No.31 seed Sofia Kenin meet's France's Varvara Gracheva. Mirra Andreeva, Jack Draper and Alexander Zverev are also in action as the first round continues on Tuesday
Court Philippe-Chatrier, first match
Sofia Kenin (31) vs Varvara Gracheva
This could be a feisty encounter. Sofia Kenin, runner-up here and champion in Australia five years ago, loves a battle and even if her form comes in waves (she has good years and so-so years), she is on a bit of a roll at the moment. And whatever happens, she will always scrap and fight for every point.
After a slow start to the season, she gained some momentum by reaching the quarter-finals in Dubai (a WTA 1000) and, a month later, reaching the final on the clay of Charleston. That pushed her ranking up and earned her seeding here.
But in the 24-year-old world No. 72 Varvara Gracheva, she is taking on a local favourite. Gracheva became a French citizen in 2023 and last summer was her first time at Roland-Garros playing under the French flag. The crowd loved her for it, singing La Marseillaise with gusto when she beat Irina-Camelia Begu to reach the fourth round, her best result in Paris to date.
That crowd will be behind her again on Tuesday on Court Philippe-Chatrier, which could add more than a little spice to the business of the day.
Court Suzanne-Lenglen, first match
Mirra Andreeva (6) vs Cristina Bucsa
Oh my, is Mirra Andreeva glad to be back: Roland-Garros has nothing but happy memories for her. This time last year she reached the singles semi-finals (and lost to Jasmine Paolini) and a few weeks later she won the Olympic doubles silver medal with Diana Shnaider. It was impressive stuff given it was Andreeva’s first full season on the WTA Tour. “When I came here, my first practice was with Diana and I think our first thought was it's like we never left,” she said. “The time passed super quickly, and the memories are amazing.”
In the time that has, indeed, passed, Mirra has won back-to-back hard court WTA 1000 titles in Dubai and Indian Wells this year and reached back-to-back quarter-finals at the WTA 1000 events in Madrid and Rome. Cristina Bucsa, the world No.98, has been warned.
©Cédric Lecocq / FFTCourt Suzanne-Lenglen, fourth match
Jack Draper (5) vs Mattia Bellucci
Where have we heard this before? A natural right-hander who plays left-handed and one who has a ferocious forehand that has made him a force to be reckoned with on clay. It is a bit of a stretch to compare Jack Draper with the mighty Rafa Nadal but this year Britain’s top player has proved himself to be a real threat on the red dirt.
He broke into the world’s top 10 after winning his first Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells in March and then cracked the top five by reaching the Madrid final last month. Meanwhile, Mattia Bellucci, the world No.68, is still waiting to reach his first final on any surface.
Court Suzanne-Lenglen, second match
Alexander Zverev (3) vs Learner Tien
There is only so much that even the toughest of competitors can take. Alexander Zverev is one of the toughest out there and even after losing in the final here last year, he vowed to work harder and smarter to beat the younger men for the biggest titles (hitting the practice courts straight after every match was just one part of that routine).
But when he was well beaten in the Australian Open final by Jannik Sinner in January, he had had enough. He was not the same man again for months. Winning the title on clay in Munich helped restore his confidence somewhat but falling ill during the Hamburg tournament last week was a setback. Still, he knows what it takes to reach the final here. Now he just needs to work out how to win when he gets there.
ROLAND-GARROS
19 May - 8 June 2025
