PARIS will place host to a second massive tennis event in a couple of months when the Olympic Games gets underway this weekend. We took a look at some of the top players representing their countries, and who might lift the trophies.

In an article tomorrow, Rookie Me Central will take a deep dive into the draws.

MEN’S SINGLES:

Following the announcement that world number one Jannik Sinner will miss the Olympics due to tonsillitis, a familiar dace will head in as top seed. World number two and 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic will be the top ranked player at the event as he searches for his first ever Gold Medal, a rare blip on his stacked career CV.

Djokovic will face stiff competition from his biggest threat in Spaniard and world number three, Carlos Alcaraz. Thanks to Sinner withdrawing, the pair will bookend the draw and not face off until the final. However Roland Garros finalist Alexander Zverev is a huge shout too, with the German bidding to become only the second player in history to win two singles gold medals.

The only player to achieve the feat is retiring Brit Andy Murray who announced the Paris Games would be his last tournament, and unfortunately the Scot withdrew just before the draw, denying himself a chance of a third gold medal.

Though not a confirmed swan song, Spanish star Rafael Nadal also has an opportunity to equal Murray as a two-time gold medallist if he can find his best form. Nadal is the greatest ever player to set foot at Roland Garros, and the Paris Olympics will be played at the very venue where he lifted the French Open trophy 14 times.

Another couple of strong claycourters are Norwegian Casper Ruud and Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas, while two Frenchman in Ugo Humbert and the massively improved Arthur Fils are also seeded at the event. Alex de Minaur is Australia’s best chance and the fifth seed at the event.

First round matches to watch

Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Marton Fucsovics (HUN)
[14] Arthur Fils (FRA) vs. Matteo Arnaldi (ITA)
Zhizhen Zhang (CHN) vs. Tomas Machac (CZE)
[16] Nicolas Jarry (CHI) vs. Alexei Popyrin (AUS)
[11] Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) vs. Gael Monfils (FRA)
Jack Draper (GBR) vs. Kei Nishikori (JPN)
[7] Taylor Fritz (USA) vs. Alexander Bublik (KAZ)
[4] Daniil Medvedev (AIN) vs. Rinky Hijikata (AUS)
[5] Alex de Minaur (AUS) vs. Jan-Lennard Struff (GER)

Note: AIN is Individual Neutral Athletes given to athletes of Russian or Belarusian nationality.

WOMEN’S SINGLES

Most of the major players will head to Paris for the Olympic Games, with only Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka missing from the top group. World number one Iga Swiatek will attend, as will recent Grand Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini, multiple Grand Slam champion Elena Rybakina and American duo Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula.

Given clay is Swiatek’s best surface and she has won four of the past five French Open’s, the Polish top seed will be raging favourite to claim the trophy. Former world number one Naomi Osaka will also be a dangerous player to watch, with Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia an underdog.

Due to the rule that players from the same country must be placed in different quarters, the United States have benefited with all four seeded players heading to the event. Gauff and Pegula are in the bottom half of the draw, while Danielle Collins and Emma Navarro are in the top half.

Among the unseeded dark horses are Danish young gun Clara Tauson and Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska who both have terrific power and dictate against higher ranked players. Czech young gun Linda Noskova is just outside the seeding area and could be a threat to anyone she comes into contact with, as could Marta Kostyuk and Elina Svitolina.

First round matches to watch

[10] Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) vs. Camila Ostorio (COL)
Naomi Osaka (JPN) vs. Anjelique Kerber (GER)
[16] Leylah Fernandez (CAN) vs. Karolina Muchova (CZE)
[6] Qinwen Zheng (CHN) vs. Caroline Garcia (FRA)
[9] Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) vs. Sara Sorribes Tormo (ESP)
Magda Linette (POL) vs. Mirra Andreeva (AIN)
[12] Marta Kostyuk (UKR) vs. Yulia Putintseva (KAZ)
Bianca Andreescu (CAN) vs. Clara Tauson (AUT)
[2] Coco Gauff (USA) vs. Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS)