Many former champions plus a few new contenders will test their form in the first round at Roland Garros On Monday. Here are five muse-see matches to follow on the second day of the French Open.
Garbine Muguruza vs. Francesca Schiavone
Court Philippe-Chatrier will start off with this battle of French Open champions. Muguruza is of course the reigning champion, but her struggles since last year’s Roland Garros are well-documented. She will surely feel a lot of pressure to defend her points and her title, and Garbine has not played well under the weight of expectations. Muguruza’s health is also in question, having retired from multiple matches this year (most recently in Rome earlier this month). Schiavone announced in January that she will retire at the end of this year. In recent years, Schiavone has had to qualify to get into majors after falling out of the top 100. But Schiavone has seemed rejuvenated during the clay season, with a title run in Bogota and making the final in Rabat. She’ll be motivated to make an impact in her final French Open, the home of her greatest tennis triumphs. This match is definitely an upset alert.
Novak Djokovic vs. Marcel Granollers
The next match on Roland Garros’ main court will see the other defending champion return, but with a brand new coaching box. Having parted ways with his long-time team earlier this spring, Novak announced last week that Andre Agassi would join him at the French Open in a coaching role. This has been described as a tryout period for the two all-time greats, and it’s very doubtful that Agassi would commit to anything resembling a full-time coaching schedule. All eyes will be on the all-star pairing in this first round match to observe any positive impacts (physically, mentally, and emotionally) Agassi can contribute to a struggling Djokovic’s game. Granollers has made the fourth round of the French in three of the past five years, so Djokovic should be pushed but not threatened in his opening round.
Rafael Nadal vs. Benoit Paire
The nine-time Roland Garros champion will make a rare appearance on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, and is scheduled to be on court at the same time as his long-time rival, Djokovic. Nadal comes into this French Open with more momentum than recent years, having won three clay court titles and leading the year-to-date rankings. Nadal is a heavy favorite to win his tenth French Open title. But Nadal has encountered some early round scares in recent years in Paris, and he comes in off a loss to Dominic Thiem in Rome. Let’s see how he comes out of the box in his first round match on a court he has not often played on, and against a Frenchman who will have the crowd on his side.
Kristina Mladenovic vs. Jennifer Brady
The top-ranked French woman has had a great clay court season, having made the final in both Stuttgart and Madrid. In a wide-open women’s draw, many pundits have tipped her as a potential winner. But are these expectations too high for a player who has never been passed the third round at Roland Garros? Young American Jennifer Brady could be a stern first round test, coming off a run to the fourth round in Australia. I expect Mladenovic to embrace her new role as a top contender in front of her home country, and make a deep run in Paris.
Alexander Zverev vs. Fernando Verdasco
The 20-year-old Zverev is fresh off the biggest win of his career last week in Rome, defeating Djokovic for his first Masters 1,000 title. Many expect the newest member of the Top 10 to advance to the latter stages of this Roland Garros, especially considering he’s on the opposite side of the draw as Nadal, Djokovic, and Thiem. While Verdasco has never been passed the fourth round in Paris, we know he’s capable of hitting anyone off the court when he’s on. Zverev cannot afford to have a letdown after achieving career milestones just a week ago.
