Swiatek plunges into French Open action

PARIS, France (AFP) — Four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek will begin her Roland Garros campaign on Monday, with second seed Elena Rybakina following her on Court Philippe Chatrier as Gael Monfils and Stan Wawrinka hope to extend their farewells to Paris.

After her three-year reign as Roland Garros champion was brought to an end by world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka at the semifinal stage last year, Swiatek has done plenty of soul searching.

The 24-year-old Pole recently changed up her team and now makes her major debut with Rafael Nadal's former coach, Francisco Roig, in her box.

"Every year I say that every tournament is a different story, no matter if I won Rome (final WTA 1000 tournament before Roland Garros), no matter if I lost the second round," Swiatek told reporters on Friday.

"We still have time to kind of refresh, reset, and start the tournament from a totally different perspective.”

"I think I will take good experience from this year's Rome and positive feedback also after the matches... I'm in the match rhythm, which is great, comparing to last year."

Swiatek showed signs of being back to her old self at the Italian Open earlier in May, before losing in the last four to eventual winner Elina Svitolina.

The third seed will begin her quest for a seventh Grand Slam title by opening play on center court on day two of Roland Garros against 17-year-old Australian wild card Emerson Jones.

That match-up will be followed by the entry of world number two Rybakina as she seeks to win a second straight Grand Slam after triumphing at the Australian Open in January.

The 26-year-old Kazakh has been drawn against 84th-ranked Slovenian Veronika Erjavec in the first round.

Rybakina has never got beyond the last eight in the French capital, but, despite disappointing runs at the Madrid Open and in Rome, she will come into Roland Garros with confidence after winning the 500-level event on clay in Stuttgart last month.

China's Zheng Qinwen will make her return to Grand Slam action for the first time since Wimbledon last year when the former world No. 4 meets Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska.

Seventh seed Svitolina will also be in action over on Court Suzanne Lenglen when she takes on Hungary's Anna Bondar.

The Ukrainian's husband, Monfils, who will retire at the end of the season, then heads up an all-French affair in the night session as he hopes to prolong his adieu to Roland Garros.

The hugely-popular 39-year-old will play fellow wild card Hugo Gaston on center court.

Monfils won't be the only beloved figure on the men's tour to risk leaving the French Open for the very last time on Monday.

Wawrinka, the 2015 champion, will also hang up his racquet at the end of the season after a glittering 24-year career.

The 41-year-old Swiss faces Dutch lucky loser Jesper de Jong on Court Simonne Mathieu, after his original opponent, France's Arthur Fils, withdrew injured.