The sport’s best players make their annual trip to the Bois de Boulogne on the outskirts of Paris as Stade Roland Garros hosts the French Open Championships, the second Grand Slam of 2014.
While reigning champions Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams will be heading both singles draws, here we take a look at the British players aiming to make an impression on the famous red clay courts.
Men’s Singles
Wimbledon champion Andy Murray will lead the British challenge in his seventh appearance at Roland Garros, after a back injury forced him to miss the championships in 2013.
The 2011 the 27 year-old became the 3rd British man to reach the semi-finals in Paris since 1963 (following Mike Sangster in 1963 and Tim Henman in 2004) before falling in three tightly fought sets to Nadal.
Murray has reached at least the last 32 at Roland Garros in his last five visits as well as at least the quarter finals of the last twelve major tournaments he has contested including at this January’s Australian Open.
The right-hander made history last summer by winning his first Wimbledon title with his 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 defeat of Novak Djokovic at SW19. The 2012 US Open and Olympic champion will be seeking his 3rd major crown in Paris.
Men’s singles qualifying draw
The trio of Dan Evans, James Ward and Dan Cox line up in the qualifying draw all eager to book a place in the main draw.
British No.2 Evans will be making his French Open debut and will draw on his success at last year’s US Open.
Evans reached the third round after qualifying in New York with impressive victories over Kei Nishikori and Bernard Tomic before a battling four set defeat against Tommy Robredo.
Evans achieved his career high ranking of 123rd in February this year after making a run
to his first ATP World Tour semi-final in Zagreb.
Ward will be appearing in the qualifying draw for a 4th time having fallen in hard fought three setters in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
The 27 year-old has achieved strong results on clay with impressive performances in Davis Cup action for Team GB against the USA and Italy this year.
British No.4 Dan Cox will be making his debut at Roland Garros having played in the qualifying event at the Australian Open for the first time this year.
The 23 year-old has won an ITF Futures title in Qatar this year and recently reached his career high ranking of 217th.
Women’s singles qualifying draw
With British No.1 Laura Robson sidelined by wrist surgery the women’s challenge in Paris will be led by Johanna Konta and Heather Watson.
British No.2 Johanna Konta made her French Open debut 12 months ago narrowly going down in the 2nd round of qualifying 7-5 in the deciding set to Galina Voskoboeva.
Konta, who turns 23 on the eve of the tournament, has previously won three ITF titles on clay.
Roland Garros holds good memories for Heather Watson as the British No.3 reached the 2nd round in both 2011 and 2012. The right-hander from Guernsey will celebrate her 22nd birthday on the first day of the tournament.
Watson successfully came through qualifying at January’s Australian Open before sweeping singles and doubles titles at the $100K ITF event in Midland, USA.
Doubles
Great Britain will be well represented in the doubles with a number of strong teams in the mix.
Dominic Inglot recently broke into the ATP doubles top 20 for the first time, and with regular partner Treat Huey has reached the quarter finals of the last two Grand Slams. The duo have reached the third round in Paris for the last two years.
Jamie Murray will again team up with Australia’s John Peers; the pairing have reached two ATP semi-finals this year in Brisbane and Casablanca.
In 2013 they scored a significant victory on clay in Houston by defeating the Bryan Brothers to lift the title while also triumphing on the dirt in Gstaad and were US Open quarter finalists.
The well-established team of Colin Fleming and Ross Hutchins will be making their first appearance together at Roland Garros after previous appearances with different partners.
Fleming and Hutchins have lifted three trophies on the ATP World Tour with Fleming reaching one clay court final with Igor Zelenay at Casablanca three years ago.
Fleming reached the US Open quarter finals last year with 2012 Wimbledon champion Jonny Marray.
Ken Skupski will be partnering New Zealand’s Michael Venus, Skupski and Venus were teammates at Louisiana State University.
Neal Skupski has teamed up with American Bradley Klahn taking on Teymuraz Gabashvili & Mikhail Kukushkin in round one.
Juniors
Katie Boulter leads the British challenge in the junior events. The 17 year-old reached the top 10 in the ITF junior rankings earlier this year and in January reached the final of the Australian Open junior doubles partnering Ivana Jorovic from Serbia.
The junior qualifying draw will see the quartet of Emily Arbuthnott, Freya Christie, Maia Lumsden and Gabriella Taylor in action.
In the junior boys’ event 18 year-old Rhett Purcell will be hoping to make it into the qualifying draw.
Wheelchair event
For a second consecutive year Britain will have two representatives in the wheelchair event in Paris with both Jordanne Whiley and Gordon Reid making it into the eight player singles draws.
Whiley became the first British woman to lift a Grand Slam title in January when she claimed the doubles crown in Melbourne alongside Japan’s Yui Kamiji.
Reid arrives in Paris ranked 3rd in singles and 4th in doubles having won four singles titles and three doubles crowns during 2014.
Before getting their campaigns underway in the French capital, Whiley and Reid will both be competing for Great Britain in the World Team Cup in the Netherlands.
Keep track of the Brits progress at Roland Garros online from Monday 19th May and follow @BritishTennis #BackTheBrits on Twitter and Official British Tennis on Facebook
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