French Open 2022: Novak Djokovic's projected path to the final

At the start of the clay season, Novak Djokovic sat way back in the pecking order of contenders at the French Open. However, the World No. 1 shook off the rust to emerge as the frontrunner to win the title.

Djokovic recently won his 1000th career match at the Italian Open and claimed the title in Rome. The Serb has arrived in Paris aiming to rewrite the record books yet again. He's seeking to complete a triple career Grand Slam as well as tie Rafael Nadal's record of 21 Majors.

Here's a look at the players Djokovic will probably have to go through to complete a successful title defense:

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Novak Djokovic's 1st-round opponent - Yoshihito Nishioka

Djokovic will begin his 2022 French Open campaign against World No. 94 Yoshihito Nishioka. The Japanese player's only wins on clay this year have come during the qualifying rounds of the BMW Open. He is unlikely to pose a threat to the World No. 1.

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Novak Djokovic's likely 2nd-round opponent - Federico Coria / Alex Molcan

Djokovic could face claycourt specialist Federico Coria in the second round. The Argentine has a 12-10 record on clay this year and despite being partial to the red dirt, he's unlikely to trouble the Serb.

Djokovic could also meet Alex Molcan, who is now being coached by Marian Vajda, his former coach. It'll be an intriguing contest, but the World No. 1 should prove too strong for the French Open debutant.

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Novak Djokovic's likely 3rd-round opponent - Jenson Brooksby

If the seedings hold, Djokovic will take on Jenson Brooksby in the third round. The American youngster is prodigiously talented, although his results on clay haven't inspired much confidence. The duo met at last year's US Open, where Brooksby took a set off the World No. 1.

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Novak Djokovic's likely 4th-round opponent - Diego Schwartzman / Grigor Dimitrov

Diego Schwartzman has had a good clay season despite suffering early losses in his last two tournaments leading up to the French Open. Djokovic leads the Argentine 6-0 in the head-to-head and has won all three of their encounters on clay.

Grigor Dimitrov is another possible fourth-round opponent for Djokovic. The Serb leads their head-to-head 9-1. Dimitrov's best result on clay this year has been a semi-final showing at the Monte-Carlo Masters. The Bulgarian, however, has never progressed beyond the fourth round at the French Open. The odds of him doing so this time around are minimal.

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Novak Djokovic's likely quarter-final opponent - Rafael Nadal

Another chapter in the epic Djokovic-Nadal rivalry could possibly be written at this year's French Open. The World No. 1 ended the Spaniard's title defense in Paris in the semifinals last year.

Nadal has lost just thrice at the French Open and two of those defeats have come against Djokovic. The Serb seems to be in much better form than his rival and will have the edge if they do meet in the quarterfinals. Much will depend on how well Nadal can manage his chronic foot injury.

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Novak Djokovic's likely semi-final opponent - Carlos Alcaraz / Alexander Zverev

The in-form Carlos Alcaraz has already defeated Djokovic once this year, in the semifinals of the Madrid Open. The duo are set for a potential clash in the semifinals of the French Open as well. The teenager has quickly become one of the leading lights on the ATP tour and is one of the favorites to win the title in Paris. Their previous encounter was a thrilling one and fans can expect more fireworks if they meet in Paris.

Alexander Zverev has done well during the clay season and made the semifinals of the French Open last year. But he tends to crumble under pressure and has never defeated a top-10 player at a Major. Djokovic would probably prefer a semi-final encounter with the German over Alcaraz.

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Novak Djokovic's likely opponent in the final - Stefanos Tsitsipas

This year's French Open final might end up being a repeat of last year's. Stefanos Tsitsipas came out of the gate swinging and raced to a two-set lead in the title clash in 2021. He was so close to winning his maiden Grand Slam title, but Djokovic staged a fightback to dash the young Greek's dreams.

The two recently met in the Italian Open final, which Djokovic won 6-0, 7-6(5). Tsitsipas has a relatively easy road to the final, but will he be able to get over the finish line if they meet again is the question.