Roland-Garros 2023: the program, the French in contention, the anecdote and the figure of Wednesday, May 31

Who are the favourites?

World No. 5 Novak Djokovic has the honors of the third night session against Marton Fucsovics. World number one Carlos Alcaraz, also scheduled on the Philippe Chatrier should continue his rise against Japan's Taro Daniel. And Stefanos Tsitsipas, seeded <>, will seek reassurance against the Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena. To follow in the women's draw, the performance of Aryna Sabalenka, the announced rival of Iga Swiatek, opposed to her compatriot Iryna Shymanovich.

To discover

• Roland Garros Men's Singles
• Roland Garros Women's Singles

Who are the Blues on the courts?

Six Blues will be on track this Tuesday. The leader of the Blues Caroline Garcia, the hope Luca Van Assche, the number one tricolor Ugo Humbert, the boiling Corentin Moutet or the returning Lucas Pouille. After a delicate start, the 5th player in the world will try to reassure herself on the central against the Russian Anna Blinkova, recent finalist in Strasbourg. Facing another Russian Elina Avanesyan, guest Léolia Jeanjean has a great card to play to find the third round as last season. Not on the 14th, but on the Suzanne-Lenglen, Lucas Pouille dreams of continuing his great adventure. He will have to dismiss Cameron Norrie, seeded 14 who took out Benoît Paire. Corentin Moutet will aim for the feat against Andrey Rublev, outsider of the tournament. Just like Luca Van Assche against 29 seed Davidovich Fokina. And Ugo Humbert will try to take revenge on Lorenzo Sonego who beat him in the first round of Monte-Carlo, after a big fight.

Today's program

Court Philippe-Chatrier, from 11:45
Camilia Giorgi (ITA) – Jessica Pegula (USA, 3)Caroline Garcia (FRA,5) – Anna Blinkova (RUS)Carlos Alcaraz (ESP,1) –Taro Daniel (JAP)Not before 20:15
Novak Djokovic (SER, 3) – Marton Fucsovics (HON)Court Suzanne-Lenglen, from 11:00
Roberto Carballes Baena (ESP) – Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE,5)






Marketa Vondrousova (RTC) – Daria Kasatkina (RUS, 9)Iryna Shymanovich (BIE) – Aryna Sabalenka (BIE, 2)Lucas Pouille (FRA) – Cameron Norrie (GBR,14)Court Simonne-Mathieu, from 11:00
Storm Hunter (AUS) - Elina Svitolina (UKR)Stan Wawrinka (SUI) – Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS)Corentin Moutet (FRA) – Andrey Rublev (RUS,7)Léolia Jeanjean (FRA) – Elina Avanesyan (RUS)








Court n°14, from 11:00
Jelena Ostapenko (LET, 17) – Peyton Stearns (USA)Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) – Ugo Humbert (FRA)Sloan Stephens (USA) – Varvara Gracheva (RUS)Luca Van Assche (FRA) – Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP, 29)Court n°7, from 11:00
Elise Mertens (BEL, 28) – Camila Osorio (COL)





Liudmila Samsonova (RUS, 15) – Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS)Tallon Griekspoor (PBS) – Hubert Hurkacz (POL,13)Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) – Alexander Shevchenko (RUS)Court n°6, from 11:00
Fabio Fognini (ITA) – Jason Kubler (AUS)Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) – Qinwen Zheng (CHN, 8)Karen Khachanov (RUS, 11) – Radu Albot (MOL)Leylah Fernandez (CAN) – Clara Tauson (DAN)








Court n°9, from 11h00 Diego Schwartzman (ARG) – Nuno Borges (POR)Sara Errani (ITA) – Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU, 27)Court n°12, from 11h00
Mayar Sherif (EGY) – Anastasia Potapova (RUS, 24)Matteo Arnaldi (ITA) – Denis Shapovalov (CAN, 26)Court n°13, from 11h00
Sebastian Ofner (AUT) -
Sebastian Korda (USA, 24)






Karolina Muchova (RTC) – Nadia Podoroska (ARG)Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP, 19) – Juan Pablo Varillas (PER)Magdalena Frech (POL) – Kamilla Rakhimova (RUS)

The player who will be worth a look

After 38 years, Stan Wawrinka is still running. Not spared by injuries in recent years, the Lausannois defeated Albert Ramos Vinolas in five sets, his first victory in two and a half years in Grand Slam and the Australian Open 2021. If he can physically follow up against the Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis, he has the means to continue the adventure in a tournament that has often succeeded, with a coronation in 2015 and a final in 2017.

See alsoStan Wawrinka: "Roland-Garros will always remain at the top"

Stanislas Wawrinka. Federico Pestellini / PANORAMIC

The figure

28. There were 28 French men and women competing in the men's and women's draws at Roland-Garros. After the first round, there are only nine left, pending the end of the match between Gaël Monfils and Sebastian Baez.

Today's anecdote

The name given to the Parisian stadium has nothing to do with the world of the little yellow ball. Roland Garros was a French aviator who covered himself with glory by making the first air crossing of the Mediterranean on September 23, 1913. It had taken him seven hours and fifty-three minutes to complete his journey. A hero of the First World War who died in action in 1918, the native of Reunion Island was more interested in football, rugby and cycling than in tennis, which nevertheless immortalized his name with the construction of one of the most prestigious complexes in the world in 1928 when the stadium was built.

Today's phrase: "Playing like a crocodile"

The crocodile is the name given to René Lacoste who had a particular style of play on the courts. His main quality was to fight on all points at the back of the court by returning the ball. "We are talking about wait-and-see athletes, backcourt and a rather depreciative term. Crocodiles are not players destined for attack. We can also use the word limer or rat," explains Valerio Emanuele, author of the "Dictionary of tennis" (Honoré Champion Editions).