PARIS — Top-seeded Novak Djokovic could meet his longtime rival Rafael Nadal in the second round of the Paris Olympic tennis tournament.
Djokovic was drawn Thursday against Australian Matthew Ebden and Nadal faces Hungaraian Marton Fucsovics, with the winners of those matches meeting in Round 2.
The 38-year-old Nadal won a record 14 of his 22 major trophies at the French Open. He won gold in singles at Beijing in 2008, and in doubles with Marc Lopez at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
«Roland Garros as everybody knows is the most special place in tennis for me. I am enjoying the fact I am back for the Olympics,» Nadal said on stage after the draw. «I am just trying to enjoy every single moment.»
French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz takes on Lebanese player Hady Habib.
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek of Poland faces Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania in the first round of the women's draw with second-seeded American Coco Gauff taking on Australian Ajla Tomljanović.
Gauff is the reigning US Open champion and is making her Olympic debut. She is a flag bearer for the U.S. team at Friday's opening ceremony along with basketball star LeBron James. She will be the first tennis athlete to carry the U.S. flag.
Djokovic and Swiatek have not won Olympic gold.
Djokovic owns 24 Grand Slam trophies, more than anyone else in tennis apart from Margaret Court, but his only Olympic medal was bronze at Beijing in 2008.
Swiatek has won the French Open four of the past five years on the same clay courts at Roland Garros.
Four-time major winner Naomi Osaka of Japan takes on three-time major champion Angelique Kerber of Germany.
Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini of Italy, who is seeded fourth, returns to the courts where she lost the French Open final to Swiatek
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Naomi Osaka
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