, 36, won silver at Rio 2016.
The first round of the men’s and women’s singles, as well as men’s and women’s doubles, starts on Saturday.
The mixed doubles begin on Monday, with the full tennis schedule available here.