Nadal, a 14-time Roland-Garros champion, is missing his second grand slam since 2005.
He also announced his retirement from professional tennis next year. This will be a landmark moment in the history the clay-court competition, which Nadal has dominated so long.
In the United States you can watch the French Open on NBC, streaming services Peacock and Tennis Channel as well as Bally Sports. The tournament is broadcast on Eurosport in all European territories, except France.
Djokovic would win his 23rd Grand Slam title in Paris and surpass Nadal on the all-time men's list. This would further cement his claim as the greatest tennis player of all time.
The Serbian, who won the Australian Open in the beginning of the year, has struggled on clay courts this season. He has failed to make it beyond the quarterfinals at three events, and missed another due to an elbow injury.
Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas and other former French Open finalists will be hoping to have deep runs. Holger Rune, the sixth seed, is a future star after he defeated Djokovic in the Italian Open.
Iga Swiatek, the two-time French Open winner, is the favorite in the women's draw. However, she hasn't shown the same dominance as last year when she won the title with a 37-match win streak, a record.
Aryna Sablalenka and Elena Rybakina are Swiatek's fiercest rivals at the top of women's tennis. Both have beaten Swiatek in the last month.
"The conditions in Paris will favor Swiatek. She feels comfortable there, and she is proving that she is playing at a very high level," said Eurosport's expert and former world no. Barbara Schett, the 7th-ranked player in the world, is preparing for the tournament.
Swiatek has been world No.1 for more than a full year. Sabalenka could dethrone Swiatek at the top of the rankings after the French Open. She will begin her campaign against Spain’s Cristina Bucsa.
The crop tops and skirts of the ball girls were changed to long shorts, but the crop tops did not change. Tournament organizer Gerard Tsobanian stated that it was "unacceptable", to deny the finalists an opportunity to speak to their fans after the match.
The Italian Open final between Rybakina, and Anhelina Kalinina had to be rescheduled because of rain. It didn't begin until 11 pm local time on Saturday. Former player Rennae Stubbs called this situation an "abomination."
Only one of the 10-night sessions scheduled in 2022 included a women's game - the second-round match between Alize Cornet vs Jelena Ostapenko. Amelie Mauresmo, the tournament director, explained that men's tennis had more "appeal," than women's tennis. Swiatek called Mauresmo’s comments "disappointing."
The talented trio of Swiatek Sabalenka and Rybakina will be competing for the title of Roland-Garros, along with Jessica Pegula Caroline Garcia Coco Gauff Ons Jabeur, none of whom has won a Grand Slam.
