Defending French Open champion Rafael Nadal takes on German qualifier Yannick Maden in his quest for a 12th Roland Garros crown. Meanwhile, former French Open champion Stan Wawrinka will clash with the in-form Cristian Garin.
(2) Rafael Nadal vs. Yannick Maden
Rafael Nadal comes into Paris off one of his worst clay seasons since he won his maiden French Open title back in 2005. Of course, for just about any other player, Nadal’s results would have made for a banner spring. He posted semifinal showings in Monte-Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid and won the event in Rome. But he frequently strolls into Paris with three clay court trophies to add to his crowded collection, so winning one is rather out of the ordinary.
It should be noted that Nadal was particularly impressive in his run in Rome. The Spaniard knocked out an in-form Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals and Novak Djokovic in the finals. The Nadal who struggled in Monte-Carlo looked like a distant memory.
The world No. 2 will take on his second consecutive qualifier in Germany’s Yannick Maden. The 29-year-old is ranked 114 in the world. He’s had good results on the Challenger tour, where he’s made a couple of finals this season, but his qualifying success has been spotty. A main draw win in Paris is something of a boon for the German. That he runs into the King of Clay in his second round match is bad luck.
Cheryl pick: Nadal in 3
Ricky pick: Nadal in 3
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(24) Stan Wawrinka vs. Cristian Garin
If the draw gods were friendly to Rafael Nadal, they were downright unkind to Stan Wawrinka. The Swiss No. 2, a former French Open champion himself, drew probably the trickiest unranked player in the draw. Cristian Garin, the budding Chilean star, came from out of nowhere to make the final in Sao Paulo; he was ranked No. 92 at the time. Since that tournament in February he has won titles in Houston and Munich and he now sits at No. 37 in the world.
Wawrinka, who has slowly made his way back from surgery, hasn’t had nearly as much success on clay this season as Garin. The Swiss did make the quarters in Madrid, where he went out to Rafael Nadal, but otherwise he hasn’t made much noise on the dirt. Given Garin’s success and Wawrinka’s slight struggles, this may well be a match in which player ranking is not the best indicator of eventual outcome.
Cheryl pick: Garin in 4
Ricky pick: Wawrinka in 5
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