Auger-Aliassime, Andreescu highlight Canadians at Roland Garros
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The tennis season’s second Grand Slam is set to begin early Sunday morning at Roland Garros with five Canadians in the singles draws.
Felix Auger-Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov, and Gabriel Diallo will be in the main draw on the men’s side, while Leylah Annie Fernandez and Bianca Andreescu, who is making her season debut, will be in the women’s draw.
Auger-Aliassime is coming off one of the best tournaments of his career, as he reached his first 1000-level final at the Madrid Open. While he ultimately fell to Andrey Rublev in a tight three-set battle, Auger-Aliassime says he is ready to bring his momentum into Roland Garros.
“I’m feeling good. I’ve had some good wins in the last few weeks. My body is feeling good. The head is feeling good. All the lights are green,” Auger-Aliassime told TSN’s Mark Masters. “You have to try to stay ready, mentally composed and I think that’s the spirit I’m in.
“There were some good wins in [Madrid]. I played well throughout the tournament, obviously a big win against Casper [Ruud], who was one of the contenders to win the event so that was a big win for me. It was a good showing [in the finals] for myself losing in tight three sets against Andrey. I did take some confidence from that week. You have to take everything that comes your way in this sport and try to ride the wave when you can.”
Auger-Aliassime will face unseeded Yoshihito Nishioka in the first round on Sunday, who he also beat in the first round in Madrid. The Montreal native hopes facing a familiar opponent will help him get off to a quick start as he looks to improve on his performance at Roland Garros last season when he fell in the first round.
“I know his game well, having played him many times since we were teenagers. I’m going to have to be patient and dig deep,” said Auger-Aliassime. “I’m ready for that challenge and I think I have what it takes to get the win and get my tournament off to a good start.”
Andreescu will return to the court for the first time since sustaining a back injury at the National Bank Open last August. She will face off with Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo. The Mississauga, Ont., native won her only previous matchup with Sorribes Tormo at the 2021 Miami Open.
Andreescu reached the third round at Roland Garros in 2023 before falling to Lesia Tsurenko. The 23-year-old was originally slated to make her return last week at a 250 event in Rabat.
Shapovalov, 25, will take on France’s Luca Van Assche in the first round. Last season, the Richmond Hill, Ont., native reached the third round before he was eliminated by Carlos Alcaraz.
Fernandez is in the main draw at Roland Garros for the fifth time in her career and will take on Jessika Ponchet in the first round. The Laval, Que., native reached the second round in the singles draw in 2023.
Diallo, 22, reached his first Grand Slam main draw with a win over Switzerland's Alexander Ritschard on Thursday in the final round of men's qualifying. He will take on Japan’s Kei Nishikori in the first round.