Emerson Jones is set to participate in the Roland Garros girls’ singles this week, understanding the significance of competing in a Grand Slam event. The Roland Garros Junior Championships are known for showcasing future tennis stars, featuring talented young players from around the world.
Jones, who is seeded No. 1 and played in the Australian Open women’s singles earlier this year, draws inspiration from last year’s champion Tereza Valentova. Valentova, now 18, qualified for this year’s Roland Garros and won her debut match against American champion Coco Gauff.
Players at Roland Garros will gain valuable experience at a Grand Slam event. Valentova’s success serves as a roadmap for aspiring champions. Gauff also exemplifies how winning in Paris can lead to a promising career.
In the boys’ singles draw, top-seeded Spaniard Andres Santamarta Roig looks up to former junior champions like Holger Rune and Alexei Popyrin for motivation. There are no previous junior Grand Slam singles champions in either draw, highlighting the opportunity available at this event starting Sunday morning.
Jones aims to become the first Australian to win a junior title in Paris since 1968. She faces American qualifier Capucine Jauffret after winning the ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals last October.
Belgian teenager Jeline Vandromme seeks to emulate Justine Henin by becoming only the second girl from Belgium to win this title. The Penickova twins, Kristina and Annika, who are Australian Open girls’ doubles champions, are also among the contenders.
Other notable players include Alena Kovackova facing Japan’s Lisa Kamigata and Charo Esquiva Banuls meeting French wildcard Margot Phanthala on clay courts where she has excelled this year.
Roig will play against French wildcard Ferdinand Livet Novkirichka amid local support challenges. Romanian Yannick Theodor Alexandrescou competes against Great Britain’s Oliver Bonding with strong performances on clay this year.
American Jagger Leach and Cruz Hewitt bring attention due to their famous parents’ legacies. Leach plays Kazakhstan’s Zangar Nurlanuly while Hewitt meets Italian Pierluigi Basile on Court No. 4 on Sunday.
Italian Jacopo Vasami starts his campaign against Joao Pedro Didoni Bonini from Brazil as one of the leading candidates for victory.
Local hopes include Moise Kouame as France’s top-ranked player across both singles draws with 29 French participants overall at Roland Garros Junior Championships 2025.