The draw for the 2014 French Open was released on Friday. Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams both face tough competition in their halves while Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Na Li all have a seemingly easier road to the final.
View the complete Men's singles draw HERE.
View the complete Women's singles draw HERE.
Nadal, winner of eight of the last nine French Opens, has a difficult path to his fifth straight Roland Garros title. His half is loaded with talent. The Spaniard could face heavy-hitter Dominic Thiem in the second round, No. 5 David Ferrer or Nicolas Almagro -- both of who beat Nadal on clay last month -- in the quarterfinals, and either No. 7 Andy Murray or No. 3 Stanislas Wawrinka, whom Nadal loss to at the 2014 Aussie Open, in the semifinals.
Djokovic and Federer, who are both in the same half, have an easier path to the final and are early favorites to meet each other in the semifinals. The top opponents in the Serb's quarter are No. 8 Milos Raonic, No. 9 Kei Nishikori and No. 13 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga; the top opponents in Federer's quarter are No. 6 Tomas Berdych and No. 10 John Isner.
On the women's side, Williams also has a difficult path to win her second straight French Open title. She could meet her sister, Venus, in the third round, and her quarter contains No. 7 Maria Sharapova and No. 16 Sabine Lisicki.
Williams, assuming she makes it to the semifinals, would likely face No. 3 Agnieszka Radwanska.
Li, by contrast, has an easier route to the final essentially because she isn't in Williams's half. Li could meet No. 6 Jelena Jankovic or No. 10 Sara Errani in the quarterfinals and No. 5 Petra Kvitova in the semifinals.
The 2014 French Open begins on Sunday, May 25.
View the schedule HERE.
