Osaka 'really excited to face' Swiatek at French Open

PARIS – Naomi Osaka says she is "really excited" to face red-hot tournament favorite Iga Swiatek in the French Open second round on Wednesday (Thursday Manila time), when men's title contenders Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are also in action.

Former World No. 1 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 realized 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 honor to play her in the French Open, because she's won more than once here, for sure. It's a very big honor 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