By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, May 25, 2023
The current Roland Garros champion Every Christmas all smiling joined tournament director Amelie Mauresmo on stage for today’s draw ceremony.
The world No. 1 will need his game to cope with the challenging draw and return to his third French Open final.
The 2023 Roland Garros draw was held this afternoon at Auteuil Greenhouse, not far from the striking Simonne-Mathieu Garden Court.
Stuttgart champion Świątek must be vigilant from the very beginning for the June bloom to come to Paris.
The @Roland Garros Top Half Ladies Draw: pic.twitter.com/iNWk7DiJf3
— TennisNow (@Tennis_Now) May 25, 2023
The @Roland Garros Women’s lower half: pic.twitter.com/wfaq5Jlduo
— TennisNow (@Tennis_Now) May 25, 2023
A year ago, the bright Swiatek defeated 18-year-old Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-3 and won La Coupe Suzanne Lenglen for the second time in the last three years – and extended her winning streak to 35 matches.
Returning to Paris, Świątek opens for Spanish Cristina Bucsa before things get quite intriguing.
Świątek can face the French Open 2021 champion in singles and doubles Barbara Krejcikova in the fourth round, followed by a potential rematch with Gauff in the quarter-finals ahead of what could be a smashing semi-final clash with the Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina in the semi-final.
All this just to get to the Madrid of the conqueror and the world of Swiatek NO. 2 Aryna Sabalenka In finale.
The three reigning Grand Slam champions – Świątek, Sabalenka and Rybakina – are widely regarded as the three favorites of the French Open.
Although clay is not the favorite surface of Wimbledon winner Rybakina, if given another chance on Christmas Day in Paris, the heavy hitter would have the confidence that comes from beating the three-time Grand Slam champion three times this season.
Number 1 in the world Iga Świątek’s potential road to third place @Roland Garros final (if seeds are real):
R1: Sleeve
R2: Liu/qualifier
R3: (31) Buzkov
R4: (13) Krejcikow
QF: (6) Gauf
SF: (4) Rybakina
F: (2) Sabalenka pic.twitter.com/KwvwpWpOnf— TennisNow (@Tennis_Now) May 25, 2023
Swiatek has a record of 28-6 this year. Three of her six losses came to Rybakina, who defeated the Polish on hard courts in the fourth round of the Australian Open and the semi-finals of Indian Wells, then defeated her on the red clay of Rome when the top seed withdrew due to a leg problem in the third set.
Using her all-round acumen, Krejcikova defeated Swiatek in the final in Dubai in February, her second consecutive win over the world No. 1.
World 2. Aryna Sabalenka is chasing Świątek for the first place in the ranking.
Australian Open champion Sabalenka will face her own challenging path.
Belarusian Sabalenka starts with bad blood opener vs Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk.
If the seeds hold, Sabalenka could face the former No.1 Carolina Pliskowa in the fourth round and a French fan favorite and familiar nemesis Carolina Garcia in the quarterfinals. Garcia defeated Sabalenka three times in a row, including 7-6(4), 6-4 in the WTA Finals Championship match last fall.
World No. 2 Potential road to Aryna Sabalenka @Roland Garros final (if seeds are real):
R1: Kostyuk
R2: Udvardy/Qualifier
R3: (29) Zhang
R4: (16) Plisko
QF: (5) Garcia
SF: (3) Pegula
F: (1) Swiatek pic.twitter.com/DaTGFy7fJi— TennisNow (@Tennis_Now) May 25, 2023
Four lucky losers advance to Roland Garros women’s 128-player main event after withdrawal Paul Bados, Jennifer Brady, Patricia Maria Tyg AND Ajla Tomljanovic.
Image credit: Getty
