Follow Mail Sport’s live blog for the latest score and set-by-set updates as Emma Raducanu takes on Iga Swiatek in the second round of the French Open at Roland Garros.
Break! Raducanu* 1-3 Swiatek
Swiatek might be the reigning queen of Paris, but Raducanu isn’t light on support, with fans inside the admittedly sparsely populated Philippe-Chatrier calling out her name as serves her way to a 30-love lead.
But the Polish star is pushing now, and forces a ropey backhand from the Briton, 30-all. Her next attempt at a response flies off the top of the racket wildly into the stands, bringing up break point.
Raducanu gets extremely unlucky with the net cord, her final backhand striking it – and falling the wrong side of it.
Raducanu 1- 2 Swiatek*
Swiatek’s lethal forehand streaks past Raducanu on the baseline to put her ahead from the off, but the Briton is on the front foot as she looks to get on top of her opponent’s more timid second serve.
Raducanu’s forehand just kisses the tramline to draw her level at 30-30, the 22-year-old looking extremely up for the fight as things stand.
But after a gruelling rally, Swiatek just gets the batter of Raducanu cross-court on the run with a punchy backhand that bypasses her, 40-30. Swiatek can claim the hold when Raducanu hits long.
Raducanu* 1-1 Swiatek
After giving Swiatek some food for thought in the opening game, Raducanu shows her mettle on serve, dishing her opponent a whizzing ace to claim a 40-15 lead.
An attempt at a beautifully sliced backhand dropshot to snooker Swiatek just lands on the wrong side of the net, letting the defending champion in an inch but Raducanu claims the hold by forcing Swiatek into deep backhand hitting until she goes wide.
‘Come on!’ she screams, getting the blood pumping.
First set: Raducanu 0-1 Swiatek*
Swiatek elects to serve, and gets on the board after initially hitting long with an ace, 15-15.
A springy forehand winner fizzes just shy of the tramlines to put her ahead – but anything you can do, thinks Raducanu, as she moves up the court and pops a forehand past Swiatek.
Swiatek double faults, putting Raducanu ahead again, but Swiatek’s laser-point serve forces a gentle return from her opponent allowing her to pounce with a lethal backhand for deuce.
Another whippy forehand from Swiatek bypasses Raducanu for the advantage, and the Polish star oversees a relatively clean hold thereafter. We’re off to the races in Paris.
Mail Sport’s tennis correspondent Matthew Lambwell is on Philippe-Chatrier
Mark Petchey is in position for this one – in the smart shirt and trousers of his day job as a TNT Sports commentator, rather than coach’s tracksuit.
Raducanu’s coach missed her first match against Xinyu Wang because he was on air.
The players are out on Philippe-Chatrier
Raducanu heads out first in a different outfit to the cream set she was wearing against Wang Xinyu – she’s in suitably Parisian rust this time. Swiatek continues to wear her On Running Roland-Garros set, which is always redolent, to me, of a Lost Mary vape.
Swiatek wins the coin toss, and they get down to the business of the warm-up. Minutes to go until we’re underway in the French capital.
Britwatchers, look away now
Raducanu will not be spending too much time dwelling on the past – she has won none of her past four meetings with Swiatek, with their last entanglement at a Grand Slam making uncomfortable reading.
Swiatek downed the former US Open champion 6-1, 6-0 at the Australian Open earlier this year.
On the subject of improving your game
The Functional Tennis Saber is a precision training tool that helps players improve their consistency, timing, and contact point by demanding clean, focused strokes. It also works brilliantly as a warmup tool or for isolating and sharpening specific elements of your game like footwork, balance, and clean ball striking.
And the Saber has a few high-profile fans. including former British No1 Cam Norrie. Norrie enjoyed his first top 10 win since spring 2024 yesterday against Daniil Medvedev, which is quite the review…
Since Miami, Raducanu has been working with Andy Murray’s former coach – and current Tennis Channel pundit – Mark Petchey. And while the relationship is already paying dividends on the Briton’s least favourite surface, Petchey was the first to admit there’s still work for her to do.
Have a leaf through his thoughts – and where improvements have already been made – below.
Alzaraz books his spot in the third round
In the end, Alcaraz’s class tells against the tricksy Hungarian, and he despatches him with relative ease, 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
Mats Wilander asks the genial Spaniard whether he always has fun playing tennis (he certainly looks like he does):
Most of the time! I sometimes, it’s difficult to have fun on the court, I suffer – it depends on the opponent.
But most of the time I really try to enjoy being on the court. Philippe-Chatrier is a very beautiful court, so I have to enjoy and try not to think about anything else.
I want to make people happy, and that’s the way i enjoy playing tennis.
On playing on Roland-Garros’ showcourt:
I love it. I had really great things in this court, bad moments as well which I learn from, but I love playing here.
He then leads the crowd in a round of their favourite chant. A showman through and through.
Last time out for Swiatek and Raducanu
The Briton had the tougher time of it in her first-round match-up, battling through three sets against Wang Xinyu in a finely poised tie which spoke to their respective positions as world No41 and No43.
Raducanu was also forced to battle through ill-health, taking a medical timeout at the end of the first set. Although her level dipped in the second, she showed admirable grit to see out the win, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 – and her toil wasn’t without impressive moments.
Swiatek – who has received a troublesome-looking draw – had a much more routine return to her favourite court Philippe-Chatrier, beating Rebecca Sramkova 6-3, 6-3.
Good afternoon!
Hello and welcome to Mail Sport’s live coverage of Emma Raducanu’s second-round clash with French Open defending champion Iga Swiatek.
The doyenne of clay will prove a fearsome prospect for the former US Open winner, but after a promising season on clay, and playing with the freedom of a massive underdog, could Raducanu pull off the upset of the tournament?
If she does – or even, if she doesn’t – we’ll be here to cover every game, and in the mean-time, all the build-up and news from around Roland-Garros to get you in the mood.
On Court Philippe-Chatrier, the preceding match is reaching its likely crescendo, with another defending champion in Carlos Alcaraz two sets and 4-2 up in the fourth against Fabian Marozsan.