Roland Garros, second torneo de Grand Slam del calendario tenístico, sorteó este jueves sur cuadro principal con los favoritos Carlos Alcaraz entre los hombres e Iga Swiatek en mujeres, sin el supercampeón Rafael Nadal por primera vez en los últimos 18 años y con 9 argentinos confirmedados until. The French competition will be played from Sunday May 28 to Sunday June 11 in the complex located in the Parisian district of Bois de Boulogne, it will distribute prizes which will be a record of 43,900,000 euros (about 47 million dollars).

The Argentinians entered directly because of their classification are Francisco Cerúndolo (28 years old); Sebastián Báez (44), Tomás Martín Etcheverry (46); Pedro Cachin (63); Diego Schwartzman (93); Federico Coria (94) and Guido Pella (421), who will play with a protected rating. Among the women, the only representative of Argentina will be Rosario Nadia Podoroska (101). Also this morning Thiago Tirante (153) from La Plata joined, who passed the standings, but Camilo Ugo Carabelli (150) and Renzo Olivo (259) were left behind. This Friday they will look for the last tickets Facundo Díaz Acosta (137) and Genaro Alberto Olivieri (227).

Without a doubt, the most refreshing news is what Tirant has achieved, entering the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time. In October 2020, at M15 (ex Future) in Monastir in Tunisia, the player from La Plata obtained his first professional title. A month later, being 539th in the standings, he reached his first Challenger final, in Lima (he was the fourth player born in 2001 to reach the definition of a tournament in this hierarchy). Also Orange Bowl champion (Under 18, in 2019) and number 1 junior, he played his first ATP main draw in March 2021, in Buenos Aires, by invitation. And in September 2021, the Ambato Challenger was rewarded, in Ecuador, by beating the big favorite, the Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas, in the final; he thus won his first title in this category of the world tennis circuit, on the courts of the Tungurahua Club.

Although it was difficult for him to take off, winning the Challenger de Morelos was another good example of his tennis growth. There, on Mexican soil, he beat James Duckworth (31, No. 113) in the final. Professional since 2016 and trained by Javier Nalbandian, Tirant has his dynamism and is his main resource; his forehand is heavy and unbalanced, while the backhand is less powerful but effective. At 22, he now occupies 153rd place in the world rankings.

The main draw draw produced the following rivals for Argentine tennis players in the first round: ‘Fran’ Cerúndolo (28) against Spaniard Jaume Munar (77), Báez (44) against Frenchman Gael Monfils (386 ); Cachin (63) with the Austrian Dominic Thiem (91) and “Fefo” Coria (94) against the Croatian Borna Coric (16). Meanwhile, the Rosario Podoroska (101) will face the French Jessika Ponchet (123). The “Peque” Schwartzman (93) will face the Spaniard Bernabé Zapata Miralles (37), the left-hander from Bahia Pella (421) with the Frenchman Quentin Halys (87) and the La Plata player Tirante (153) will be drawn tomorrow , when all matches in the standings.

Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, No. 1 and Serbian legend Novak Djokovic, third in the ATP since Monday, could meet in the semi-finals of Roland-Garros, as will be determined by the draw organized this Friday in the French facilities. of the Grand Slam. On the other side of the table, the Russian Daniil Medvedev, second player in the world, would face the last finalist of the French tournament, the Norwegian Casper Ruud (4th), who fell to Rafael Nadal a year ago.

The main absentee from the draw was precisely the Spanish legend, who announced last week that he will not be able to seek his 15th crown due to the physical problems he has been suffering from since the Australian Open. His idea is to regenerate his body and come back in the 2024 season to say goodbye to tennis. It is tradition at Roland Garros that the reigning champions in the men’s and women’s categories attend the draw. Iga Swiatek, world number 1 and winner a year ago, found herself without a companion. Thus, Nadal was replaced by the captain of the French rugby team and best player in the world in 2021, Antoine Dupont, in charge of spreading luck.

Alcaraz, who a few hours earlier had trained for the first time on the Philippe Chatrier court with Stan Wawrinka surrounded by high expectations, will make his debut against a tennis player who exceeds the ranking. Hypothetically, he would play in the 3rd round against the Canadian Denis Shapovalov (31), in the round of 16 against Cameron Norrie (14th) or the Italian Lorenzo Musetti (18th) and in the quarter-finals against the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Djokovic, who arrives at Roland-Garros after completing a disappointing European tour on clay, would face the Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich (34th) in the 3rd round, Hubert Hurkacz (13th) or Roberto Bautista (23rd) in the round of 16, and the Russian in the quarter-finals Andrey Rublev (7th)

THE NATION