Will Rafael Nadal be fit for French Open? Will Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Nick Kyrgios play Grand Slam?

The 2023 French Open is just three weeks away and there remains uncertainty over whether some of the biggest names in tennis will be playing the Grand Slam.

Defending champion Rafael Nadal is the big question mark in the men’s draw given he hasn’t played since the Australian Open.

Novak Djokovic has also battled an injury over the last month while Nick Kyrgios hasn’t played this year after undergoing surgery. On the women’s side, Emma Raducanu is set to miss out following surgery while Belinda Bencic is a doubt.

We round up the latest news on who is playing the French Open and who will be missing out…

Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal’s participation at the French Open remains unknown.

If he does play he will have a chance to win a 23rd Grand Slam title, which would move him one ahead of Djokovic in the all-time standings.

However, Nadal hasn’t played competitively since losing in the Australian Open due to injury.

That would be the first time Nadal has entered the French Open without playing any clay events beforehand.

If anyone can get around that it’s 14-time champion Nadal, but it could be a big ask.

Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic’s clay form this year has so far been underwhelming.

He will be hoping to build some momentum in Rome, where he will be defending champion.

Like Nadal, Djokovic will be aiming for a 23rd Grand Slam title in Paris.

Nick Kyrgios

Nick Kyrgios is yet to play this season after missing the Australian swing due to injury and then undergoing knee surgery.

“My girlfriend wants to know Paris, so I’m going to play at Roland-Garros 2023,” he said.

“It will be good for me to earn some more money, although I would have preferred to stay at home.”

Given his injury earlier this year Kyrgios might instead prepare for the grass season as he looks to follow up his run to the Wimbledon final last year.

Andy Murray

The former world No. 1 is a four-time semi-finalist and was runner-up in 2016 at the Grand Slam in Paris. But he has competed there just once since making the 2017 semi-finals, a first-round exit in 2020.

“I’ve not really played much there since 2017, and I don’t know how many more chances I’ll get to play there. Whilst I’m feeling good, I would love to do it again.”

Matteo Berrettini

Matteo Berrettini has had a difficult year.

He was knocked out of the Australian Open in the first round by Andy Murray and then retired in the quarter-finals of his next tournament in Mexico.

At Indian Wells and Miami he lost in the opening round before pulling out of the Monte Carlo Masters ahead of his last-16 match with Holger Rune due to an abdominal injury.

“I don’t know where to start…I was finally finding my level and getting back to where I wanted to be…this is a difficult one,” he said in Monte Carlo.

Berrettini withdraw from his home event in Rome, saying he needed “at least a week before I can start training physically again”. It is not known if he will be fit for the French Open.

Jack Draper

It’s been an up-and-down season for Jack Draper so far.

The 21-year-old made the semi-finals in Adelaide at the start of the year and also reached the last 16 at Indian Wells. But he has only played five tournaments due to injuries and hasn’t been on court since April 11.

“It’s been tough to have to withdraw from many tournaments so far this year,” he wrote on Twitter after pulling out of the Italian Open.

“I’m working hard to come back stronger and I’m looking forward to competing very soon!”

Draper will be hoping to return for a first main-draw appearance at the French Open.

Emma Raducanu

Raducanu expects to be out for a “few months” which means she will not only miss the French Open, but also Wimbledon.

Raducanu played just one match on clay this season – losing in the first round in Stuttgart to Jelena Ostapenko – and has now dropped out of the top 100 for the first time since her shock US Open win in 2021.

She made the second round on her French Open debut last year.

Venus Wiliams

However, she hasn’t played since the season-opening event in Auckland, where she lost in the second round.

The 42-year-old suffered a hamstring injury during defeat at the tournament and it is not known when she will be back.

Now ranked No. 695 in the world, Williams’ best result at the French Open was when she made the final in 2002, losing to Serena. She has lost in the first round in her last four appearances in Paris.

Belinda Bencic

Belinda Bencic made a positive start to the clay season as she was runner-up to Ons Jabeur in Charleston. However, she then pulled out of Madrid and Rome due to a hip problem.

“I have some discomfort in my hip which I struggled with during the US swing as well and need to take a little rest and recover to be back at 100% for Roland Garros,” Bencic wrote.

“I will miss both tournaments dearly but will be back in a few weeks and can’t wait to be back competing soon and continuing in great form.”

Bencic has not made it past the third round in six appearances in Paris.

Simona Halep

Former French Open champion Simona Halep looks set to miss the Grand Slam this year.

Halep, who has said that she will “fight for the truth”, is waiting for an independent tribunal hearing.

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