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French Open 2024 draw: Iga Swiatek vs Naomi Osaka on cards; Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina in same half
Iga Swiatek, who is gunning for a record fourth title on Parisian clay, also has reigning US Open winner Coco Gauff in the same half of the draw.
Defending champion Iga Swiatek could run into four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka in the second round of the 2024 French Open tournament which begins from May 26 onwards at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris. The Pole, who is gunning for a record fourth title on Parisian clay, also has reigning US Open winner Coco Gauff in the same half of the draw.
As per the draw announced on Thursday, Swiatek will begin her title-defending campaign against either a qualifier or a lucky loser, before possibly running into former World No. 1 Osaka, who will face Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti in the opening round.
The 22-year-old, who heads to Paris with back-to-back titles on Madrid and Rome, played against Osaka only twice, splitting hard-court matches in Toronto (2019, 7-6 (4), 6-4 to Osaka) and Miami (2022, 6-4, 6-0 to Swiatek).
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Swiatek is seeded to face former French Open winner Barbora Krejcikova, who starts against Viktorija Golubic, in the fourth round, while Danielle Collins or reigning Wimbledon winner Marketa Vondrousova could possible await in the quarters.
Two-time Australian Open champion and World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka will face Erika Andreeva in the first round, while part of the same half, fourth seed and former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina will take on Belgium’s Greet Minnen in her opener. The Kazakh is seeded to face three-time Grand Slam winner Angelique Kerber in the second round while Elina Svitolina sits in the same quarter.
According to the projected quarterfinal line-up, Swiatek could face reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova while Gauff might be up against three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur. On the other hand, Rybakina, who remains the only player to have defeated Swiatek on clay this season, at the Stuttgart Open, could take on seventh-seeded Chinese Qinwen Zheng while Sabalenka could meet eighth-seeded Greek Maria Sakkari.
