PARIS (AP) – Security will be tighter than ever at the French Open in the wake of the deadly attacks in Paris last November.
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(AP Photo/Michel Euler, File).
Nadal starts his French Open against big-serving Sam Groth of Australia with a potential quarter-final against home hope, and two-time semi-finalist, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Frenchman, Gael Monfils, has also pulled out of the tournament after complaining of having a virus. The French Open begins on Sunday, May.
Because of Roger Federer’s withdrawal, Nadal has been seeded No. 4, avoiding a possible quarterfinal rematch against Djokovic.
The three-time quarterfinalist reached the Monte Carlo Masters final earlier this year but was beaten in three sets by Nadal.
He arrives in the French capital with a 37-3 record, but on the back of a loss to Murray in the Italian Open final.
Andy Murray will face a qualifier in the French Open first round and has been placed in the same half of the draw as Stan Wawrinka.
The men’s cup, left, and women’s cup are seen before the draw of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium, Friday, May 20, 2016 in Paris.
She said: “That’s something I think a lot of the players wanted, is a little bit more security”.
However, a pair of former champions lie in wait beforehand with 2010 victor Francesca Schiavone a potential third-round opponent and Ana Ivanovic, who claimed her lone Grand Slam on Court Philippe Chatrier in 2008, a prospective last-16 foe.
Williams heads into the clay-court slam on the back of winning the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, her first tournament victory since last August.
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Agnieszka Radwanska, Angelique Kerber, Garbine Muguruza, and Victoria Azarenka round out the top 5 seeds.
