6 players who will make their French Open 4R debut this year ft. Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud
The French Open is down to its last 16 players, with most of the top seeds safely negotiating their passage into the second week of the tournament. Five of them have done so without dropping a set.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic and 13-time winner Rafael Nadal are through to the French Open fourth round for the 16th and 17th time, respectively. However, six players have reached this stage of the claycourt Major for the very first time.
Djokovic v Schwartzman 
Zverev v Zapata Miralles 
Ruud v Hurkacz 
Rune v Tsitsipas 
Men’s final 1️⃣6️⃣
🇷🇸 Djokovic v Schwartzman 🇦🇷
🇨🇦 Auger-Aliassime v Nadal 🇪🇸
🇩🇪 Zverev v Zapata Miralles 🇪🇸
Khachanov v Alcaraz 🇪🇸
🇳🇴 Ruud v Hurkacz 🇵🇱
🇩🇰 Rune v Tsitsipas 🇬🇷
Rublev v Sinner 🇮🇹
🇭🇷 Cilic v Medvedev
#RolandGarros
On that note, here's a look at the six players who'll make their Roland Garros fourth-round debut this year:
#1 Bernabe Zapata Miralles
Bernabe Zapata Miralles has had a fairy-tale run at Roland Garros this year. The qualifier wasn't expected to be in Paris come Saturday, but he's still in the French capital as one of the last 16 men standing.
The World No. 131 opened his campaign with a tough four-set victory over Quentyn Halys, a contest that featured three tie-breaks. Zapata Miralles followed that up by toppling 13th seed Taylor Fritz in the second round.
He continued his golden run against another American, John Isner, recovering from squandering a match point in the fourth set - to prevail in five.
A day he’ll never forget 🥹
Qualifier Bernabe Zapata Miralles shocks No.23 seed John Isner 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-3 to reach first Slam final 16
#RolandGarros https://t.co/EqCnUyKnKo
In the process, Zapata Miralles became the first Spanish qualifier in over 40 years to reach the Roland Garros fourth round.
The Spaniard will take on Alexander Zverev for a place in the quarterfinals.
#2 Holger Rune
Holger Rune is also having a Roland Garros campaign to remember. The former junior champion marked his main-draw debut with a straight-sets defeat of Rome quarterfinalist Denis Shapovalov.
As if to show that was no flash in the pan, the 19-year-old followed up that performance with another straight-sets win, this time over Henri Laaksonen. Rune then ended the run of home hope Hugo Gaston - also in straight sets - to storm into the last 16.
Remember the name!
Holger Rune makes his way into the 4th round and will face 2021 runner up, Stefanos Tsitsipas. 🇩🇰🤜🤛🇬🇷
#RolandGarros https://t.co/iR4HWjkVz7
The Danish teenager will next take on last year's finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas as he seeks to reach his first Major quarterfinal.
#3 Hubert Hurkacz
Hubert Hurkacz, much like Zapata Miralles and Rune, has operated under the radar this week at Roland Garros.
The Pole, who won just one of his four matches at the tournament coming in, has reeled off three impressive straight-set wins to move into the fourth round. Hurkacz saw off Giulio Zeppieri, Marco Cecchinato and David Goffin without being extended to a tie-break.
Every ball counts 🎾
@rolandgarros #RolandGarros https://t.co/Wxv2Gc6lpL
The 25-year-old will next take on Casper Ruud for a place in the quarterfinals.
#4 Casper Ruud
Casper Ruud has lived up to his billing as one of the dark horses at the tournament.
Coming into Roland Garros this year with 24 wins on the season and claycourt titles in Buenos Aires and Geneva, Ruud hasn't been at his fluent best. He was taken to four sets in his tournament opener against the now-retired Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
After a straight-sets win over Emil Ruusuvuori, Ruud faced an almighty fright against Lorenzo Sonego. Finding himself two sets to one down after taking the opener, the 23-year-old fought back to make his second-week debut at Roland Garros.
The love affair with Paris continues 🧡
@CasperRuud98 survives Lorenzo Sonego 6-2, 6-7(3), 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 to reach the last 16 for the first time.
#RolandGarros https://t.co/cxPDLkoNs3
Ruud will take on another first-time French Open fourth-round debutant, Hubert Hurkacz, for a place in the last eight.
#5 Felix Auger-Aliassime
Felix Auger-Aliassime is another player who has notched up his first wins at Roland Garros this year.
The 21-year-old Canadian, who lost in the first round in the last two years, finally opened his account at the claycourt Major in 2022. Seeded ninth at the tournament, Auger-Aliassime looked set for more first-round heartbreak when he found himself trailing by two sets against Juan Pablo Varillas.
However, the Canadian registered his first comeback from two sets down before beating Camilo Ugo Carabelli and Filip Krajinovic to reach the fourth round.
@felixtennis Félix Auger-Aliassime sort le grand jeu et passe Krajinovic en 3 sets, 7/6(3), 7/6(2), 7/5.
Il se qualifie pour la première fois de sa carrière en huitièmes de finale à Paris !
Bravo Félix !
#RolandGarros https://t.co/h1dscAyUCu
Auger-Aliassime will take on 13-time champion Rafael Nadal as he seeks to reach his first quarterfinal in Paris at the Spaniard's expense.
#6 Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos 'Carlitos' Alcaraz has been on a tear this season, winning a tour-leading four titles coming into Roland Garros. This has seen the World No. 6 being touted as one of the contenders for the title in Paris this fortnight.
Coming off a triumph in Madrid two weeks ago, the teenager wasted no time dispatching Juan Ignacio Londero in his tournament opener. However, Alcaraz was taken to the brink by compatriot Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the next round.
The 19-year-old had to save a match point in the fourth set before sealing victory in five. In his next match, Carlitos showed why he's a pre-tournament favourite, beating Sebastian Korda in straight sets to reach his first fourth round at Roland Garros.
6 players in 4R @rolandgarros for the first time:
[6] @alcarazcarlos03
[8] @CasperRuud98
[9] @felixtennis
[12] @HubertHurkacz
@holgerrune2003 +
[Q] @bernabezapata1 +
+ Best #GrandSlam result
Perched in the same half of the draw as Nadal and Djokovic, Alcaraz could meet either player in the semifinals. But before that, he'll have to get past Russia's Karen Khachanov for a place in the last eight.