With plenty of upsets in the professional events and a who’s who of promising names in the junior competitions, a new generation of players is making a huge impact on the final Grand Slam of the season.
Sunday’s main draw action saw a pair of 19-year olds emerge as potential title contenders. The capitulation of women’s top seed Simona Halep at the hands of two-time European Junior Champion Iga Swiatek (POL) was quickly followed up by another seismic shock in the mens’ draw as Jannik Sinner (ITA) ended the run of US Open runner-up Alexander Zverev.
The junior events began today, with the draws crammed with players eager to repeat their Tennis Europe Junior Tour successes on the big stage. Six recent European Junior Champions are in action, including Mehdi Sadaoui (FRA), Sean Cuenin (FRA), Dalibor Svrcina (CZE), Dasha Lopatetskaya (UKR), Linda Noskova (CZE) and Kamilla Bartone (LAT).
A tough first round encounter awaits Lopatetskaya, who will take on Brenda Fruhvirtova (CZE), this year's in-form junior player who won back-to-back Super Category events in Tarbes and Stockholm early in the year before going on to claim a first ITF Junior title last month. Fruhvirtova’s older sister Linda is also through to round two, joining Oceane Babel (FRA), Tara Wurth (CRO) and fourth seed Polina Kudermetova (RUS), last year’s European 16 & Under Champion. The top seed, Australian Open Junior Champion Victoria Jimenez (AND) as well as last year’s Junior Masters Runner-Up Sebastianna Scilipoti (SUI) are in action soon.
In the boys’ singles draw, Cuenin, along with Peter Fajta (HUN) and Mario Mansilla (ESP) is already through to round two. Top seed Harold Mayot (FRA) as well as Marat Sharipov (RUS) and 2016 EJC 14&U doubles champ Arthur Cazaux (FRA) are also on the starting blocks, raring to go.
Keep up with all the latest news from Paris at www.rolandgarros.com.