World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz faces major change of plans ahead of Roland Garros debut

Carlos Alcaraz is arguably the top favorite to win the title at Roland Garros. He’s currently one of the two most dominant players on the ATP Tour alongside Jannik Sinner, and unlike the Italian star, he already has successful experience at the prestigious tournament in Paris. Now, with just days to go before his campaign begins, the World No. 2 received unexpected news that could alter his preparation.

Kei Nishikori, who was set to be Alcaraz’s first-round opponent, has withdrawn from Roland Garros due to physical issues. The Japanese star retired during the second set of his Round of 16 match at the Geneva Open against Karen Khachanov this past Tuesday due to lower back pain, and he has not been able to recover sufficiently to compete in Paris.

With Nishikori out, his place will be taken by Giulio Zeppieri. The 23-year-old Italian made it into the French Open main draw through the qualifiers, where he defeated Jan Choinski, Eliot Spizzirri, and Federico Gomez—without dropping a single set in the process.

Who is Zeppieri?

Giulio Zeppieri is currently in his fifth season as a professional player, having made his debut in 2020. He has yet to win an ATP title, and his highest career ranking came in January 2024, when he reached No. 110 in the ATP Rankings. He has since dropped significantly, now sitting at No. 306.

Giulio Zeppieri will face Alcaraz at the French Open

Zeppieri’s best performances in Grand Slam tournaments have come at Roland Garros, where he reached the second round in both 2023 and 2024. He also made it to the second round once at the Australian Open last year. That history underscores the importance of this Sunday’s match for the young left-hander.

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Carlos Alcaraz has faced Zeppieri just once in his professional career. It came in the semifinals of the 2022 Umag Open, where the Spanish star claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 win. Alcaraz would go on to lose the final to Jannik Sinner in three sets.

Other last-minute replacements at Roland Garros

Kei Nishikori’s withdrawal and Giulio Zeppieri’s resulting opportunity just days ahead of the French Open isn’t the only last-minute shuffle this week. Four lucky losers will now feature in the main draw: former World No. 3 Marin Cilic will face Flavio Cobolli, Elmer Moller is set for a tough test against 12th seed Tommy Paul, Alexander Shevchenko will take on Dusan Lajovic, and Thiago Agustin Tirante will meet Damir Dzumhur.