Rafael Nadal, the 13-time French Open champion who is seeking a fifth consecutive title at Roland Garros beginning Sunday, bears an ill-fitting label in the men’s singles draw this year: the No. 3 seed.
Nadal, whose indomitability on the clay in Paris has been all but inevitable, was placed into the top half of the draw, meaning that a match against top-seeded Novak Djokovic would come in the semifinals.
Nadal will be a heavy favorite in every match he plays at Roland Garros, where he has a 100-2 record, but his path to a 14th title does include some hurdles.