Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek turn fans for a change as Rafael Nadal vs Alexander Zverev 1R clash steals French Open spotlight

Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and Iga Swiatek were seen among the crowd at court Philippe Chatrier for the blockbuster first-round match between Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev at the 2024 French Open. While Alcaraz and Swiatek are done with their opening matches, Djokovic is yet to kick off his campaign.

The tennis fraternity was shocked when the main draw for the Roland Garros unveiled a match between Zverev and the 14-time Roland Garros champion. While the German is the fourth seed, the Spaniard exercised his protected ranking, which rendered him unseed, leading to this exciting first-round match.

The match has grabbed the attention of many including stars of tennis such as Novak Djokovic, the Spaniard's long-time rival, Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, two players who look up to the 14-time French Open winner, and many others. The players turned fans for the epic first-round match as they were seen among the crowd at Philippe-Chatrier watching on.

Alcaraz was seen anxious watching his idol during the tiebreaker.

Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek was trying to capture the moment during the tiebreaker.

Among the crowd were also home favorites Alize Cornet, who is in her final season, and Caroline Garcia, who sat down together.

While Djokovic will kick off title defense against Pierre-Hugues Herbert, Alcaraz comfortably ousted JJ Wolf in straight sets and Swiatek also had a brilliant start as she took out Leolia Jeanjean. Cornet will play Zheng Qinwen to begin her final run in the Paris Major whereas Garcia is already through to the second round after her win against Eva Lys.

Rafael Nadal was met with a grand reception as he entered court Philippe-Chatrier for his potential last French Open match

Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal's final match at the Philippe-Chatrier was the 2022 final where he won the French Open for a record-extending 14th time. The Spaniard, a hugely loved figure in Paris, returned to the court for his first official match since then and to no one's surprise, was met with a cacophony of joy.

The presentation of the Spaniard during the warmups also led to a huge reception from the fans as they showed their love for the Spaniard. All of the years when the 14-time Roland Garros champion lifted La Coupe de Mousquetaires were listed out and as the years were listed the crowd was left in awe.

Rafael Nadal has an incredible 112-3 win-loss record coming into the 2024 French Open.