French Open 2013 Draw: Breaking Down Best Possible Matchups in Grand Slam Action

The draw for the 2013 French Open won't be announced until Friday, May 24, but there are a few compelling potential matchups that would titillate the masses at Roland Garros. 

The two-week Grand Slam event is one of the most prestigious tournaments of the year. Maria Sharapova and Rafael Nadal took the titles for the men's and women's side last year, and both will be competing in this year's tourney.

Known for its slippery, unpredictable red clay, the French Open at Roland Garros will test every competitor to the limit. 

These upcoming potential matchups would be the incredibly compelling. Tennis fans around the world will flock to their television sets to see these players go head to head in the latter stages of the tournament. 

Rafael Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic

It will be a crying shame if these two men are put together in the same half of the draw. They are the two top men's tennis players in the world, and it would be fitting if they faced off in the men's final.

Even if they are both in the top half of the draw, the inevitable matchup between these two tennis titans would be must-see TV. 

Nadal has a slight edge in career head-to-head battles over Djokovic, having won 19 of 34 total matches.

That said, Djokovic handed Nadal one of only two lost matches in 2013 earlier this year at Monte Carlo, beating him 6-2, 7-6 (1) in the final. 

Nadal beat Djokovic in last year's French Open final, winning in four sets to claim his record seventh title at Roland Garros. 

These two incredible players must have a chance to go mano-a-mano in center court at Roland Garros this year. It's a matchup too good to resist. 

Victoria Azarenka vs. Maria Sharapova

The way Serena Williams is playing right now, it seems like a given that she'll come out of the top half of the draw to play in the final. She's unbelievably dominant.

On the other half of the draw, however, it would be really fun to see Sharapova and Azarenka hit the court at some point.

These two women match up incredibly well against one another. Azarenka has a slight edge in their head-to-head matchups, having won seven of 12 in her career against Sharapova. 

Both women are aggressive, right-handed players who do better on fast surfaces, but both are getting more adept at managing their games on clay surfaces. 

Sharapova won her first French Open last year. Should she meet up with Azarenka on her quest for title No. 2, it'll take every bit of skill and luck to come away with the victory. 

Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal

Should Nadal face Djokovic in the men's final, then he'll likely need to deal with Federer at some point on the bottom half of the draw. 

That would be such a shame...

No doubt Federer wants a bit of payback after Nadal wiped the court with him at the Rome Masters, and it's always fun to watch them go after one another on the court.

Even though Nadal has the clear edge in career head-to-head matchups with FedEx (20-10), the personal battle between these two giants of tennis has been fairly even the past handful of matches.

Federer has won two of the last five, with Nadal claiming three. 

The likelihood of Federer beating Nadal right now on clay, however, is mighty slim.

But that's why this potential matchup would be so much fun to watch. If Federer were to turn the tables on Nadal and win it would be the most compelling story possible on the men's side of the draw.

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