LEARNING
No.2 seed Karolina Pliskova kicks off her ninth career Roland Garros campaign against qualifier Mayar Sherif - it’ll be the pair’s first meeting. Pliskova has previously reached the semifinals here in 2017, losing in three sets to SImona Halep.
Pliskova comes into Paris after reaching the Internazionali BNL d’Italia final a week ago. It was an emphatic return to form after a slow restart in New York, where she won just one match between the Western & Southern Open and US Open. In Rome, she defeated Barbora Strycova, Anna Blinkova, No.11 seed Elise Mertens and No.12 seed Marketa Vondrousova before being forced to retire in the final against Simona Halep with a left thigh injury.
Read more: Serena shakes off Ahn to advance at French Open
Her opponent, Egyptian qualifier Mayar Sherif, has already had an emotional week after becoming the first woman from her country to feature in a Grand Slam main draw after going through qualies.
Reigning Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin meets World No.125 Liudmila Samsonova for the first time in the first round of Roland Garros. Kenin has not lost to a player outside the Top 100 since 2019 Eastbourne.
Coming into Paris, Kenin is looking to return to her winning ways after posting a Round of 16 finish at the US Open. She defeated the rising Leylah Fernandez and No.27 seed Ons Jabeur before falling to No.16 Elise Mertens in straight sets. In Rome she posted an early exit after Victoria Azarenka defeated her 6-0, 6-0 in her opening match.
Samsonova made her third Grand Slam main draw appearance a few weeks ago at the US Open, bowing out in straight sets in the first round against Tsvetana Pironkova.
Read more: Svitolina survives Gracheva to begin Paris challenge
No.8 seed Aryna Sabalenka is the third Top 10 seed in action on Tuesday, along with No.2 Pliskova and No.4 Kenin.
Sabalenka comes into the French Open with momentum after reaching the semifinals in Strasbourg before falling to eventual champion Elina Svitolina. She is looking for her second ever main draw win in Paris, and is the only Top 8 seed yet to make a Grand Slam quarterfinal.
She’ll have to get through Jessica Pegula in the opening round, a player who defeated her a few weeks ago at the Western & Southern Open en route to the quarterfinals. It was the American’s best result of the season’s restart, having qualified for the main draw and defeating Jennifer Brady, Amanda Anisimova and No.5 seed Sabalenka along the way.
Head to Head
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No.21 seed Jennifer Brady is one of the most in form players of the summer, having captured her first WTA title at the Top Seed Open in Lexington. She backed it up with a breakthrough run to the US Open semifinals - the best Grand Slam run to date - after posting victories over Angelique Kerber, Caroline Garcia and Yulia Putintseva en route.
Competing at a career-high World No.25 ranking, Brady will start her Roland Garros campaign against Clara Tauson, a Danish qualifier contesting her first Grand Slam main draw.
Read more: Muguruza survives Zidansek in Parisian epic
Former finalist Sloane Stephens will take on Vitalia Diatchenko in the first round for her ninth Roland Garros appearance. She’s looking to shake off back-to-back first-round losses at two lead-up events, falling to Garbine Muguruza in Rome and Nao Hibino in Strasbourg.
Diatchenko, from Russia, is seeking her first Grand Slam win since her third run at 2018 Wimbledon - her best result at a major.
WEATHER
Light rain is expected in the morning, and then remaining cloudy and cool throughout the day. Chance of rain 40%. High: 67F/18C, Low: 56F/13C.
TRENDING
How difficult victory @rolandgarros pic.twitter.com/4wyGvC4cHI
— Shuai Zhang (@zhangshuai121) September 28, 2020
It was a pleasure to play under the new roof on Chatrier! And with some fans too 🙏
— Petra Kvitova (@Petra_Kvitova) September 28, 2020
Feeling very grateful today @rolandgarros #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/bCOwetI2ZS
Round I ✔️ @rolandgarros pic.twitter.com/XVpFS4T9vx
— Elina Svitolina (@ElinaSvitolina) September 28, 2020
Who you gonna call? 📞
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) September 28, 2020
Find out who the players spend their time texting while at #RolandGarros... pic.twitter.com/7gbyMiAeAi
ORDER OF PLAY
Three Top 10 seeds - Karolina Pliskova, Sofia Kenin and Aryna Sabalenka - kick off their Roland Garros campaigns on Tuesday.
For the Order of Play in full, visit rolandgarros.com.
READING
Shortly after she became the first woman representing Egypt to make it to a Grand Slam main draw, Mayar Sherif switched on her phone and was met with a stream of messages - including a notification from football star Mo Salah, writes Reem Abuleil for RolandGarros.com.
Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic will seek to defend their title on the Parisian red clay as the No.2 seeds in this year's doubles draw, opening against Anna Kalinskaya and Yulia Putintseva.
Kaja Juvan claimed her first Roland Garros victory in epic style, stunning three-time Grand Slam winner Angelique Kerber in straight sets. From her love of Socrates and Descartes to her friendship with Iga Swiatek, get to know the rising Slovenian teen here.
In the 1920s, the world fell in love with Suzanne Lenglen, a vivacious French tennis champion whose style, charisma and ability are recognized in the court that bears her name at Roland Garros. From Karen Henry for wtatennis.com.
