Iga Swiatek will begin her French Open title defence on Monday afternoon, taking on Leolia Jeanjean for a spot in round two. Should she win through as expected, she will play Naomi Osaka after the four-time slam champion came through a marathon match with Lucia Bronzetti.
It will be the third time Jeanjean plays in Paris, with the Frenchwoman earning her spot in the draw on merit this time round after two wildcards. She defeated Robin Montgomery in the final qualifying round to earn her spot, coming from a set down against the American youngster.
Swiatek’s superb all-round game has seen her maintain her spot at the top of the rankings, with Madrid and Rome titles ensuring she will remain at the top for a while to come. She still continues to work and recently discussed how she is looking to improve further on her serve – one aspect you could say she doesn’t measure up to rival Aryna Sabalenka on. “Changing the technique, I think it allowed me to serve faster,” she said. “We worked on my placement as well, so it got better for sure. I feel like I have more options when I’m serving.”
Early round matches for Swiatek are always going to be about how many games lost and whether she can be off court in under an hour. It’s an unfortunate draw for Jeanjean, who has held her own at this event in the past two years. The Frenchwoman will not have the consistency or power to threaten the World No.1 in any shape or form.
Prediction – Iga Swiatek in straight sets
