PARIS: A potentially explosive clash between Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus kicks off a new era at the French Open on Sunday where for the first time since 2004 Rafael Nadal will not grace the famous red clay.
Injured Nadal, the 14-time champion, sits out the 2023 edition of a tournament where he has lost just three of 115 matches.
In his absence, Novak Djokovic, a two-time winner, and the man responsible for two of Nadal’s three career losses in Paris, will look to edge ahead of the Spaniard with a record-setting 23rd major.
However, the road to that tantalising prospect, which faces serious threats from the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev, doesn’t start on Sunday.
Instead, the sporting fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine takes top billing on opening day.
World number two and Australian Open champion Sabalenka of Belarus takes on Ukraine’s Kostyuk first up on the showpiece Court Philippe Chatrier.
Kostyuk famously refused to shake hands with Sabalenka’s Belarusian compatriot and former world number one Victoria Azarenka at the US Open last year.
She opted instead for a cursory touch of racquets at the net.
The 39th-ranked Kostyuk, a vociferous critic of the decision to allow Russian and Belarusian players to keep competing on tour since the invasion of her country, is expected to repeat her snub of the traditional end-of-match handshake on Sunday.
“If she hates me, OK. I can’t do anything about that,” said 25-year-old Sabalenka.
“About the no shaking, I can kind of understand them. Like I imagine if they’re going to shake hands with Russians and Belarusians, then they’re gonna get so many messages from their home countries.”
“If they feel good with no shaking hands, I’m happy with that.”
Handshakes?
Sabalenka defeated Kostyuk in Dubai in February 2022, just one week before Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.
However, Kostyuk boasts a better record in Paris, making the last 16 in 2021 whereas Sabalenka had never progressed the third round.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, the fifth seed and runner-up to Djokovic in the 2021 final after squandering a two-sets lead, begins his bid for a first Grand Slam against Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic.
Tsitsipas has enjoyed a solid clay court season, finishing runner-up to Alcaraz in Barcelona and making the semi-finals in Rome last week.
Former top 40 player Vesely has plummeted to 452 in the world and has not played a match on the main ATP Tour all year.
‘Calm’ Sabalenka breezes into Australian open second round
However, the 29-year-old Czech is not to be under-estimated – he defeated Djokovic at the 2016 Monte Carlo Masters and again in Dubai last year.
He and Marat Safin are the only players to beat Djokovic multiple times with no losses.
Andrey Rublev, the seventh seed and Monte Carlo champion in April, begins against Laslo Djere of Serbia.
Rublev has made the quarter-finals in Paris on two occasions while 57th-ranked Djere has twice made the third round.
Pegula, a quarter-finalist in 2022, tackles American compatriot Danielle Collins.
Sakkari made the semi-finals in 2021 where she was defeated in a three-set epic by eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova.
Another Czech player, Karolina Muchova is her opponent on Sunday.
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