LEARNING

Making her eighth main draw appearance at Roland Garros, Strasbourg champion Elina Svitolina is enjoying her highest-ever seeding at a Grand Slam at No.3. Her previous highest seeding was No.4 at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2017, and the Australian Open and French Open in 2018.

Svitolina has never lost in the first round of the French Open, while her opponent, Russia's Varvara Gracheva, is facing a Top 10 opponent for the first time in her career after a career-best Grand Slam showing at the US Open, where she reached the third round.

No.5 seed Kiki Bertens has scored more wins on clay than any other player over the past five years and opens her tournament against Ukrainian World No.112 Katarina Zavatska, who made her Grand Slam main draw debut last month at the US Open.

Bertens' last loss to a player ranked outside the Top 100 was to then-World No.103 Marketa Vondrousova at 2018 US Open, and Zavatska has never before faced a Top 10 player. She owns an 0-2 record against Top 20 opponents with losses to then-World No.20 Sofia Kenin in Guangzhou last fall and then-World No.17 Elena Rybakina in New York last month.

Twenty-seven days after facing off in the first round of the US Open, Americans Serena Williams and Kristie Ahn will face off in the first round on the terre battue. Ahn is making her main draw debut at Roland Garros, having previously lost in qualifying from 2016-19. Williams' record against fellow Americans at Grand Slams stands at stands at 49-14, including 5-4 at Roland Garros.

After missing last year's tournament due to injury, 2012 semifinalist and No.7 seed Petra Kvitova is back in Paris and taking on France's Oceane Dodin in the first match on Court Philippe Chatrier. Kvitova has only lost in the first round of Roland Garros once in 2010, and holds an impressive 37-9 career record in the first round of majors. 

Former champion Garbiñe Muguruza, seeded No.11, starts her tournament against Slovenia's Tamara Zidansek. The Slovenian is looking for second career win over a Top 20 opponent, having defeated then-No.13 Daria Kasatkina in the second round of the Moscow River Cup in 2018. Her career record against Top 20 stands at 1-5.

Heading into this year’s Roland Garros, France's Alizé Cornet holds the longest active streak for consecutive Grand Slam main draw appearance streak with 55 consecutive appearances to her name, and she begins her tournament against compatriot Chloe Paquet.

WEATHER

Scattered showers are in the forecast for much of the day in Paris, tapering off by late afternoon. Maximum temperature: 16C/61F.

TRENDING

ORDER OF PLAY

Four Top 10 seeds - Svitolina, Bertens, Williams and Kvitova - will kick off their French Open campaigns on Monday in Paris.

For the Order of Play in full, visit rolandgarros.com.

READING

"I'm in a position in my career where I cannot be satisfied." Serena Williams' quest for a 24th Grand Slam begins again on Monday at Roland Garros. rolandgarros.com's Chris Oddo has more about the now-39 year old's latest campaign.

Former Top 5 player Daniela Hantuchova weighs in on an intriguing French Open draw that features a plethora of fascinating first rounds, a mix of surging and sentimental favorites, and recalls some of her favorite matches and memories from her fortnights of playing in Paris in her latest column here at wtatennis.com.

Six Frenchwomen are in action on Monday looking to follow Caroline Garcia into round two. The former Top 5 player was the lone home player in action on Sunday, and rallied to beat No.17 seed Anett Kontaveit in three sets.

Simona Halep, Elise Mertens and Victoria Azarenka were among Sunday's seeded winners, while American 16-year-old Coco Gauff scored the first big upset of the fortnight over No.9 seed and 2019 semifinalist Johanna Konta.

The women's doubles draw was released in full on Sunday. Top seeds Hsieh Su-wei and Barbora Strycova sit atop the draw, while defending champions Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic are seeded No.2.