➡️ Monday order of play
➡️ Women’s singles draw
Then there is Rakotomanga. She made her debut on the WTA Tour last year and, from a standing start with a ranking of No.349, ended the year with the Sao Paulo title and as the No.123 (she is currently ranked No.153). Originally from Madagascar, she now trains in Toulouse and plays under the French flag. And she is fast making her mark.
Beating Anisimova, the semifinalist here in 2019 and runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open last year, would be a big ask but, then again, winning your first title in your first year is a big ask, too. And she has already done that. Looking to take the best from the best, the 20-year-old looks up to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
“Rafa, I really like his spirit and his attitude on court,” she explained. “That’s something I’ve tried to take from him. And I really like Federer’s game. I wanted my game to be clear and to have the class of Federer and the attitude of Nadal.”
And, like Rafa, Sarah loves to play on clay. The pace of the court suits her to a tee. “I have time,” she said. “That’s it. I have time to put my game into place.”
If Anisimova’s wrist is in good shape and she can wallop the ball with her usual power, the world No.6 should be in the driving seat. But if it isn’t and the clay gives Sarah that time she so loves, this could turn into a fascinating battle on Court Suzanne-Lenglen.
Court Philippe-Chatrier, first match
Iga Swiatek vs Emerson Jones
It is fair to say that Iga knows how to win here. Four titles in seven appearances (and a semifinal finish last year) tells its own story. But there is a feeling that she lost a little of her aura since those heady days between 2020 and 2024, days when she would hoover up the titles on the clay court swing and march on Paris as the all-conquering force.
These days she shows a few more human frailties – but not many. Whether 17-year-old Emerson Jones can expose any of them is unclear. The daughter of Loretta Harrop, the triathlon silver medallist at the Sydney Olympics, and Brad Jones, a former AFL footballer, she comes from a family of athletes so has the right genes. But she might not yet have the experience to take on a four-time Roland-Garros champion.
Court Simonne-Mathieu, second match
Stan Wawrinka vs Jesper De Jong
Stan the Man is another to watch while you can. Like Gael Monfils, he is playing his last year on tour and coming back to Paris, the scene of one of his three Grand Slam singles wins (the others were in Australia and the US), feels very special. And Stan, being Stan, is going to miss the pressure and the nerves that go with being here rather than anything else.
➡️ Men’s singles draw
“When you have a lot of people, big public like here in Roland-Garros, it brings in a lot of stress,” he said. “Good stress, and also stress that is difficult to manage. This is probably what I will miss most, because I know these are emotions I won’t find anywhere else.”
It was when he learned to deal with those pressures that he started to win Grand Slams and even if, at the age of 41, he knows winning one again is likely beyond him, the know-how to control his feelings could help him through the emotions of today and beyond.
Court Suzanne-Lenglen, second match
Elina Svitolina vs Anna Bondar
Elina has a lot on her mind at the moment. She arrived in Paris as the new champion of Rome, her 20th career title, and full of the confidence and motivation that that brings. But she also knew that she was coming to be with her husband, Gael Monfils, as he plays for the last time here and bids an emotional farewell to the tournament.
“I just want him to play well here,” she said. “I want to enjoy with him, you know, this last Roland-Garros journey. Yeah, just be there for him.” But she also knows that having beaten Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff to win in Rome, she is now fully in the mix of favourites to win here, too.
