Jacob Fearnley on course for blockbuster French Open clash with Jannik Sinner

Jacob Fearnley, who is ranked 122 in the world, is one match away from a glamour match against Sinner after they were put in the same bracket of the draw on Thursday.

Should Fearnley defeat Juan Manuel Cerundolo (ranked 54) in the first round, then his likely second-round opponent is Sinner, who opens the tournament against French wildcard Clement Tabur.

Fearnley made the third round of the French Open last year, defeating former champion Stan Wawrinka in the process. He was knocked out by fellow Brit Cameron Norrie and has a substantial amount of ranking points to defend.

The Edinburgh-born 24-year-old has not been in good form recently and has only won one main ATP Tour match this year - on a hard court against Damir Dzumhur at Indian Wells. Cerundolo, who is a clay-court specialist, will be the favourite to progress.

Sinner is heavy favourite for the French Open due to defending champion Carlos Alcaraz’s absence. The Italian is bidding to complete his personal Grand Slam of major championships and is on a 29-match winning streak.

Novak Djokovic is in the other side of the draw – raising the prospect of a blockbuster final as he chases his 25th slam – and he starts against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, a big-serving Frenchman.

Second seed Alexander Zverev is in the same half as Djokovic, kicking off by taking on France’s Benjamin Bonzi.

Who the other Brits are playing at French Open?

Leading Briton and 20th seed Cameron Norrie plays Paraguayan Adolfo Daniel Vallejo, while Winchester’s Toby Samuel came through qualifying to reach his first Grand Slam main draw. The 23-year-old had the biggest ranking leap of any male player last year and has jumped 1,708 places to 159 since the start of 2025. He will be placed into the draw on Friday.

On the women’s side of the draw. Emma Raducanu steered clear of the favourites in the draw for the French Open where she faces world number 64 Solana Sierra in the first round.

The British number one was unseeded after slipping to 37 in the rankings and arrives at Roland Garros with a single clay-court match under her belt after losing in the first round at Strasbourg to Diane Parry.

Raducanu will be hoping for a return to form on the big stage and her prospects are boosted by a first-time meeting with the 21-year-old Argentinian, who fell at the first hurdle last year in her maiden appearance in the main draw.

The pair had been due to meet in the Italian Open earlier this year, only for the 2021 US Open champion to withdrawn from the tournament citing illness.

A potential meeting with 13th seed Jasmine Paolini awaits in the second round, should the Italian see off Dayana Yastremska.

Her compatriots also escaped the big-name opponents, with Francesca Jones facing Beatriz Haddad Maia, while Katie Boulter takes on teenager Akasha Urhobo.

Aryna Sabalenka, the women’s top seed, takes on Jessica Bouzas Maneiro and defending champion Coco Gauff launches her defence against fellow American Taylor Townsend.

Iga Swiatek plays Australian wildcard Emerson Jones and second seed Elena Rybakina faces Veronika Erjavec.