French Open 2023: How to watch, what to know, betting guide before play begins Sunday

French Open 2023: How to watch, what to know, betting guide before play begins Sunday

PARIS (AP) — Play in the year’s second Grand Slam tournament is set to start at Roland Garros, and for the first time in nearly two decades, Rafael Nadal will not be competing in the French Open.

The 14-time champion had entered the clay-court major every year since making his debut there in 2005, but he is out with a hip injury and isn’t sure when he will return to the tour. With play set to start Sunday, everyone is wondering who will walk away from Paris with the men’s trophy in two weeks.

Current No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, former No. 1 Daniil Medvedev, 22-time Grand Slam champ Novak Djokovic and talented 20-year-old Holger Rune are the names most commonly mentioned as contenders for the men’s title. There are other players who consider themselves up to the task, including Stefanos Tsitsipas, the runner-up to Djokovic at the French Open in 2021 and again at the Australian Open this January.

Defending champion Iga Swiatek, who also won at Roland Garros in 2021 and at the U.S. Open last September, leads the women’s field.

GET CAUGHT UP

Here is some key reading before the year’s second Grand Slam tennis tournament:

– Nadal is not here

– Djokovic can break a tie with Nadal by winning Slam No. 23

– Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina split past four major titles

– Alcaraz, Djokovic drawn to meet in the semifinals

– Facts and figures about the French Open, including a look back at 2022

– Capsules on the top women

– Capsules on the top men

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Try your hand at the AP’s latest tennis quiz here.

WHAT’S COMING UP SUNDAY?

Among the most-anticipated matchups on Day 1 will be No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka, a 25-year-old from Belarus who won the Australian Open in January, against Marta Kostyuk, a 20-year-old from Ukraine, Kostyuk, who is ranked 39th, won her first WTA title in March at Austin, Texas, and reached the fourth round at Roland Garros in 2021. Kostyuk has been refusing to shake hands after matches with opponents from Russia or Belarus during the war in Ukraine. “If she hates me, OK. I can’t do anything about that. There is going to be people who loves me; there is going to be people who hates me,” Sabalenka said. “If she hates me, I don’t feel anything like that (toward) her.” Other matches include No. 3 Jessica Pegula vs. 2022 Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins in an all-American showdown; No. 8 Maria Sakkari vs. Karolina Muchova; No. 24 Sebastian Korda vs. Mackenzie McDonald.

WHEN DO THEY PLAY?

Play begins at 11 a.m. local time in Paris, which is 5 a.m. EDT; that’s when Sabalenka-Kostyuk will start in the main stadium. Sakkari-Muchova is second on Court Suzanne Lenglen, so might get underway at around 2 p.m. local time, which is 8 a.m. EDT. That’s also when Korda-McDonald could be starting on Court 6. Pegula-Collins is last on Court 2, so that should be much later, perhaps 6 p.m. local time, which is noon EDT.

HOW TO WATCH

-In the U.S.: Tennis Channel, NBC, Peacock.

-In France: France TV, Amazon Prime.

-Other countries listed here.

UPCOMING SINGLES SCHEDULE

-Sunday-Monday-Tuesday: First Round (Women and Men)

-Wednesday-Thursday: Second Round (Women and Men)

-Friday-Saturday: Third Round (Women and Men)

-Sunday-Monday: Fourth Round (Women and Men)

-June 6-7: Quarterfinals (Women and Men)

-June 8: Women’s Semifinals

-June 9: Men’s Semifinals

-June 10: Women’s Final

-June 11: Men’s Final

BETTING GUIDE

Defending champion Iga Swiatek is a significant moneyline favorite for the women’s championship at Roland Garros, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, listed at minus-140. Next up are Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, both at plus-650. Then comes a big drop-off: 2021 champion Barbora Krejcikova is listed at plus-2500. In the men’s bracket, top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz is a small favorite, listed at plus-155, ahead of 22-time major champion Novak Djokovic at plus-230. Holger Rune has moved up a spot to the third-best odds, at plus-850, just ahead of Daniil Medvedev at plus-900.

THE NUMBER TO KNOW

6 — Total number of Grand Slam titles won by the 127 men in the bracket at Roland Garros not named Novak Djokovic; he has 22 all by himself.

THE QUOTE TO KNOW

“When he announced that he’s going to have the last season of his career, I felt part of me is leaving with him too, if you know what I mean.” — Djokovic, speaking about Nadal.

___

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Associated Press