![US Open: Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz will meet in an all-American semifinal in New York US Open: Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz will meet in an all-American semifinal in New York](https://cdn.abcotvs.com/dip/images/15274459_090624-wabc-us-open-tiafoe-fritz-AP-pic1-img.jpg?w=1600)
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games men’s tennis draw was revealed on Thursday, and a potential matchup between two of the Big 4 looms on the tournament horizon.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Rafael Nadal will face off against Hungary’s Marton Fuscovics, currently ranked No. 83, in Round 1.
The Spaniard, who enters the tournament unseeded, is set to play what could be his last Games. Nadal has battled injuries over the last 18 months, and last June, he underwent surgery on his left hip flexor. Since 2023, Nadal only played six tournaments ahead of his first-round match at Roland-Garros. Should Nadal successfully oust Fuscovics, he could play world No. 2 Novak Djokovic in a second-round battle.
Djokovic enters the Games as the all-time leader for men’s Grand Slam singles titles (24), but still lacks an Olympic gold medal in his expansive trophy case. The Paris Games will be Djokovic’s fifth appearance – and potentially his last. At 37, he is on the back end of his career. His best Olympic appearance was during his debut in 2008, when he won a bronze medal. Since then, the Serbian has failed to win another medal, and time to do so is dwindling. Djokovic has a lot against him entering Paris.
The No. 1 seed is set to face off against Australia’s Matthew Ebden, who received a last-minute entry into the Games after Holger Rune announced his withdrawal in the men’s singles event on Wednesday, citing an on-going wrist injury.
Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, seeded No. 2, will begin his debut Olympic campaign against Lebanon’s Hady Habib. Alcaraz, 20, enters the tournament as the world No. 3, and recently took home both the French Open and Wimbledon titles.
Reigning Olympic men’s champion Alexander Zverev will duel with Spain’s Jaume Munar in the first round. Zverev captured the gold in Tokyo after dominating Karen Khachanov in the final, 6-3, 6-1. Zverev reached the finals of this year’s French Open, where he fell to Alcarez in five sets.
Also in Zverev’s quarter of the draw is top American Taylor Fritz, seeded No. 7. Out of the American men, Fritz has proven himself the most agile on clay this year. During this year’s clay court season, Fritz became the first U.S. man to reach the quarterfinals or better of all three clay-court Masters 1000 tournaments, leading the young player to playfully dub himself, “Claylor.”
Fritz will tangle with Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik in the first round. Fritz could potentially face a determined Lorenzo Musetti in the third round, should the Italian continue his recent win streak. The pair recently faced off in a five-set quarterfinal at Wimbledon, where Musetti came out on top before falling to eventual runner-up Djokovic in straight-sets in the semifinals.
Noticeably missing from the men’s singles draw is world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, Rune, Hubert Hurkacz and two-time gold medalist Andy Murray, who announced prior to the draw that he would only compete in the men’s doubles event.