Daijiworld Media Network – Paris
Paris, May 27: The competition at the French Open is set to intensify on Wednesday as defending stars Iga Swiatek and Alexander Zverev prepare for challenging second-round encounters amid soaring temperatures at Roland Garros.
Four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek will begin proceedings on Court Philippe Chatrier against rising Czech player Sara Bejlek.
The 20-year-old Bejlek, who recently claimed her maiden WTA title at the Abu Dhabi Open earlier this year, has climbed into the world’s top 40 and is expected to provide a tougher challenge than Swiatek’s opening-round opponent Emerson Jones.
Swiatek, seeded third this year, is aiming to reclaim the Roland Garros title she last won in 2024.
Men’s second seed Alexander Zverev will also face a Czech opponent as he takes on Tomas Machac in the night session on centre court.
Zverev advanced comfortably through the opening round in straight sets, but Machac arrives in strong form after winning two ATP titles and briefly entering the world’s top 20 rankings.
The German defeated Machac in their only previous meeting during the Paris Olympics two years ago.
Meanwhile, 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic will continue his pursuit of a record 25th major title when he faces French player Valentin Royer in the round of 64.
After battling past another Frenchman, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, in the opening round, Djokovic acknowledged the challenge of playing local favourites before a partisan home crowd.
“Playing a French player on centre court at Roland Garros is never easy. The crowd gets into it and you feel the pressure even more,” Djokovic said.
Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina will also return to action on Court Suzanne Lenglen, where the Kazakh world number two faces Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva for a place in the third round.
Italian Open champion Elina Svitolina, who narrowly avoided an early exit in her opening match, will next face Spanish qualifier Kaitlin Quevedo.
The Ukrainian star said she remained focused on one match at a time despite being viewed as one of the contenders for the title.
Former French Open finalist Casper Ruud, who described feeling “like a zombie” during his exhausting five-set opener in the Paris heat, will face Serbia’s Hamad Medjedovic later in the day.
Teenage talents Mirra Andreeva, Rafael Jodar and Joao Fonseca will also look to secure places in the round of 32, while 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko is scheduled to compete as well.