Novak Djokovic has landed in the opposite half of Jannik Sinner for the French Open draw, but the top seed still faces a demanding route as he seeks to regain form after an injury-plagued stretch.
The three-time Roland Garros champion returns to Paris targeting a record 25th grand slam singles title. He will start against French big-server Giovanni Mpetshi-Perricard.
Djokovic is in the same half as second seed Alexander Zverev, meaning he cannot meet Sinner before the final.
The Serbian has played only two tournaments since his Australian Open semifinal loss to Sinner, followed by a defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in the final.
His last outing ended in an opening-round loss to world No. 79 Dino Prizmic at the Italian Open.
Sinner Leads the Men's Field
Jannik Sinner begins his quest for a career grand slam against French wildcard Clement Tabur, potentially facing an unfriendly crowd.
The Italian enters as the dominant force and heavy favorite due to the injury-enforced absence of reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz.
After becoming the second man and youngest ever to win every Masters 1000 title, Sinner now targets the full set of grand slams.
In the women's draw, Emma Raducanu will try to revive her season against 21-year-old Argentine Solana Sierra in the first round.
Raducanu is seeking rhythm after a two-month injury layoff from a post-viral illness, which contributed to her first-round loss to Diane Parry in Strasbourg.
Sierra, a talented young competitor, achieved a career-high ranking of No. 64 after a productive clay-court season.
The women's side remains highly open. Fourth seed Coco Gauff launches her title defense against Taylor Townsend.
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has had a poor clay-court season but remains a top contender.
The top half also features fifth seed Jessica Pegula and ninth seed Victoria Mboko.
The bottom half is equally stacked.
Recent Italian Open champion and seventh seed Elina Svitolina could face third seed Iga Swiatek, who hopes her new coaching partnership with Francisco Roig can propel her to a fifth French Open crown.
Swiatek is on course to meet 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko in the third round, an opponent who holds a 6-0 head-to-head record against her.
Second seed Elena Rybakina is chasing her second consecutive grand slam after winning Melbourne.
Based on seedings, she is projected to face eighth seed Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals.
