Iga Swiatek Opens French Open Campaign Against Wildcard Emerson Jones

Gaston vs Monfils

Without a clay title this year, Swiatek faces Australian wildcard Emerson Jones as she begins her French Open run on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Swiatek faces Australian wildcard Emerson Jones in her first match at Roland Garros since 2024...

The first round of the French Open continues on Monday. Top seeds in action include four-time champion Iga Swiatek, world No. 2 Elena Rybakina, and newly crowned Italian Open champion Elina Svitolina.

Meanwhile, former champion Stan Wawrinka and home favorite Gael Monfils are preparing for what could be their final matches at Roland Garros before retirement.

“Since I have been able to voice my ‌desire to retire from tennis, and it was important to me, I have been feeling well,” Monfils said.

“I feel immensely lucky to be able to say goodbye, to hit the balls with all the players, and to be able to compete on a few games with all those young players.

“I'm a competitor, which is why I try to push myself in some of the games. But I'm really enjoying myself and I feel lucky that I'm able to be on tour one last season with great players.”

The first round of the French Open continues on Monday. Top seeds in action include four-time champion Iga Swiatek, world No. 2 Elena Rybakina, and newly crowned Italian Open champion Elina Svitolina.

Meanwhile, former champion Stan Wawrinka and home favorite Gael Monfils are preparing for what could be their final matches at Roland Garros before retirement.

An exciting Monday is upon us 🙌

Check out the full order of play on https://t.co/wvNRC5UQgb.#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/Vjto0tGtFc

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 24, 2026

Gaston vs Monfils – French Duel Under the Lights

When two French players take the court for the night session on Philippe-Chatrier, the home crowd will see a matchup between a rising talent and a veteran playing his final Roland Garros.

Hugo Gaston, ranked outside the top 100, will face 39-year-old Gael Monfils, one of France’s most entertaining players of his era.

Gaston may lack a high ranking, but his creativity, drop shots, and varied style have troubled higher-ranked opponents, especially on clay.

Monfils no longer has the explosive athleticism of his prime, but his determination keeps him dangerous as he plays his farewell tour.

The veteran says he is at peace with retiring and is making the most of every moment this season without losing his competitive edge.

Swiatek Faces Early Test Against Jones in Paris Return

Former Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek returns to her most successful venue in unfamiliar territory, ranked third in the world and without a claycourt title since winning here in 2024.

The Polish player has never lost before the fourth round in Paris, but this season she reached only one clay semifinal, in Rome, and says she is approaching the tournament with a humble mindset.

Known for her focus on the mental side of competition, Swiatek’s struggles on clay have drawn heavy scrutiny, a sharp contrast to 2024 when she played freely without external pressure.

“Last year I felt like I needed to really work more in a tennis way than mental (aspects) on these tournaments, but I felt a lot of pressure, a lot. Everybody was just looking at my claycourt results and judging,” she said.

“But in 2024, every day I just enjoyed. I really didn't feel any kind of pressure from the outside. Maybe I was really focused just on myself and I was really in the zone, in my own bubble, and went for it.”

Now Swiatek knows she must be “willing to fight for every match” as she navigates what ‌she acknowledges are ever-changing challenges.

“Honestly, every year is different, no matter if you're dominating the court or not, there are different obstacles to face,” she said.

“So it's more I need to adjust to that ‌and not really the results or tennis itself.”

Swiatek opens against Australian wildcard Emerson Jones, who is making her main draw debut at Roland Garros.

FRENCH OPEN ORDER OF PLAY ON MONDAY (prefix number denotes seeding):

COURT PHILIPPE-CHATRIER (play begins at 1000 GMT)

Emerson Jones (Australia) v 3-Iga Swiatek (Poland)

Veronika Erjavec (Slovenia) v 2-Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan)

32-Ugo Humbert (France) v Adrian Mannarino (France)

Hugo Gaston (France) v Gael Monfils (France)

COURT SUZANNE LENGLEN (play begins at 0900 GMT)

22-Arthur Rinderknech (France) v Jurij Rodionov (Austria)

7-Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) v Anna Bondar (Hungary)

Tessah Rajaonah (France) v ⁠6-Amanda Anisimova (U.S.)

Daniel Merida (Spain) v 5-Ben Shelton (U.S.)

COURT SIMONNE MATHIEU (play begins ⁠at 0900 GMT)

13-Jasmine Paolini (Italy) v Dayana Yastremska (Ukraine)

Stan ‌Wawrinka (Switzerland) v Jesper De Jong (Netherlands)

15-Casper Ruud (Norway) v Roman Safiullin (Russia)

Anastasia Zakharova (Russia) v 10-Karolina Muchova (Czech Republic)