Three to See: Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic—and Peyton Stearns—are our focuses for Friday

PRESS CONFERENCE: Carlos Alcaraz in Paris

Novak Djokovic vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

Djokovic should be happy to be back playing during the day. The fishbowl atmosphere of the night sessions in Paris tends to put him on edge, and occasionally send him over it. Will he be happy to be facing a player of Davidovich Fokina’s potential quality this early in the tournament? Djokovic is 2-1 against the Spaniard, but he lost their last meeting, on clay in Monte Carlo a year ago.

So far, Djokovic has done what everyone expected: Put his poor clay season behind him and improve his form. He hasn’t been perfect, or perfectly serene, but he hasn’t dropped a set in two matches, either. Davidovich Fokina, though, may have had the more impressive early-round wins. Twice he faced a young Frenchman—Arthur Fils and Luca Van Assche—in front of a vocal French crowd, and twice he came though without much of a hitch. ADF likes clay, has a punchy, athletic game, and is 13 years younger than Djokovic—he has a chance. He should swing freely to start; the question will be whether he can keep swinging that way if he gets a lead. Winner: Djokovic

Carlos Alcaraz vs. Denis Shapovalov

Alcaraz has mowed down most of the relevant ATP field over the last two years, but he has yet to get a crack at Shapovalov. Their first meeting will be on a major stage: a night session in Chatrier. The Spaniard and the Canadian won’t be able to match the emotions that Gael Monfils generated there on Tuesday, but they should put a show worthy of the moment. Alcaraz will produce gasps with his lightning speed and the force of his forehand, while Shapovalov will wow them with his trademark leaping one-handed backhand.

Alcaraz is the favorite, of course, and you have to bet on him to win. But it likely won’t be a smooth road to victory. In best-of-five, he often goes on a walkabout or two, and Shapovalov, if he’s confident, can hit with anyone, even Carlitos. Winner: Alcaraz

Daria Kasatkina vs. Peyton Stearns

Stearns may be the surprise of U.S. tennis at the moment. Rather than turn pro early, like most of her Top 100 peers, she took the college route, winning an NCAA title at the University of Texas. But that detour hasn’t slowed her progress much. At 21, she’s up to No. 69 in the rankings; this spring she reached finals in Bogota and at an ITF event; she has a 32-8 record in 2023; and on Wednesday she recorded a signature win over former RG champion Jelena Ostapenko.

Can Stearns record another one against the ninth-seeded Kasatkina? Both players are a bit undersized compared to most of their peers, and both, not surprisingly, like to run and rally. Stearns is surging right now, but Kasatkina has been stable this spring, winning two matches per event with regularity. Now we’ll see if she can win a third in Paris. Winner: Stearns