Day 2 - Match of the day session: a hot ticket

This year, she feels more confident on the surface and, under the guidance of Patrick Mouratoglou, she has learned how to defend on the red dirt without losing any of her natural power. Part of the learning curve was, on Mouratoglou’s advice, dropping down a level and playing the WTA 125 in Saint Malo the other week. She won, too, much to her relief.

“I think the decision [to play there] itself was kind of difficult, because in your mind, you do have a little bit of pride,” the four-time Grand Slam champion and former world No.1 said. “I'm happy with the outcome, though.”

From there, she went on to Rome and reached the fourth round. So far, so good, then.

Now, though, in Paula Badosa, she knows she has a battle on her hands. The Spaniard was out of action for six weeks with a back injury and only came back last week in Strasbourg. But as a former world No.2, she knows how to win on any surface.

Three to watch on Monday

Court Philippe-Chatrier, first match
Iga Swiatek (5) vs Rebecca Sramkova

This time last year, Iga Swiatek was the No.1 player in the world and the woman to beat on clay. By the time she lifted the trophy on Court Philippe-Chatrier, she had won 19 consecutive clay court matches, mopping up the titles in Madrid and Rome and crowning her run with Roland Garros.

Since then, she has not won another piece of silverware. Since then she has not reached another final.

It all comes down to confidence. It is not as if she has forgotten how to play or even how to win; it is just that, these days, she focuses on her mistakes and forgets to pay attention to what she does best. It all comes down to her being a perfectionist.

“I want to be more positive about what I'm doing,” she said, “and not focused too much on the mistakes a little bit and kind of just go for it, be more brave." 

On Monday she faces Rebecca Sramkova from Slovakia. On the plus side, the last time Iga faced the world No.42, she dropped a miserly two games (it was in the second round of the Australian Open this year).  And she does love playing here. 

And if she can start winning again, she will like it all the more. 

Court 8, first match
Emma Raducanu vs Wang Xinyu

Remarkably, Emma Raducanu is playing here for only the second time in her career. The 2021 US Open champion shot to stardom in the ultimate fairytale of New York – she came through three rounds of qualifying and all the way to the title without dropping a set.

She won one match here in 2022, was injured the following year and last year opted to focus on her grass court preparations rather play on clay. This year, though, she is ready for battle and while clay may not be her surface of choice, she did reach the fourth round in Rome a couple of weeks ago.

Court Simonne-Mathieu, first match
Casper Ruud (7) v Albert Ramos-Vinolas (Q)

This is Casper Ruud’s home away from home. In the past three years he has reached two finals and a semi-final at Roland-Garros and no matter what has happened on the way to Paris, he always feels happy here. His route this year took him to the winner’s podium in Madrid but a quarter-final schooling in Rome – he won just one game against Jannik Sinner.

He needed a bit of time off after that experience and now, back on the practice courts again, he did manage to get a few games from Sinner when they hit together the other day. And he is on a four-match winning streak against Albert Ramos-Vinolas, who plays Roland-Garros for the last time during his farewell year on tour.