Title defences begin at Roland Garros

THE French Open first round continues on Monday at Roland Garros, with defending champions Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Świątek beginning their title defences, while world No 1 Jannik Sinner opens his quest for a fourth Grand Slam crown.

- 

Świątek, who lifted the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen in 2020, 2022, 2023 and last year, has been far from her best during the clay-court swing and slipped out of the world’s top three for the first time since March 2022 after falling short in Madrid and Rome.

She faces Slovakian Rebecca Sramková in her opening match.

In the pick of the first-round encounters in the women’s singles draw, four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka takes on former world number two Paula Badosa.

Osaka has never progressed beyond the third round in Paris but can draw confidence from her recent showing at the WTA 125 tournament in Saint-Malo, France, where she claimed her first title on clay.