French Open 2023

Novak Djokovic, fresh from notching up a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title, moved back to the top of the ATP rankings released Monday, while Rafael Nadal dropped out of the top 100.

It was a 388th week as the world's number one for the 36-year-old Djokovic, who jumped two places in the standings after his French Open victory.

He beat Spanish rival Carlos Alcaraz, 20, who had held the number one spot until the French Open, in the semi-final. — AFP

Novak Djokovic swept into the French Open quarter-finals for the 14th straight year on Sunday as world number one Carlos Alcaraz breezed past Lorenzo Musetti to stay on a collision course with the 22-time Grand Slam champion.

Third seed Djokovic ended the surprise run of Peruvian outsider Juan Pablo Varillas, winning 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, and has yet to drop a set through four matches. 

The Serb, chasing a third Roland Garros crown, is into a record 17th French Open quarter-final after making the last eight at a major for the 55th time. — AFP

Novak Djokovic admits that his push towards a record-setting 23rd Grand Slam title is at the mercy of a "long list" of injuries at the French Open with "pills and angels" amongst the cures.

Djokovic, chasing a third Roland Garros title, reached the fourth round for a 14th successive year with a bruising 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 win over Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

At three hours and 36 minutes it was the longest three-set match of his career. — AFP

Novak Djokovic battles into the French Open fourth round for a 14th consecutive year as Carlos Alcaraz also progresses, after women's third seed Jessica Pegula and men's seventh-ranked Andrey Rublev were dumped out of the tournament.

Djokovic has made headlines for his comments about Kosovo this week but his on-court progress has been relatively serene, reaching the second week without dropping a set.

The Serb star was made to work hard by Spanish 29th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who served for the first set and missed a set point in the second, but won 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 on Court Philippe Chatrier. — AFP

Alexander Zverev makes a successful return to the French Open's Court Philippe Chatrier, a year after suffering a horrifying ankle ligament injury which ended his season.

The former world number two, now down at 27 in the world, swept past 86th-ranked Alex Molcan of Slovakia 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 to make the last 32.

In 2022, Zverev was taken off court in a wheelchair after damaging his right ankle in his semi-final against Rafael Nadal. — AFP

Iga Swiatek continues her bid to become the first woman in 16 years to win back-to-back French Opens on Thursday as Alexander Zverev returns to the court where 12 months ago his dreams of a maiden Grand Slam crown ended in agony.

World number one Swiatek celebrated her 22nd birthday on Wednesday and is expected to comfortably ease past Claire Liu of the United States to make the last 32.

Liu, ranked 102 in the world, managed to win just one game when she faced the Pole at Indian Wells this year. — AFP

Gael Monfils withdraws from the French Open with a wrist injury, handing second round opponent Holger Rune a free pass into the last 32.

"I have a problem with my wrist that I can't overcome," the 36-year-old Monfils tells reporters.

"I had tests and the doctor said it was not good to play and that I should stop." — AFP 

Novak Djokovic will bid for a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title at a French Open without his old rival Rafael Nadal for the first time since 2004, while Iga Swiatek attempts to become the first woman to defend the title in 16 years.

Serbian veteran Djokovic will not be the favorite for the title, though, after struggling with an elbow injury and failing to get past the quarter-finals in any of his three clay-court events so far this season.

Carlos Alcaraz won the Barcelona and Madrid Opens en route to taking over from Djokovic as world number one, while Daniil Medvedev is seeded second for Roland Garros after his maiden clay triumph in Rome. — AFP

The 127th edition of the French Open, also known as Roland-Garros, is scheduled for May 28 until June 11, 2023 at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France. Bookmark this page for updates. 

This picture shows a logo on one of the seats of the main Philippe-Chatrier court during its reconstruction work at the Roland Garros Tennis Complex in Paris on 21 February, 2018. (AFP/Philippe Lopez)