French Open 2022: Men's singles draw analysis, preview and prediction

The draw for the 2022 French Open was revealed on Thursday evening, with plenty of intriguing storylines that'll unfold over the course of the fortnight.

Three players who have done well this clay season, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev, are in the same half of the draw. Joining them is the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal. This has given Stefanos Tsitsipas, the runner-up in Paris last year, a comparatively easy ride to the final.

Like always, Djokovic and Nadal are aiming to create history. The former is seeking to complete a triple career Grand Slam, while the latter is gunning for a record-extending 22nd Grand Slam title. Another leading question is whether the incredible rise of Alcaraz will end in Grand Slam glory at the French Open.

Players like Jannik Sinner, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Casper Ruud have done quite well in the lead-up to the tournament. If they step up their game, they're more than capable of taking out the big guns.

Daniil Medvedev, who finally progressed beyond the first round at Roland Garros last year, will look for another decent outing.

On that note, let's take a look at how the draw could unfold over the next few days.

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First Quarter: Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal set for quarterfinal showdown

Novak Djokovic at the 2021 French Open.

Seeded players: (1) Novak Djokovic, (5) Rafael Nadal, (9) Felix Auger-Aliassime and (15) Diego Schwartzman.

Expected quarterfinal: Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal.

Dark horse: Stan Wawrinka.

Analysis: Defending champion Novak Djokovic has gotten better with every tournament he's competed in in the lead-up to the French Open. He won his 1000th career match en route to his 38th Masters title at the Italian Open last week. Thanks to that triumph, the Serb will be brimming with confidence.

Djokovic will kick off his title defense against Yoshihito Nishioka. The Japanese hasn't won a main-draw match on clay this year and failed to make it past the qualifying round in his previous three events. Federico Coria, the Serb's possible second-round opponent, has had some decent results on clay, but is unlikely to trouble the World No. 1.

Djokovic could face Jenson Brooksby in the third round. The American youngster is talented, but is yet to prove himself on clay.

Either Grigor Dimitrov or Diego Schwartzman could await the Serb in the fourth round. Both have had some good results on clay this year, but Djokovic holds a 15-1 combined record against them. The World No. 1 has the edge here and should make the quarterfinals.

Djokovic's arch-rival Rafael Nadal is also in this section. The Spaniard's foot injury has cast some doubt over his chances of winning the French Open for a record-extending 14th time. However, he's the most successful player in the history of the tournament, so counting him out is rather unwise.

Nadal should have no problem getting past Jordan Thompson in the first round and could face 2015 French Open champion Stan Wawrinka in the second round. The Swiss is on the comeback trail and recently made it to the third round of the Italian Open, where he lost to Djokovic.

Should he get past Wawrinka, Nadal could face either Botic van de Zandschulp or Fabio Fognini in the third round. Fognini has been quite inconsistent over the last few weeks, while van de Zandschulp has been making his way up the rankings. The latter reached his first ATP final at the BMW Open a few weeks ago.

Felix Auger-Aliassime is likely to be Nadal's fourth-round adversary. The Canadian has been very consistent recently, making it to the quarterfinals of his previous four tournaments in the lead-up to the French Open.

If Auger-Aliassime loses early, Nadal could meet Reilly Opelka instead of the Canadian. The King of Clay stands a much better chance against the American. A win at this stage could set up a highly anticipated showdown with Djokovic.

Nadal lost to the Serb in the semifinals of the French Open last year. Given their respective form and fitness at the moment, it's hard to see the 21-time Grand Slam champion getting past Djokovic this time either.

Predicted quarterfinal: Novak Djokovic def. Rafael Nadal.

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Second Quarter: Carlos Alcaraz aiming for maiden Grand Slam title

Carlos Alcaraz [left] is a favorite to win the 2022 French Open.

Seeded players: (3) Alexander Zverev, (6) Carlos Alcaraz, (10) Cameron Norrie and (13) Taylor Fritz.

Expected quarterfinal: Alexander Zverev vs Carlos Alcaraz.

Dark horse: Richard Gasquet.

Analysis: Alexander Zverev is the highest seed in this section and his path to the quarterfinals is rather easy. He's in good form at the moment and reached the semifinals of the French Open last year.

Zverev will start against a qualifier and could meet Sebastian Baez in the second round. The Argentine is a promising prospect, but shouldn't trouble the World No. 3 too much.

Zverev could then meet Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who reached the quarterfinals in Paris last year, in the third round. Davidovich Fokina made it to the final in Monte Carlo earlier this year, but has struggled since. Still, there's room for an upset if the German gets complacent.

Zverev is likely to face either Taylor Fritz or John Isner in the fourth round. Fritz is returning from an injury and hasn't competed since making the last eight in Monte Carlo. But the American will face qualifiers and low-ranked players early on, so has an opportunity to play himself into form. Getting past Zverev, though, will be a different story altogether.

Isner, on the other hand, isn't that big of a threat on clay, so the World No. 3 should handle him easily to reach the last eight at the French Open.

Teen phenom Carlos Alcaraz has quickly established himself as an elite player this year. All that's left for him to do is make a deep run at a Major. He enters the French Open on a 10-match winning streak, having won consecutive titles in Barcelona and Madrid. The teenager will begin his quest for a maiden Major crown against a qualifier.

Alcaraz could face compatriot and claycourt specialist Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the second round. Sebastian Korda, the only player to defeat the Spaniard on clay this year, could await him in the third round. The American knocked him out in the second round of the Monte-Carlo Masters a few weeks ago.

Alcaraz could meet Cameron Norrie in the fourth round. He has already beaten the Brit twice this year.

He's then projected to take on Zverev, who he defeated to win the Madrid Open. The German has never won against a top 10 player at a Grand Slam, and given the teenager's form, it's unlikely he'll end that streak.

Predicted quarterfinal: Carlos Alcaraz def. Alexander Zverev.

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Third Quarter: Stefanos Tsitsipas looking to make consecutive French Open finals

Stefanos Tsitsipas was a finalist at the French Open last year.

Seeded players: (4) Stefanos Tsitsipas, (8) Casper Ruud, (12) Hubert Hurkacz and (14) Denis Shapovalov.

Expected quarterfinal: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Casper Ruud.

Dark horse: David Goffin.

Analysis: Stefanos Tsitsipas has done really well during the clay season so far. He won the title in Monte Carlo, reached the final in Rome and the semifinals in Madrid. He came close to winning the French Open last year, but Djokovic staged a comeback from two sets down in the final to end his bid for a maiden Grand Slam title.

Tsitsipas will start off against Lorenzo Musetti, who made it to the fourth round in Paris last year. Musetti could challenge the World No. 4, but the Greek should be able to get past the talented youngster.

Tsitsipas could then face home favorite Lucas Pouille followed by Dan Evans. He's then likely to take on Denis Shapovalov for a place in the last eight.

The Canadian notably upset Nadal in the third round of the Italian Open and has the potential to knock out the Greek too.

Also present in this quarter of the draw is Casper Ruud. He found some form at the Italian Open, where he made it to the last four. The 23-year-old is currently in the semifinals of the Geneva Open, where he's the defending champion.

Ruud's first-round opponent in Paris is Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. A win would send the Frenchman into retirement, as this is his last tournament. The Norwegian could face another local favorite, Ugo Humbert, or Emil Ruusuvuori, in the second round.

Ruud is projected to face Lorenzo Sonego in the third round, but the Italian has struggled this year and isn't likely to make it that far.

Hubert Hurkacz, David Goffin and Frances Tiafoe are also in this section and could make life difficult for Ruud.

Predicted quarterfinal: Stefanos Tsitsipas def. Casper Ruud.

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Fourth Quarter: Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Jannik Sinner look for French Open breakthrough

Daniil Medvedev at the 2021 French Open.

Seeded players: (2) Daniil Medvedev, (7) Andrey Rublev, (11) Jannik Sinner and (16) Pablo Carreno Busta.

Expected quarterfinal: Daniil Medvedev vs Andrey Rublev.

Dark horse: Cristian Garin.

Analysis: Daniil Medvedev returned to action at the Geneva Open following hernia surgery. After a first-round bye, he lost to Richard Gasquet in the second round. It was the only match he has played on clay in the lead-up to the French Open. After failing to get beyond the first round in Paris for four years, he made it all the way to the quarterfinals last year.

Medvedev has a shot at reclaiming the World No. 1 ranking if he does well in Paris. He'll start off against Facundo Bagnis, which by all counts is a winnable match. The Russian could, however, be tested by Laslo Djere in the second round. If he gets past the Serb, he could face Miomir Kecmanovic in the third round.

Kecmanovic has performed quite well throughout the season, but lost early in his previous two events. Should Medvedev triumph, he could meet either 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic or Pablo Carreno Busta for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Former French Open quarterfinalists Andrey Rublev and Jannik Sinner are also in this section of the draw and are slated for a fourth-round meeting. Sinner's road to the fourth round is quite easy, as Nikoloz Basilashvili, who has been quite inconsistent this year, is the highest-ranked player he could face.

Rublev, on the other hand, could endure a few tricky matches. His first-round opponent, Kwon Soon-woo, isn't noted for his prowess on clay. However, the Russian could be tested by Adrian Mannarino in the second round, followed by either Tommy Paul or Cristian Garin in the third round.

After struggling for most of the year, Garin found his form at the Italian Open, where he reached the quarterfinals. Clay is his favored surface and if he plays at a high level, he could certainly cause an upset or two. Should Rublev emerge unscathed, he could have an exciting match-up against Sinner for a place in the last eight.

Sinner has won both of their meetings on clay, including in Monte Carlo this year. The Italian will be confident of triumphing once more on the biggest stage.

Quarterfinal prediction: Jannik Sinner def. Miomir Kecmanovic.

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Prediction for semifinals

Novak Djokovic def. Carlos Alcaraz.

Stefanos Tsitsipas def. Jannik Sinner.

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Prediction for the final: Novak Djokovic def. Stefanos Tsitsipas.