Iga Swiatek to open French Open defence against qualifier, could face Naomi Osaka in round two
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Updated 23/05/2024 at 13:23 GMT
Iga Swiatek could face Naomi Osaka in a blockbuster second round match at the French Open, if the reigning champion gets past an as yet unknown qualifier or a lucky loser in her opener. The world No. 1 is in the same half of the draw as second seed Aryna Sabalenka, who will begin against Greet Minnen. Britain's Katie Boulter has one of the toughest draws possible, against Paula Badosa.
Watch the moment tearful Swiatek defends title in thriller at Roland-Garros
Reigning champion Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka are on a collision course for the second round of the French Open, if both win their opening matches.
The world No. 1 will face an as yet unknown qualifier or lucky loser when she starts her title defence, while Osaka - who is still working her way back from maternity leave - will take on Lucia Bronzetti.
Second seed Aryna Sabalenka will begin against Erika Andreeva, with the top two in the rankings in separate halves of the draw. But the Australian Open champion is in the same half as former Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina, who begins against Belgium's Greet Minnen having enjoyed an impressive clay court season.
British no. 1 Katie Boulter has a tough opener against Paula Badosa, who is only ranked outside the top 100 because she is still coming back from a stress fracture in her back. Fellow Brit Harriet Dart also has a difficult match, against 27th seed Czech Linda Noskova.
There are some heavyweight ties in the first round, with Elina Svitolina drawn against Karolina Pliskova, who has dropped out of the world's top 50.
Coco Gauff, the US Open winner, also has a qualifier or lucky loser to face in the opening round.
The path to the final is tricky for Swiatek, who is targeting a third straight title, with former winner Barbora Krejcikova, Danielle Collins and Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova all possible opponents.
Potential quarter-finals include Sabalenka facing Maria Sakkari, Gauff taking on Ons Jabeur and Rybakina meeting Qinwen Zheng, who will play Alize Cornet in round one, with the French player retiring after the tournament.
"I love this place, so I’m always excited to come back, I feel like home," said Swiatek after the women's draw ceremony.
"It’s my first day of practice, the court seems great, I just love it here.
"I’ve been working hard to play consistently at the high level, these last results [winning titles in Rome and Madrid] are giving me confidence and I know that I can adjust to any kind of conditions in a short amount of time.
"I played against top players there, it shows the work we’re doing is really paying off. Hopefully I can continue here, but with completely different challenges."
Swiatek is hoping it will be a successful summer at Roland Garros, where she will return to represent Poland at the Paris Olympics. As the daughter of a former Olympic rower, it is a big priority for her this season.
"It’s in my mind, I know the Olympics are the most important [event] in sport overall. I love that I have a chance to compete, in Tokyo I remember how stressful it was.
"This time I’m trying to keep expectations low, use the experience I got in Tokyo and last few years, treat this tournament as any other one - even though these are the Olympics. For sure it’s going to be exciting. Winning any medal would be a dream come true."
You can watch every day of the 2024 French Open live and on-demand on discovery+.
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