Heading into the French Open draw ceremony, one question was on the mind of tennis observers around the world: Where would Serena Williams land?
The three-time French Open champion, unseeded after taking time off to have a child, will face Kristyna Pliskova in her first Grand Slam match in more than a year. The two have never played each other before, and while Pliskova’s accomplishments pale in comparison to her twin sister Karolina, she could still provide a stern test for the former world No. 1.
A potential matchup with Karolina Pliskova could loom for Williams, though, as she’s in the same section of the draw as the No. 6 seed—along with 2016 champion Garbine Muguruza, who’s seeded third this year. The Spaniard faces her own challenges right off the bat as she’s drawn against former French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in the first round.
Simona Halep, the player currently sitting atop the WTA rankings, will open up play at Roland Garros against American Alison Riske. A two-time finalist in Paris, Halep also finds the No. 7 seed Caroline Garcia in her quarter of the draw.
Jelena Ostapenko, who beat Halep for the title last year is seeded fifth this year—a monumental leap from her place in the draw in 2017, when she won it all as an unseeded player. She’ll kick off her repeat campaign against Kateryna Kozlova. Provided she wins, she could face another mother returning to action, Victoria Azarenka, or the young Czech Katerina Siniakova.
Ostapenko’s potential quarterfinal opponent is Elina Svitolina, the No. 4 seed. Svitolina, who had Halep on the ropes last year, is coming off her second consecutive Italian Open title, where she routed the world No. 1 in the final. The Ukrainian drew Ajla Tomljanovic in the first round.
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