![Osaka 'really excited to face' Swiatek at French Open](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/images/UrduPoint-English-22.png)
Osaka 'really Excited To Face' Swiatek At French Open
Muhammad Irfan Published May 29, 2024 | 05:20 PM
![Osaka 'really excited to face' Swiatek at French Open](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/images/UrduPoint-English-22.png)
Paris, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th May, 2024) Naomi Osaka says she is "really excited" to face red-hot tournament favourite Iga Swiatek in the French Open second round on Wednesday, when men's title contenders Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are also in action.
Former world number one Osaka won a match at a Grand Slam event for the first time since the 2022 Australian Open with her opening victory over Lucia Bronzetti.
The Japanese star returned earlier this year after a 16-month hiatus from tennis to start a family.
Osaka has never got past the third round at Roland Garros, with all four of her Grand Slam titles having come on hard courts in Australia and the United States.
She said she avoided looking at the draw, but realised she could face Swiatek during her pre-tournament press conference.
"I was, like, 'Why does everyone keep asking me about this draw?'" Osaka said.
"Then I knew that I was in the top half, so I was, like, jokingly, 'Well, it's not like I'm playing Iga'. Then everyone got quiet. So I was like, 'Oh'."
Osaka will be a big underdog against Swiatek in the pair's first ever meeting on clay and only third match on any surface.
Swiatek is bidding to become only the fourth woman in the Open era to lift four Roland Garros titles and just the second -- after Serena Williams -- to complete the clay-court treble of Madrid, Rome and French Opens in the same season.
"I'm honestly really excited. I watched her a lot when I was pregnant," said Osaka of her opponent.
"And honestly, I think it's an honour to play her in the French Open, because she's won more than once here, for sure. It's a very big honour and challenge for me."
Osaka won her first meeting with a then-teenage Swiatek in Toronto in 2019, while the Pole came out on top in their other clash in the 2022 Miami Open final.
The 22-year-old Swiatek is not going to take anything for granted against Osaka, who showed flashes of her best form in Rome earlier this month, knocking out seeds Marta Kostyuk and Daria Kasatkina en route to the last 16.
"The matches that we played on hard court were always really intense and tough," said the current world number one.
"So I'm just glad that she came back and she's playing more tournaments even than before the break.
"Nowadays in the women's draw you can play Grand Slam champions early in the tournament.
"It is pretty tricky because you know these players are really experienced. They also achieved many great things. So they have a bigger kind of belief...
"So for sure it's not gonna be easy."
- Tsitsipas moves on -
Former French Open finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas reached the last 32 for the sixth straight year with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (2/7), 6-4 win over Germany's Daniel Altmaier as rain again disrupted the tournament Wednesday.
Sofia Kenin, runner-up in 2020, became the first woman through to round three after dispatching French number one Caroline Garcia 6-3, 6-3 as play on all but the main two courts was halted for two hours.
Men's second seed Sinner will have to quieten the French crowd when he faces home favourite Richard Gasquet in the night session match.
The Australian Open champion arrived at the tournament under an injury cloud after withdrawing from Madrid and skipping Rome with a hip problem.
Sinner cruised to a first-round win over Christopher Eubanks, though, and insisted he was feeling close to full fitness.
"The hip is good, I'm very happy," he said. "The general shape isn't at 100 percent yet so we're trying to build every day."
Wimbledon champion Alcaraz also missed out on Rome with a right arm injury, but was in fine form in his Roland Garros opener, dropping just four games against American lucky loser J.J. Wolf.
He will be expected to have few problems against Dutch qualifier Jesper de Jong on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
![Cricket: England v West Indies 3rd Test scoreboard](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/media/2024/07/_1/235x155/pic_1722019914.jpg)
Cricket: England v West Indies 3rd Test scoreboard
![Finance minister briefs Chinese officials on refor ..](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/media/2024/07/_1/235x155/pic_1722019922.jpg)
Finance minister briefs Chinese officials on reform agenda, engagement with IMF
![Finland says Russian vessel violated its territori ..](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/media/2024/07/_1/235x155/pic_1722019912.jpg)
Finland says Russian vessel violated its territorial waters
![Olympic opening ceremony under way on River Seine](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/media/2024/07/_1/235x155/pic_1722019266.jpg)
Olympic opening ceremony under way on River Seine
![West Indies' treble strike rocks England in third ..](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/media/2024/07/_1/235x155/pic_1722019264.jpg)
West Indies' treble strike rocks England in third Test
![Ukraine court orders detention of suspect in murde ..](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/media/2024/07/_1/235x155/pic_1722019262.jpg)
Ukraine court orders detention of suspect in murder of nationalist ex-MP
![Long queues, ticketing problems ahead of Paris ope ..](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/media/2024/07/_1/235x155/pic_1722019015.jpg)
Long queues, ticketing problems ahead of Paris opening ceremony
![Rana Sanaullah Khan joins Paris 2024 Olympics inau ..](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/media/2024/07/_1/235x155/pic_1722019638.jpg)
Rana Sanaullah Khan joins Paris 2024 Olympics inauguration reception
![Glowing tributes mark 69th birthday of President Z ..](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/media/2024/07/_1/235x155/pic_1722019637.jpg)
Glowing tributes mark 69th birthday of President Zardari at Governor's House
![Players unaware of spying scandal as Canada Olympi ..](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/media/2024/07/_1/235x155/pic_1722019635.jpg)
Players unaware of spying scandal as Canada Olympic coach sent home: official
![Naqvi hails Pak women cricketers for going down fi ..](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/media/2024/07/_1/235x155/pic_1722019013.jpg)
Naqvi hails Pak women cricketers for going down fighting against SL
!['Sabotage' on French rail network before Olympics: ..](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/media/2024/07/_1/235x155/pic_1722019634.jpg)
'Sabotage' on French rail network before Olympics: What we know
More Stories From World
-
Biden talks Gaza ceasefire efforts with king of Jordan
4 hours ago -
Sinaloa Cartel co-founder pleads not guilty after stunning US capture
4 hours ago -
Panama says Venezuela blocked ex-presidents going to observe polls
4 hours ago -
Ethiopia mourns victims of landslide tragedy
5 hours ago -
Khan Yunis fighting displaces 180,000 Gazans in four days: UN
5 hours ago -
Trump slams rivals as he meets Netanyahu in Florida
5 hours ago
-
Obama & his wife, Michelle, officially endorse US VP Kamala Harris for president
5 hours ago -
Rain, cooling slow huge blaze in Canada's Jasper park
5 hours ago -
Airbus and Boeing supremacy secure despite turbulence
5 hours ago -
S.African police detain 95 Libyans at suspected military camp
5 hours ago -
'Slapping therapist' guilty over UK diabetic woman's death
6 hours ago -
Panama says Venezuela blocked flight of ex-presidents going to observe polls
6 hours ago