How to watch: 5 a.m. to noon on the Tennis Channel; streaming on the Tennis Channel app and, starting at 11 a.m., on Peacock.
The second week of the French Open begins on Sunday with some familiar favorites re-establishing themselves on home ground. But two players outside the top 200 on the men’s side, Sebastian Korda and Hugo Gaston, and six unseeded players on the women’s side will be featured on Sunday in the round of 16. Plenty of fresh faces threaten the hegemony of former champions.
Here are some matches to keep an eye on.
Because of the number of matches cycling through courts, the times for individual matchups are at best a guess and are certain to fluctuate based on the times at which earlier play is completed. All times are Eastern.
PHILIPPE CHATRIER COURT | 7 A.m.
Rafael Nadal vs. Sebastian Korda
Rafael Nadal, a 12-time French Open champion, has moved smoothly through the first three rounds at this year’s tournament. Nadal, 34, has struggled throughout his career with injuries, a byproduct of his physically taxing style. Now, refreshed, he looks as dominant as ever in his favorite tournament. The only hint of doubt comes from Nadal’s loss to Diego Schwartzman in the quarterfinal of the Italian Open a couple of weeks ago, but that doesn’t seem like enough evidence to doubt that Nadal can reach his fourth straight French Open final.
For young players, there’s almost nothing better than matching up against the greats. For Korda, that may be an understatement. He idolizes Nadal, known as the King of Clay, and even went so far as to name his cat Rafa. “From him, I have the never-give-up mentality,” Korda said. Whenever I’m on court, I try to be like him.”
When Korda and Nadal meet, it will be a tough task for the youngster to challenge the established champion. Nadal has been impressed and won’t take him lightly. “He’s playing great, he’s young, he has energy. He has a lot of ingredients to become a big star of this sport,” Nadal said, adding: “I think he has an amazing future — hopefully not yet.”
PHILIPPE CHATRIER COURT | 5 a.m.
Simona Halep vs. Iga Swiatek
On the Grand Slam stage, there are few things more nerve-racking than facing a player who knocked you out in the same tournament in the previous year. Against Amanda Anisimova in the third round, Simona Halep decided she wasn’t particularly interested in being nervous, dispatching the American, 6-1, 6-0.
Halep, the top seed, has lost only 12 games on her path to the round of 16 and appears to be the clear favorite to win this year’s French Open, hoping for a repeat of her 2018 success. With the variety of shots that Halep consistently hits, opponents have a hard time settling in and imposing themselves upon the points. When she’s in this fine a form, any opponent would be hard pressed to do anything but fall apart.
Iga Swiatek, 19, has reached her third Grand Slam round of 16, all the more impressive considering that she had foot surgery after the 2019 United States Open. Swiatek, who has a junior Wimbledon title and a Youth Olympics gold medal, has not lost a set in the first week of the tournament and upset the 15th seed, Marketa Vondrousova.
Swiatek lost to Halep in last year’s round of 16 at the French Open, 6-1, 6-0. That may be hard to block out, especially since Halep looks better this year. Swiatek will need to take confidence from how she’s played without thinking too much about Halep.
SUZANNE LENGLEN COURT | 7 A.m.
Alexander Zverev vs. Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner, at just 19, is in his first Grand Slam round of 16. More impressively, he has not lost a set, beating the No. 11 seed, David Goffin, and a pair of lower-ranked clay-court specialists in style. Sinner, from Italy, has a penchant for powerful approach shots followed by perfectly dipping drop shots, a lethal combination that places his opponents on their heels.
Alexander Zverev, fresh off a trip to the U.S. Open final, has continued to have his consistency questioned throughout the first week at the French Open. He needed five sets to push past Pierre-Hugues Herbert, who is ranked 78th, but for the most part seems to have left the disappointment of New York behind him.
Sinner and Zverev are both tall, lanky players, but aside from their strong two-handed backhands, they don’t have much in common when it comes to style of play. While Zverev will have the edge because of his experience on the bigger stages, Sinner has not been shy about beating top-caliber players in the past month, and it is unlikely that he will be intimidated by Zverev’s credentials.
PHILIPPE CHATRIER COURT | 10 a.m.
Elina Svitolina vs. Caroline Garcia
Caroline Garcia, ranked 45th, knocked out Anett Kontaveit and Elise Mertens, the 17th and 16th seeds. A heavy baseliner, Garcia has seemed to tamp down any nerves as she battled past her opposition. Garcia is trying to reach her second Grand Slam quarterfinal, matching her result at the 2017 French Open.
Elina Svitolina, the third seed, is a hard-hitting baseliner best suited for grass courts. Her low, flat shots are difficult to get behind on any surface but are slightly dampened by clay. She has not been as dominant at the French Open as her ranking would suggest, and she has lost the last three matches she played against Garcia. While both players look relatively evenly matched so far, that mental edge may play in Garcia’s favor and garner her a third upset in her fourth match this week.
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2020 French Open: What to Watch on Sunday - The New York Times
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