French Open 2023: Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff finally get started on Day 3 at Roland Garros

PARIS (AP) — finally gets her title defense started on Day 3 of the clay-court tournament.

Swiatek is seeking her third championship at Roland Garros and fourth Grand Slam trophy overall. She also hopes to hold onto the No. 1 ranking that has been hers since April 2022.

Depending on how both women do over the next two weeks in Paris, current No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka could overtake Swiatek atop the WTA.

Swiatek will play the last match of the day session in Court Philippe Chatrier on Tuesday against Cristina Bucsa, who is ranked 70th and owns a career record of 0-1 at the French Open.

Another past champion in Paris, 2021 winner Barbora Krejcikova, meets Lesia Tsurenko on Court 7.

Also getting started Tuesday will be Coco Gauff, the 19-year-old American who was a year ago. The sixth-seeded Gauff faces Rebeka Masarova, who is ranked 71st and making her main-draw debut at the French Open.

The runner-up to Rafael Nadal in last year's men's final, Casper Ruud, will play Elias Ymer, who is ranked 155th and went through qualifying rounds to earn a berth in the bracket.