The 123rd edition of the French Open tennis tournament begins at Roland-Garros on Sunday, May 26 2024, with plenty of exciting first-round match-ups to get the tournament off to a flying start. It’s the second of four grand slam events on the calendar this year, and  marks the start of a jam-packed summer of grand slam tennis, with Wimbledon and the US Open also on the horizon.

However, this year’s French Open is also set to be the final bow at Roland Garros for Rafael Nadal, who is rumoured to be making his last French Open appearance. The Spaniard has 14 titles to his name — a tournament record — won between 2005 and 2022, including an unprecedented five on the spin from 2010-2014. 

As he comes towards the end of his career, Nadal has dropped to number 276 in the world and comes into this year’s French Open with a protected ranking, as he returns from injury. The draw doesn’t sympathise though, and Nadal couldn’t have asked for a more difficult start — he’ll face Germany’s Alexander Zverev in the first round — who is seeded fourth and one of the favourites to win the title at Roland-Garros.

As Nadal navigates what will almost certainly be his final appearance on the clay courts of Roland-Garros, you can follow his progress throughout the tournament alongside The Sporting News, with that stern test against Zverev coming up this weekend.

When is Rafael Nadal vs. Alexander Zverev?

The first round of the 2024 French Open pits 14-time champion Nadal against fourth seed Zverev at Roland-Garros, making it arguably the must-see match-up of the opening stages at this year’s tournament.

Nadal is scheduled to play the world No.4 in his first-round match on Monday, May 27. The match is third on Court Philippe-Chatrier, so it is not likely that play will begin before 3 p.m. local time.

If he can cause an upset and defeat Zverev this Monday, Nadal will move into the second round, where he’ll face either Belgium’s David Goffin or French wildcard Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, who also face off on the same side of the draw.

Here’s how that expected 3 p.m. start translates for some of the world’s major regions.

Rafael Nadal vs. Alexander Zverev TV channel, live stream for French Open 2024

As the most successful player ever to grace the clay courts of Roland-Garros faces off against a tournament favourite, Nadal and Zverev’s first-round match will be one of the most anticipated clashes at this stage of the 2024 French Open, and as such there’s plenty of coverage confirmed. 

Here’s a look at the following TV channels and live streams showing the French Open in the major territories:

If the 2024 French Open is not available to watch live in your location or if you’re traveling abroad, you can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). VPNs offer a secure and private online connection, allowing you to bypass geographical restrictions to access your favourite streaming services from any device anywhere in the world.

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Rafael Nadal’s French Open record

Nadal is by far and away the most successful player in French Open history, collecting a record 14 titles over an 18-year period and being absolutely unbeatable for large stretches of that time between 2005 and 2022.

Of his 14 tournament wins, only one — the most recent in 2022 — has been a stand-alone victory, with Nadal often preferring to win four or five tournaments in a row! His maiden victory in 2005 began a four-year streak until 2008, and he went one better between 2010 and 2014, winning five in a row at Roland-Garros.

His most recent multi-year run saw the Spaniard collect another four consecutive titles between 2017 and 2020, and the 37-year-old has never been beaten in a final either: losing in the 2015 quarterfinals and 2020 semis — both to Novak Djokovic. A storied career on the clay looks set to be coming to an end this year, but it’s been one hell of a ride for the enigmatic Nadal.