French Open 2024: Osaka and Alcaraz through on Day One

FRANCE 24 English

Visit our website: http://www.france24.com  Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English  Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/France24_en

Transcript

00:00 Which is right now Alisson, or actually it's suspended.

00:02 It's been pouring with rain over the last couple of minutes.

00:06 We thought it was going to get back underway, but they've had to recover the outside courts.

00:10 But two of those courts, the Suzanne Longley and the Philippe Chassquier

00:13 just behind me now have retractable roofs.

00:15 And so the tennis is ongoing in there.

00:17 We've just seen Carlos Alcaraz book his spots for the second round.

00:20 Not too much of an easy time for him.

00:22 Not too much of a hard time for him, rather, as he came up against JJ Wolf,

00:26 the American, who came through in the qualifiers, but it was a three set win for Carlos Alcaraz.

00:32 Looking very much in form and very happy to be back here on at the French Open.

00:36 Now, earlier on the same court, we saw Naomi Osaka,

00:39 this is the only time since we last saw her in the tour.

00:42 And she managed to get her way just getting past Bronzetti,

00:46 Italy's Bronzetti, in a three set win for her,

00:50 as she'll now be going then into the second round.

00:53 Not such a good day for the start for the French side.

00:56 France's number one, Hugo Ambert, has been ousted of the tournament early on.

01:03 Right now in the Philippe Chassquier behind us, well, it's Caroline Garcia,

01:06 the women's world's number one on the French side,

01:10 who is currently taking to play.

01:13 So let's see how it goes for her.

01:15 But for now, there's been a couple of shocks, a couple of upsets.

01:17 Just the start of what's getting underway for two weeks of tennis here at Ronald-Garros

01:21 after the qualifiers.

01:22 And there is, as you mentioned just earlier on, plenty of possibilities

01:25 that will be coming through over the next couple of weeks.

01:29 Later on tonight, we'll be seeing two veterans, Stan Wawrinka, take on Andy Murray.

01:33 Those two matches, that match coming on later tonight.

01:36 I'm glad Naomi Osaka is through to the next round.

01:39 She's one of my personal favorites.

01:41 James, it's looking especially open, particularly on the men's side this year.

01:45 Tell us more about that and maybe who we're keeping an eye on.

01:48 It is, it is.

01:51 Well, look, we've got to look at it two ways.

01:53 Two of the men who've been completely dominating the tournament in the last

01:57 in the last years are not at the peak of their form.

02:01 And of course, Rafael Nadal, he's won it 14 times.

02:03 He's getting a little bit older and it's been a struggle for him.

02:06 Of course, he won it two times ago.

02:08 But this time around, let's see what he can do.

02:11 He's got a big game coming up tomorrow.

02:14 He's coming up against Alexander Zverev, the German player.

02:17 A massive game, not one that he would have wanted to have through the draw.

02:20 But why is that happening?

02:21 Well, because he's no longer highly placed in the ATP rankings,

02:26 which means that's yes, Nadal is coming up against one of the most informed players

02:29 of the moment coming off that Rome Masters win for Zverev.

02:32 So looking tough.

02:33 We will see how it goes for Nadal tomorrow.

02:37 But of course, this is a place that he knows very well.

02:39 But anything could be possible.

02:41 It's going to be a tough match for him to come.

02:43 Novak Djokovic, the defending champion, meanwhile, hasn't been in the rest of form.

02:48 So he's been having to go and play in Geneva to try and boost his spirits

02:52 and get back to level.

02:53 He had, of course, that freak accident of the bottle, water bottle falling on his head.

02:57 There are reports of that actually causing a concussion to him,

02:59 whether that's what's been affecting his play lately.

03:02 Certainly, we haven't seen him play as he used to be or as he has been in the past seasons.

03:07 He hasn't reached a single final so far this year.

03:09 Unusual for the Serb.

03:11 Now you mentioned on the women's side, Naomi Osaka.

03:14 I have to tell you, Alison, there's a big chance that if

03:17 if Iga Svantec on the women's side makes it through to the second round,

03:21 that she will be coming up against the Japanese player.

03:24 That's going to be a very tough one.

03:25 Iga Svantec is the one favorite on the women's side.

03:28 She's dominating tennis.

03:29 She's two times champion, well, three times champion here,

03:32 but defending her title twice now.

03:34 She won the last two editions in a row and the pole is on a roll.

03:39 She's won Enclave twice this season in Rome, in Madrid,

03:43 both times against Arena Sabalenca, the second, perhaps,

03:46 favorite to come in this tournament.

03:48 But Iga Svantec, no one's stopping her so far this season.

03:51 And she's going to be trying to do exactly that here at the French Open.

Category

Transcript

Recommended