The old saying goes, "Luck is when preparation meets opportunity." Novak Djokovic has not won 24 Grand Slam titles without equal parts work and good fortune.
On Thursday, French Open tournament organizers announced the men's singles draw, and Djokovic received a lucky break with his path to the final.
Djokovic enters Roland Garros 2025 as the sixth seed and has a clear path to his 25th Major title. Below is a round-by-round breakdown of Djokovic's easier-than-expected path to the final.
MEN'S draw at Roland-Garros 2025
— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) May 22, 2025
Proejcted quarter-finals
(1) Sinner vs Draper (5)
(3) Zverev vs Djokovic (6)
(4) Fritz vs Musetti (8)
(2) Alcaraz vs Ruud (7) pic.twitter.com/YOnMyLo1j6
Djokovic kicks off his campaign in Paris with a first-round matchup against Mackenzie McDonald. In the second round, Djokovic would face either a qualifier or Corentin Moutet.
Should Djokovic advance to the third round , he could face either Denis Shapovalov (Djokovic is 8-0 against Shapovalov) or Yunchaokete Bu.
A potential fourth-round matchup could come against 11-seed Daniil Medvedev, 22-seed Ugo Humbert, or wildcard Stan Wawrinka.
Alcaraz has a good draw.
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) May 22, 2025
Djokovic has a VERY good draw.
In the quarterfinals , Djokovic could face three-seed Alexander Zverev (a 2024 French Open finalist), 16-seed Grigor Dimitrov, or 29-seed Felix Auger Aliassime.
The semifinals would be the first time Djokovic is clearly the underdog in a match, with a potential meeting against top-ranked Jannik Sinner, five-seed Jack Draper, nine-seed Alex de Minaur, 14-seed Arthur Fils, or 17-seed Andrey Rublev.
Should Djokovic advance all the way to the final , he could meet two-seed Carlos Alcaraz, four-seed Taylor Fritz, seven-seed Casper Ruud, or 12-seed Tommy Paul.
-! ⏳
— Sportskeeda Tennis (@SK__Tennis) May 22, 2025
Birthday boy, Novak Djokovic, has won the French Open 3 times in his legendary career!
Can Nole defy age and make it four in Paris this year? #NovakDjokovic #RolandGarros #Tennis pic.twitter.com/O3m1yLk6pe
The main challenge for Djokovic at Roland Garros will be his physical fitness. Can the 38-year-old survive grueling five-set matches for two weeks? If so, this could be one of his last clear shots at winning a Grand Slam.
Djokovic is currently competing in the Geneva Open to prepare for Roland Garros. He is currently the ATP World No. 6 with a record of 13-7 with zero titles.
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