French Open 2024 men's singles draw: Biggest winner and loser ft. Rafael Nadal

The highly-awaited draw for the 2024 French Open has been released and has promised to deliver a spectacular two weeks of clay-court tennis to the fans, including a mouth-watering Rafael Nadal match. The Paris Major has assured the highest quality from the get-go, with scintillating first-round matches that will open up the doors for greater matchups

Headlined by the biggest names in tennis such as Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, and many more, the main draw will begin on Sunday, May 26.

The draw, however, hasn't necessarily been kind to all players. While some players have been blessed with a favorable draw, the same can't be said for others. Although the top seeds don't play each other in the opening rounds, some lower-ranked players may be clay court specialists, posing threats to higher-ranked players in the early rounds.

Let's take a look at the biggest winner and the biggest loser from the men's singles draw of the 2024 French Open.

14-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal is the biggest loser of the men's singles draw on his return to the Paris Major

Rafael Nadal

The 14-time French Open champion has been struggling with injuries for over a year and has had a hard time finding his rhythm. The Spaniard missed out on the tournament last year, owing to the aforementioned injury struggles. His last match at the Paris Major came against Casper Ruud in the final in 2022, where he decimated the Norwegian.

However, Nadal has a huge mountain to climb as he will face an in-form Alexander Zverev in the opening round. The German won the Italian Open last week.

Provided he defeats Zverev, David Goffin will likely wait for the Spaniard in the second round, followed by a third-round clash against either rising star Tallon Greikspoor or the last man to defeat Nadal in a Major, Mackenzie McDonald. The Spaniard could face young sensation Holger Rune or the experienced Karen Khachanov in the fourth round.

If he wins his first four matches, Nadal could face Daniil Medvedev, Alex de Minaur, or Alexander Bublik in the quarterfinals. Though all three of them aren't at their best on clay, they still can't be ruled out as potential threats.

The task will get steeper for Nadal, who would meet either of last year's finalists, Novak Djokovic or Casper Ruud, in the semifinals. While the Serb shares one of the biggest rivalries in tennis with the Spaniard, the Norwegian, a clay specialist, idolizes the 22-time Major champion.

In the finals, the young generations' flag holders Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz could await the 'King of Clay.'

Jannik Sinner receives a favorable draw as he looks to win back-to-back Majors

Jannik Sinner

Clay may not be his strongest suit, but Jannik Sinner has received a rather easy draw that will help the Italian increase his level as the tournament goes on.

He will kick off his campaign against Christopher Eubanks in the first round and will play the winner of the match between Borna Coric and Richard Gasquet in the subsequent round.

The round of 32 could get a bit tricky for Sinner as he might face Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, or Cameron Norrie, but the Italian should be able to deal with any of them. In the following round, the 22-year-old could be facing Sebastian Baez or Nicolas Jarry, both of whom lack experience in the latter stages of a Major.

Quarterfinals shouldn't be much of an ordeal as well for the Italian as he might face Hubert Hurkacz or Grigor Dimitrov. Though both these men are not to be taken lightly, the clay surface isn't really their forte.

The semifinals will be a huge test for Jannik Sinner where he could face one of Carlos Alcaraz, Madrid Open champion Andrey Rublev, or Monte-Carlo Open champion Stefanos Tsitsipas. Each of these men possesses incredible clay prowess. Provided he passes all the rounds, Sinner will meet the winner of the top half in the final, who could possibly be Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, or Alexander Zverev.

Honorable mention: Casper Ruud has been provided with a challenging but doable draw

Casper Ruud

The two-time finalist's path begins with an opener against Jakub Mensik. followed by a good second-round test against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina or a qualifier. Ruud could face a rising Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the third round which will test the Norwegian's mettle for the challenges ahead. The fourth round will see the 25-year-old possibly facing Taylor Fritz, who has been improving on clay.

Casper Ruud will possibly find defending champion Novak Djokovic impeding his path in the quarterfinals, with also a possibility of Tommy Paul being the hindrance in the Norwegian's path in the final-eight. Ruud could find his idol Rafael Nadal, Alexander Zverev, or Daniil Medvedev in the final-four matches.

If Ruud makes it to his third consecutive final in Paris, he may have to face Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner.

There is a possibility that the Norwegian may play all the players he has lost a Major final to in three consecutive rounds - Djokovic, Nadal, and Alcaraz - respectively.