ROLAND GARROS: all you need to know

The second Grand Slam of the season will see the world's best players compete in Paris, with 22-time major champion Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Casper Ruud, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff among those in action.

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It will be the 123rd edition of the French Open and the second Grand Slam event of 2024.

WHEN: Sunday, May 26 to Sunday, June 9.

WHERE: The Stade Roland-Garros

BROADCAST DETAILS

From the first Sunday until Monday, 3 June, there will be two feeds available on SuperSport:

 - from 10:50am on SuperSport Tennis
 - from 11am on SuperSport Action
 - Grandstand will regularly feature action from Roland Garros

The quarterfinals start on Tuesday, 4 June, with times altering slightly from there, but all the main matches will be live on SuperSport Tennis.

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What are some of the main talking points ahead of the dirtiest slam?

NADAL FINAL SEASON

Nadal is a 14-time champion at Roland Garros but the Spaniard has been troubled by injuries since the start of 2023 and missed the French Open last year after undergoing hip surgery.

This is likely to be his final appearance in Paris having already indicated that 2024 is likely to be his final season before retirement.

CAN SWIATEK MAKE IT FOUR IN A ROW?

Defending women champion Iga Swiatek will take her clay form to Paris after completing a career sweep of all the European clay court events at WTA 500 level and above.

She was just the second woman, after Maria Sharapova, to achieve this feat.

MEDVEDEV DECIPHERING THE CLAY CODE

Daniil Medvedev says he feels he has found a "small edge" at Grand Slams as he looked ahead to the clay-court swing that will culminate at the French Open

Medvedev, who will be looking to better a single quarterfinal appearance to his name in Paris, also reflected on his Australian Open final loss to Sinner.

BATTLE FOR TOP SPOT

The second Grand Slam of the season sees the chance for Jannik Sinner to become the first Italian man to top the ATP world rankings.

However, both Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are battling injury issues ahead of the tournament.

For Djokovic to stay as world No 1 after the French Open he will need to at least reach the final.

If he loses before the final then Sinner will become world No 1, even if he does not play.

MUM'S THE WORD

Former world No 1 players and Grand Slam title winners Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber return to the French Open after taking time out to start families.

Osaka, 26 and a four-time major winner, has endured a bittersweet relationship with Roland Garros.

In 2021, she was fined for opting out of mandatory media commitments before withdrawing from the competition after just one match insisting she was protecting her mental health.

Osaka missed the 2023 event with pregnancy before giving birth to a baby girl in July.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Kerber also returned to the tour this year after 18 months away after having a daughter.

Ten years older than Osaka, Kerber's ranking stands at 331. She is a two-time quarterfinalist in Paris.

As the new mums return to the French Open, two other top five players, two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova and Olympic champion Belinda Bencic sit out the 2024 edition as they are both on maternity leave.

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