Djokovic and World No.1 Alcaraz in same half of French Open draw

Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic could face World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals of the French Open after both players were placed in the same half of the draw on Thursday.

Djokovic is chasing a record 23rd men's Grand Slam title in the absence of the injured Rafael Nadal, who will miss the tournament at Roland Garros for the first time since his 2005 title-winning debut. The third-seeded Djokovic, Roland Garros champion in 2016 and 2021, meets 114th-ranked Aleksandar Kovacevic of the US in the first round in Paris - the first French Open since 1998 without Nadal or the now retired Roger Federer. Kovacevic, 24, is making his Grand Slam main draw debut.

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Djokovic, who turned 36 on Monday, has been bothered by a recurrence of a right elbow injury which has disrupted his clay-court season. He failed to go beyond the Last Eight at any of the three events he played on clay this spring, losing his number one spot to Alcaraz.

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