Iga Swiatek

Swiatek, who has won four of the last five French Open titles at Roland-Garros, was reduced to tears in her post-match interview following the loss. 

It ended the Pole's 1149-day unbeaten record on the clay courts in the French capital, having won 25 consecutive matches, along with a 47-4 completed sets record and claiming 10 sets by a score of 6-0 over that span. 

The world number one was the pre-tournament favourite to win gold in Paris, having been knocked out at the quarter-final stage in Tokyo three years ago. 

But a nightmare first set ended 6-2 in favour of Zheng, and when the Chinese broke Swiatek to draw level in the second after racing into a 4-0 lead, there seemed to be only one outcome. 

“I just had a hole in my backhand. It happens rarely because it is usually my most solid strike,” Swiatek told Kuwik.

“I was not technically well positioned because of the stress and the fact that I played my games day by day. We didn’t have time to adjust that and work on that.

“I know that’s not the justification but I tried to correct that during the match. Today it didn’t work at all. So she used that to win the game.”

When asked why she slumped from 4-0 to 4-4 and ultimately 5-7 in the second set, Swiatek added: “It's the result of the match. So I just messed up.”

Swiatek still has the opportunity to take home a bronze medal when she faces the loser of the second semi-final between Croatian Donna Vekic and Anna Schmiedlova of Slovakia.

And with three grand slams already down in 2024, the Paris Olympics provides that extra shot in the arm as players across the board gun for gold.

The big names are descending on Roland-Garros for a second time this season, with the famous venue of the French Open playing host to the Olympic tennis tournament.

Iga Swiatek and Rafael Nadal, two dominant forces on the Parisian clay, will be in action, while Andy Murray, a two-time Olympic gold medallist, is making his final appearance before retirement.

Novak Djokovic is also set to feature, while Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff will play at their first Olympics, though Jannik Sinner, the men's world number one, has had to withdraw due to illness.

Here, we outline the main storylines ahead of the tournament starting on Saturday.

Murray's last hurrah

This will be it for Murray. The three-time grand slam champion, and former world number one, is finally bowing out.

The 37-year-old, who won gold in the men's singles at London 2012 and Rio 2016, as well as claiming silver in the mixed doubles at the first of those Games, confirmed his impending retirement on Tuesday.

Murray is the only man with multiple singles gold medals since tennis returned to the Olympic program in 1988. He will become the first British athlete to appear in four singles draws at the Games, too.

He is one of just eight players in the Open Era to have won 200 or more matches at majors, while only Nadal, Djokovic and Roger Federer have won more ATP 1000 matches than Murray since the format's introduction in 1990.

The Scot will bow out as the British player with the most singles titles on the ATP Tour in the Open Era (46).

The Dream Team

There are so many stars for fans in Paris to take in, but arguably the main attraction will be the doubles dream team of Nadal and his heir apparent Alcaraz, who are pairing up to represent Spain.

This team counts the record champion at Roland-Garros (14) in Nadal, and the reigning champion in Alcaraz.

While four-time major champion Alcaraz is featuring at his first Olympics, Nadal is a veteran campaigner at the Games, having scooped gold in the singles at Beijing 2008 and in the doubles in Rio eight years ago.

Nadal is one of two players to secure an Olympic gold in both the men's singles and doubles since tennis returned to the Olympics in 1988, alongside Nicolas Massu (both at Athens 2004).

Like Murray, Nadal is set to bow out in the coming months, and what better way to go than winning gold with the player who could well go on to match his feats?

Nadal's great rival Djokovic, meanwhile, will surely also be playing at his final Games.

Djokovic will become the player with the joint-most appearances in men's singles at the Olympics (five, equalling Yen Hsun Lu) since the sport returned to the Games 36 years ago.

The Serbian is the player with the most matches played (19) and joint-most matches won (13, level with Federer) at the Olympics since 1988.

Swiatek's Roland-Garros return

Women's world number one Swiatek loves Roland-Garros just as much as Nadal does.

Four of the 23-year-old's five grand slam titles have come at the venue, including her success earlier this year. In fact, Swiatek has won four of the past five French Open titles.

Swiatek lost in the second round in Tokyo, but given her dominance in Paris in recent years, she has to be considered the favourite in the women's draw.

Indeed, only Margaret Court (95.2%) has a higher winning percentage at Roland-Garros than Swiatek (94.6%) in the Open Era.

That being said, the incumbent world number one has won gold at the Olympics only twice: Steffi Graf in 1988 and Justine Henin in 2004.

Aryna Sabalenka rivalled Swiatek throughout this season's clay-court swing. The Belarusian, who will be competing under a neutral banner, lost in the second round in Tokyo three years ago. 

Gauff flying the flag

There was heartbreak for Gauff three years ago, as she missed out on what would have been her maiden Games after testing positive for COVID-19.

All being well, that won't be an issue this time around, and the 20-year-old will have the honour of bearing the United States flag at Friday's opening ceremony. She will be the first tennis player to fly the flag for Team USA.

Gauff, the world number two, has reached the quarters, the final, the quarters again and the semi-finals in her last four appearances at the French Open - will she finally break her Roland-Garros duck?

If she does, then Gauff will join Graf (1988), Jennifer Capriati (1992), Lindsay Davenport (1996) and Venus Williams (2000) as the women to win Olympic gold before turning 21.

Former world number one Naomi Osaka, who lit the torch in Tokyo, should not be discounted either.

She is looking to become the second Japanese player to secure an Olympic medal since tennis' return to the Games, after Kei Nishikori's bronze in Rio.

Nadal is widely expected to retire from tennis later this year, with the Olympics set to represent his swansong at Roland-Garros, where he has won 14 French Open titles.

He will play in both the singles and doubles tournaments, partnering current French Open and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz for the latter competition.

Nadal and Alcaraz will face Argentina's fourth-seeded pair Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni in a difficult first-round matchup in the doubles tournament.

Nadal is one of just two players to have won Olympic gold in both singles and doubles since the sport returned to the Games in 1988, doing so at Beijing 2008 (singles) and Rio 2016 (doubles) – Nicolas Massu triumphed over both events at Athens 2004.

In the singles, Nadal will take on Hungary's Marton Fucsovics in the opening round, and the prize could be a second-round date with Djokovic, who faces Australian Matthew Ebden first.

They are on the same side of the draw as third seed Alexander Zverev, who faces Jaume Munar first, and seventh seed Taylor Fritz, who opens against Alexander Bublik.

On the opposite side of the bracket, Alcaraz will start his campaign against Hady Habib, with Britain's Cameron Norrie a potential second-round opponent.

Fourth seed Daniil Medvedev faces Rinky Hijikata in his first match, while fifth seed Alex de Minaur is a potential quarter-final opponent for Alcaraz.

Britain's Andy Murray withdrew from the singles event to concentrate on his doubles bid alongside Dan Evans on Thursday, and the duo will face Kei Nishikori and Taro Daniel of Japan first.

Should they advance, home favourites Arthur Fils and Ugo Humbert could await in round two, with Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul potential quarter-final foes, though the Americans will have to overcome Canada's Milos Raonic and Felix Auger Aliassime to get that far.

Murray and Evans cannot face Nadal and Alcaraz until the final. 

Iga Swiatek is the strong favourite in the women's draw, having won four French Open titles on the Paris clay. Romania's Irina-Camelia Begu is her round-one opponent.

On her same side of the draw, there is a huge round-one clash between Naomi Osaka and 2016 silver medallist Angelique Kerber, who announced on Thursday that she will retire after the Games.

Elena Rybakina and Danielle Collins are also on that side of the draw, while Coco Gauff starts against Ajla Tomljanovic on the opposite side of the bracket.

Four-time grand slam champion Osaka, now ranked at world number 95, lost in straight sets to Germany's Angelique Kerber on Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris.

Former world number one Osaka returned to tennis earlier this year after giving birth in July 2023.

Now she hopes she can climb back up the rankings by watching others on the tour, and world number one Swiatek has been high on her list.

"I was stalking Iga. I was watching her practice at the Olympics, and for me, that's something I want to do more, watch the great players, because there's always something I can pick up on," Osaka told reporters ahead of the Canadian Open.

"I know she has one of the best footwork skills on the WTA. I'm just trying to copy a little bit." 

The Japanese player found her Olympics experience more enjoyable than three years ago at her home Games, where she lit the Olympic flame.

"I would say in Tokyo [2020], I was definitely really stressed. In Paris, I felt a lot more fun. And obviously there were spectators there, so it was a lot different," reflected the 26-year-old.

"In Paris, I felt a lot more fun. And obviously there were spectators there, so it was a lot different. But I didn't stay in the village, so that is something that I regret a little bit, not to have the full experience. Overall, I think it was it was fun. Hopefully, I can play in LA [in 2028]."

Osaka has naturally faced challenges in her return to sport following pregnancy, which has made her presence at the Olympics a year on from giving birth impressive in itself.

"Honestly, after pregnancy, I wasn't really sure how my movement would be," said Osaka.

"I remember being on the track at UCLA [University of California, Los Angeles] and almost crying in frustration because I felt like I couldn't run as fast as I wanted to.

"It felt like I was in a body suit that was not performing the way I wanted. Now, to be here, is a really incredible achievement."

Having a daughter has also given Osaka a new outlook on her sport.

"I lost in the Olympics, I was, of course, really devastated," she explained. "But I was just surrounded by my team.

"Then I went back home, and I saw my daughter, and she's just happy to be alive. She's happy that I'm her mom and it just gave me a lot of motivation.

"I feel like when I was younger I was searching for my purpose in life. The way I grew up, my only purpose was tennis. Then obviously taking the year that I had as a break, it let me see that there are so many different things in life and it's a beautiful world."

Jackson, who clinched her second world 200m title in Budapest last year with a remarkable time of 21.41 seconds, stands as the second-fastest of all time, just seven hundredths of a second shy of Florence Griffith-Joyner's 35-year-old record. Additionally, she earned a silver medal in the 100m at the World Championships and dominated the 2023 Diamond League, claiming titles in both the 100m and 200m events. Her exceptional form was further emphasized by a personal best of 10.65 seconds at the Jamaica national championships in June.

The Jamaican sprinter finds herself in the esteemed company of two other track and field luminaries: Women's World 100m champion Sha’Carri Richardson of the USA and Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, who made history by becoming the first woman to triumph in both the 1,500 and 5,000 meters at the World Championships.

The list of nominees is completed by outstanding athletes from various disciplines, including Spanish footballer Aitana Bonmati, American skier Mikaela Shiffrin, and Polish tennis sensation Iga Swiatek.

It's worth noting that Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce claimed the prestigious Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award in 2023. This adds an extra layer of distinction to Jackson's nomination, as she follows in the footsteps of her illustrious compatriot.

The Laureus World Sportsman of the Year category boasts an equally formidable lineup, featuring Noah Lyles, Novak Djokovic, Mondo Duplantis, Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, and Max Verstappen.Mikae

A four-time grand slam champion at Roland-Garros, Swiatek loves operating on the clay courts in the French capital, and she was in dominant form on Monday.

The world number one triumphed 6-1 6-1 in under 75 minutes to see off Parry, who made 24 unforced errors, and tee up a third-round tie with Xiyu Wang of China.

Not that Swiatek needed much help - the Pole struck 13 winners and did not give up a single break point, and she looks good for a deep run at her second Olympics, having slipped out in the second round in Tokyo three years ago.

Swiatek's Polish compatriot Magda Linette, however, succumbed to Italy's Jasmine Paolini.

The French Open and Wimbledon runner-up prevailed 6-4 6-1.

Data Debrief: Swiatek's home away from home

Swiatek is the fourth player since the turn of the century to win more than 20 consecutive clay court matches (21), after Serena Williams (28), Justine Henin (27) and Maria Sharapova (21).

She has also won her last 23 matches at Roland-Garros, where she is undefeated in 1,145 days.

Swiatek has been a dominant force at Roland-Garros, winning four of the last five French Opens, including this year's, after cruising past Jasmine Paolini.

The Pole was the favourite going into the Games too, and looked set to make good on that promise as she picked up where she left off on the clay court.

However, she suffered a shock straight-sets defeat to eventual gold-medallist Zheng Qinwen in the semi-finals, though she recovered to beat Anna-Karolina Schmiedlova in the bronze-medal match to claim Poland's first-ever tennis medal at the Olympics.

Reflecting on her time in Paris, Swiatek acknowledged the rollercoaster of emotions that came with the tournament and how much she has progressed since competing in Tokyo three years ago.

"After a couple of days, I feel ready to sum up this chapter... Joy, happiness, sadness, disappointment, satisfaction, hunger for more, pride and so many other emotions, thoughts... I'm still figuring it out, and I feel how valuable this experience was to me," Swiatek said in a post on social media.

"Maybe in the future, I will assess two weeks with a bigger picture and better perspective, but I already see a lot. First of all, how much progress I've made since Tokyo. How much I can do, how many opportunities I have to become a better player and human.

"But what's most important is how much I've experienced here. It was a special time that wouldn't be possible without my team and my family. Thank you for what you did for me.

"Zheng Qinwen, Donna Vekic, huge congrats to you! I'm grateful I could share the Olympic podium with you two."

Swiatek recently pulled out of the Canadian Open, but she will be back on the WTA Tour next week to compete in Cincinnati as she prepares for the US Open at the end of the month.

The 23-year-old, who is targeting her second grand slam win in New York, also expressed her pride at seeing tennis take the spotlight in Paris.

"When I'm thinking about the Olympics and tennis, I'm so proud how our sport was pictured in Paris.

"So many amazing matches, inspirational stories, amazing pictures from the opening ceremony where tennis players had a special place.

"We should appreciate that tennis plays such an important role in the world of sports. I'm happy that my story is part of it."

Swiatek, who became the first player from Poland to win an Olympic medal in tennis history at the Paris Games on Friday, withdrew due to fatigue. 

Meanwhile, Krejcikova, who returned to the top 10 in the world rankings after her success at the All England Club, cited a thigh injury for her decision not to travel to Canada.

"I'm sorry to announce that due to overall fatigue caused by the last couple of weeks on the court I need to withdraw from the tournament in Toronto," Swiatek said in a Tennis Canada news release.

"Due to an intense tennis schedule with the Olympics taking place this year and changing surfaces, I need more time to rest and recover in order to be ready to play the US swing in good health and at my best possible level."

Krejcikova was beaten in the quarter-finals in both the singles and doubles at the Games, and said she is looking after her health ahead of the U.S. Open.

"The past four weeks have been incredible; however, the intense schedule has taken a toll on my body, and I need to prioritise my health to ensure I can continue competing at my best," said Krejcikova.

"Thank you for your understanding and support, and I look forward to returning to the court soon."

Tennis Canada said other withdrawals included Jasmine Paolini, Maria Sakkari, Danielle Collins and Caroline Garcia following their participation in the Paris Olympics.

"We understand the unique honour of athletes in an individual sport representing their country at the Olympic Games and that players must do what is best for them in terms of their health, recovery and schedules," said Karl Hale, director of the Canadian Open.

Past grand slam champions Sofia Kenin and Slone Stephens moved into the main draw for the Toronto tournament.

The NBO's men's tournament in Montreal took a hit earlier this week with the announcement that both Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz would also be missing the event.

The world number one put Thursday's stunning defeat behind her in ruthless fashion, taking just 61 minutes to dispatch the Slovakian 6-2 6-1 on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Swiatek made a shaky start to the match, losing her serve on the third game to go 2-1 behind.

She found her fight soon after though, getting three consecutive breaks as she went on a five-game winning run to take the first set.

Swiatek gave barely any openings in the second, asserting her dominance once more as she put together another impressive winning streak by getting two more breaks.

On the court where she has won each of her four French Open titles, she made sure she came away with the prize on offer.

Data Debrief: Swiatek makes history at Roland-Garros

Swiatek may have been tipped by most to win gold at the Olympics, but she made sure she did not leave Paris empty-handed.

She is the first player from Poland to win an Olympic medal in tennis history, and the fourth world number one to medal since the WTA rankings were introduced.

Swiatek, who has claimed four grand slam titles on the clay surface at Roland-Garros, continued her dominance on Tuesday as she emerged a 6-3 6-4 victor. 

Wang started the match confidently, moving the world number one around the court early on, but Swiatek found her rhythm, earning a decisive break point in the sixth game before cruising to the first set. 

The top seed managed to find a break in the opening game of the second set, but that lead proved difficult to maintain as Wang broke back instantly to take the next two games on the spin. 

Swiatek, however, broke for a 3-2 lead and held her serve in the following game, but Wang continued to put on the pressure, winning her next two games to level the game.

The Pole would find yet another break of serve in the ninth game and was able to hold out to secure her passage to the quarter-finals in the French capital. 

Swiatek will face Danielle Collins in the next round. 

Data Debrief: Swiatek fights off inspired Wang

While the scoreline looked comfortable for Swiatek, it was far from it on Court Philippe-Chatrier. 

In the opening set, Swiatek had 11 unforced errors compared to Wang's eight, while also hitting only nine winners. 

But in a game filled with break points, Swiatek showcased her ruthless streak, converting four and saving six of the eight she faced. 

The top ranked seed was pushed all the way by her American opponent, but came through a third-set decider to win 6-1 2-6 4-1 after Collins was forced to retire. 

Swiatek asserted her dominance early on, racing into a 3-0 lead and remained in control for the rest of the first set, with Collins no match for the Pole. 

However, Collins started with a three-game lead of her own in the second set, looking a completely different player to the one who first stepped out on Court Suzanne Lenglen. 

The world number one did have two chances at 5-2 down to put the pressure back on her opponent, but Collins remained composed to take the game to a deciding third set. 

But Swiatek would find her rhythm once again, racing into a four-game lead as Collins took a medical timeout off-court. 

The American would emerge back on court to win her first game of the set but retired immediately after, handing the win to her opponent. 

Swiatek will continue her quest for a fifth success at Roland-Garros on Thursday where she will face Zheng Qinwen, who beat Angelique Kerber. 

Data Debrief: Swiatek marches on, just

Swiatek's love affair on the clay courts in the French capital continued, but it did not come without its nervy moments. 

Despite dominating the opening set, Collins was impressive with her serve, scoring seven aces in the contest compared to Swiatek's two. 

Swiatek's triumph saw her become the first Polish player in history to reach the Olympics semi-finals in the singles.

The world number one is the firm favourite to win gold at Roland-Garros, where she has won four editions of the French Open, including the last three in a row.

Swiatek and Begu traded breaks at the outset of their clash on Court Philippe-Chatrier, but the Pole continued to put her opponent under pressure when receiving and back-to-back breaks took the opener away from Begu.

The second set was more of a slog for Swiatek and a break in the seventh game had Begu serving to level things up, but Swiatek found a second wind to break back and only dropped one further point from there, winning 6-2 7-5.

Swiatek will face Argentina's Nadia Podoroska or home favourite Diane Parry in the second round, with the likes of Danielle Collins, Jessica Pegula, Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber also on her side of the draw.

On the other side of the bracket, Jasmine Paolini – the runner-up at both the French Open and Wimbledon this year – advanced with a 7-5 6-3 win over Ana Bogdan. 

Data Debrief: Twenty-two and counting for Swiatek

Swiatek has now won a remarkable 22 successive matches on the courts of Roland-Garros, last losing at the venue to Maria Sakkari in the 2021 French Open quarter-finals.

In all clay-court tournaments, she has won her last 20 matches, also capturing titles in Madrid and Rome earlier this year.

The 27-year-old locked up the bronze medal several minutes before China's Yang Qian beat Anastasiia Galashina of the Russian Olympic Committee to take gold in the first medal event of the Games.

As soon as she was eliminated from contention for the final two, Christen flashed a smile and waved, knowing she had at least won a spot on the podium this time – no small feat on this stage.

After the first medal ceremony of the Tokyo Games, she spoke about the pressure as the competition entered the final rounds.

"You just try to not reach your head out for the medal before you have the medal," Christen said. "That is the worst thing you could do. Having in your mind, 'Oh I could win a medal, or I could be eighth which would be a failure'.

"So you just try not to think about both of them, you just try and think about what your job is like breathing, holding, aiming, balance, triggering, and then follow through.

"It helps to not think about what is behind you and obviously there are a lot of cameras and a lot of people. And it would be even more if COVID would not have hit. So yeah that is the thing you have to do, otherwise you would just crack."

Sixth seed Swiatek rolls in tennis opener

Two seeded players enjoyed easy victories in the women's singles draw as play began at the Ariake Tennis Park.

Sixth-seeded Iga Swiatek of Poland, the 2020 French Open champion, cruised past Germany's Mona Barthel 6-2 6-2 to open her first Olympics.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the 11th seed representing the Russian Olympic Committee, had an even easier time in a 6-0 6-1 rout of Italy's Sara Errani.

Pavlyuchenkova will face Germany's Anna-Lena Friedsam, who upset Great Britain's Heather Watson 7-6 6-3 in another early match.

In doubles, there was an eye-catching result for Britain's Andy Murray and Joe Salisbury, who took out French second seeds Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut, scoring a 6-3 6-2 victory.

Men's gymnastics gets under way

Nikita Nagornyy turned in the strongest showing in the opening group as men's gymnastics got under way.

Nagornyy, who won the all-around at the 2019 World Championships and was part of Russia's silver medal-winning team at Rio 2016, posted an 87.897 to lead subdivision one, which included gymnasts from the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), China, Ukraine and Spain along with individuals from other nations.

But his showing was not enough to put the Russians on top, as China earned the top score in the group with a 262.061 to the ROC's 261.945. The top eight ranked teams qualify for the team final, with two subdivisions still to compete Saturday.

"I don't think our team was really good today, but we made our best effort," Nagronyy said. "We have a lot to do."

Brazilians start strongly on the beach

Brazil's two returning beach volleyball medallists are off to a strong start five years later.

Alison Cerutti won gold in Rio and is teamed with new partner Alvaro Morais Filho for Tokyo. They won their opening match 2-0 against Argentina's Nicolas Capogrosso and Julian Amado Azaad.

On the women's side, Rio silver medallist Agatha Bednarczuk, also with a new partner in Eduarda Santos Lisboa, won by the same score against Ana Gallay and Fernanda Pereyra of Argentina.

While she was happy to advance, Agatha found the difference between Rio's raucous crowds and Tokyo's COVID-driven quiet jarring.

"It's so different. In Brazil we have the biggest support there. Many, many people cheering for us, and here, it's silence," she said.

"Here we need to put our emotion (aside) because we don't receive the emotion from the people. For me, this is very important because I like to play with emotions."

With Ash Barty having suffered a shock exit a day prior, Osaka is now the favourite for glory on home court and with Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek among the round-two casualties that status is sure to only be enhanced.

There was better news for Elina Svitolina and Karolina Pliskova at the Ariake Tennis Park, though, in a women's draw stacked with top-tier talent.

OSAKA NOT GETTING AHEAD OF HERSELF

Back after a self-imposed two-month hiatus, defending US and Australian champion Osaka has not missed a beat and was too good for Viktorija Golubic in a 6-3 6-2 victory.

Osaka won 24 of 26 service points in the first set and 37 of 45 in the second, facing break point only once in a one-sided affair.

"It would mean a lot to win gold here, but I know it's a process," she said. "I know these are the best players in the world and honestly I haven't played in a while, so I'm trying to take it one notch at a time.

"All in all, I'm just really happy to be here. I haven't been in Tokyo for a couple of years."

Svitolina was not as comfortable with the fourth seed rebounding from losing the opening set to defeat Ajla Tomljanovic 4-6 6-3 6-4. Maria Sakkari (14) awaits in the next round.

Carla Suarez Navarro earned her first win since recovering from cancer in round one and battled valiantly against Karolina Pliskova (5) before eventually losing in three sets.

Garbine Muguruza (7), Barbora Krejcikova (8) and Belinda Bencic all coasted through in straight sets, as did Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (13) and Elena Rybakina (15).

TEARS FOR IGA 

Swiatek, whose father was an Olympic rower, would have had strong designs on a deep run at the Games but was beaten 6-3 7-6 (7-4) by Paula Badosa.

The Pole was left in tears after the defeat, and was still sobbing at her chair several minutes after the end of the match.

Sabalenka also bit the dust, going down in three sets to Donna Vekic, while Petra Kvitova lost the deciding set of her tie with Alison Van Uytvanck 6-0 to bow out with a whimper.

The Polish athlete was the highest-ranked seed in action in the women's singles in the Japanese capital and comfortably dispatched of Mona Barthel 6-2 6-2.

World number one Ash Barty gets her individual campaign underway on Sunday but the Wimbledon champion was a doubles victor on the first day of action on the tennis courts.

SWIATEK OUT TO ADJUST

Swiatek was on court for a little over an hour, breaking serve six times and firing down 13 winners to Barthel's eight.

The tough hot and humid conditions were a big talking point at Ariake Tennis Centre on Saturday, and Swiatek – whose father represented Poland as a rower at the 1988 Olympics – had her say.

"I'm pretty happy that I'm into the second round and for sure not only the temperature was hard, but also the sun because on one side it was pretty hard to serve," she said. 

"But we had to adjust quickly and change our toss, so that was hard, but you know I would say the players who can adjust quicker are going to be the best ones here."

KREJCIKOVA BENEFITS FROM DIYAS RETIREMENT

Eighth seed Barbora Krejcikova was 5-2 up against Zarina Diyas before her opponent had to withdraw with an ankle problem.

The Czech now meets Leylah Annie Fernandez in the second round. Fellow seeds Belinda Bencic (9), Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (13), Maria Sakkari (14) and Elena Rybakina (15) all made it through round one.

But Kiki Bertens, the 16th seed, was sent packing 6-4 3-6 6-4 by Marketa Vondrousova.

BARTY REVELS IN TEAMING UP WITH CHILDHOOD FRIEND

Barty is fresh off her triumph at SW19 earlier this month, and the amiable Aussie started her Olympics adventure alongside long-time friend Storm Sanders.

The sixth feeds hammered home pair Nao Hibino and Makoto Ninomiya 6-1 6-2.

"Playing with my childhood friend in what is a dream for both of us is really cool. And to be here in some of the most unique circumstances I think ever for an Olympic Games, it's really awesome for us," Barty said.

"We're very grateful and thankful that we're able to be here to play and to experience what is really cool Games."

The sixth seed took one hour and 50 minutes to get a 6-2 7-5 win on Court Philippe Chatrier, earning her first-ever win over Swiatek.

Zheng's last two matches have both lasted three hours, but there was no sign of tiredness as she quickly stated her intent.

An early break each had the players level at 2-2, but Swiatek lost her next two serves as well, with Zheng taking advantage of her uncharacteristic mistakes to take the first set after a four-game winning run. 

The Pole looked back to her usual best at the start of the second, racing into a 4-0 lead before stumbling again as Zheng's aggressive approach saw her claw back to level 4-4.

The reigning French Open champion then had no answers after edging in front again, losing her serve once more as Zheng won the final three games to book her place in the Olympics final.

She will play either Croatia's Donna Vekic or Slovakia's Anna Karolina Schmiedlova for the gold medal, while Swiatek could still take bronze.

Data Debrief: Zheng ends Swiatek's Roland-Garros run

Swiatek was the favourite to take the gold medal at the Olympics, especially considering her 20-match winning run on clay heading into the semi-finals.

Not only that, but she was unbeaten at Roland-Garros for 1,149 days, winning 25 consecutive matches, along with a 47-4 completed sets record during that span.

But, the five-time grand slam winner had no answers for Zheng on Thursday, who prevailed for the first time in seven meetings against Swiatek.