French Open 2024: Osaka and Alcaraz through on Day One
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00:00 Which is right now Alisson, or actually it's suspended.
00:02 It's been pouring with rain over the last couple of minutes.
00:06 We thought it was going to get back underway, but they've had to recover the outside courts.
00:10 But two of those courts, the Suzanne Longley and the Philippe Chassquier
00:13 just behind me now have retractable roofs.
00:15 And so the tennis is ongoing in there.
00:17 We've just seen Carlos Alcaraz book his spots for the second round.
00:20 Not too much of an easy time for him.
00:22 Not too much of a hard time for him, rather, as he came up against JJ Wolf,
00:26 the American, who came through in the qualifiers, but it was a three set win for Carlos Alcaraz.
00:32 Looking very much in form and very happy to be back here on at the French Open.
00:36 Now, earlier on the same court, we saw Naomi Osaka,
00:39 this is the only time since we last saw her in the tour.
00:42 And she managed to get her way just getting past Bronzetti,
00:46 Italy's Bronzetti, in a three set win for her,
00:50 as she'll now be going then into the second round.
00:53 Not such a good day for the start for the French side.
00:56 France's number one, Hugo Ambert, has been ousted of the tournament early on.
01:03 Right now in the Philippe Chassquier behind us, well, it's Caroline Garcia,
01:06 the women's world's number one on the French side,
01:10 who is currently taking to play.
01:13 So let's see how it goes for her.
01:15 But for now, there's been a couple of shocks, a couple of upsets.
01:17 Just the start of what's getting underway for two weeks of tennis here at Ronald-Garros
01:21 after the qualifiers.
01:22 And there is, as you mentioned just earlier on, plenty of possibilities
01:25 that will be coming through over the next couple of weeks.
01:29 Later on tonight, we'll be seeing two veterans, Stan Wawrinka, take on Andy Murray.
01:33 Those two matches, that match coming on later tonight.
01:36 I'm glad Naomi Osaka is through to the next round.
01:39 She's one of my personal favorites.
01:41 James, it's looking especially open, particularly on the men's side this year.
01:45 Tell us more about that and maybe who we're keeping an eye on.
01:48 It is, it is.
01:51 Well, look, we've got to look at it two ways.
01:53 Two of the men who've been completely dominating the tournament in the last
01:57 in the last years are not at the peak of their form.
02:01 And of course, Rafael Nadal, he's won it 14 times.
02:03 He's getting a little bit older and it's been a struggle for him.
02:06 Of course, he won it two times ago.
02:08 But this time around, let's see what he can do.
02:11 He's got a big game coming up tomorrow.
02:14 He's coming up against Alexander Zverev, the German player.
02:17 A massive game, not one that he would have wanted to have through the draw.
02:20 But why is that happening?
02:21 Well, because he's no longer highly placed in the ATP rankings,
02:26 which means that's yes, Nadal is coming up against one of the most informed players
02:29 of the moment coming off that Rome Masters win for Zverev.
02:32 So looking tough.
02:33 We will see how it goes for Nadal tomorrow.
02:37 But of course, this is a place that he knows very well.
02:39 But anything could be possible.
02:41 It's going to be a tough match for him to come.
02:43 Novak Djokovic, the defending champion, meanwhile, hasn't been in the rest of form.
02:48 So he's been having to go and play in Geneva to try and boost his spirits
02:52 and get back to level.
02:53 He had, of course, that freak accident of the bottle, water bottle falling on his head.
02:57 There are reports of that actually causing a concussion to him,
02:59 whether that's what's been affecting his play lately.
03:02 Certainly, we haven't seen him play as he used to be or as he has been in the past seasons.
03:07 He hasn't reached a single final so far this year.
03:09 Unusual for the Serb.
03:11 Now you mentioned on the women's side, Naomi Osaka.
03:14 I have to tell you, Alison, there's a big chance that if
03:17 if Iga Svantec on the women's side makes it through to the second round,
03:21 that she will be coming up against the Japanese player.
03:24 That's going to be a very tough one.
03:25 Iga Svantec is the one favorite on the women's side.
03:28 She's dominating tennis.
03:29 She's two times champion, well, three times champion here,
03:32 but defending her title twice now.
03:34 She won the last two editions in a row and the pole is on a roll.
03:39 She's won Enclave twice this season in Rome, in Madrid,
03:43 both times against Arena Sabalenca, the second, perhaps,
03:46 favorite to come in this tournament.
03:48 But Iga Svantec, no one's stopping her so far this season.
03:51 And she's going to be trying to do exactly that here at the French Open.