Paris [France], May 25 (ANI): Defending French Open champion Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina find themselves in the same half of the draw, while Victoria Azarenka and Bianca Andreescu are scheduled to meet in a first-round matchup. French Open 2023 will be held from May 28 to June 11.

Iga Swiatek will face stern tests as she embarks on her French Open title defence.

13th seed Barbora Krejcikova, the 2021 champion who has previously defeated Swiatek, is her probable fourth-round opponent. No.4 Elena Rybakina, who has beaten Swiatek three times this year, has been drawn in the same half and might face him in the semifinals.

No.2 seed Aryna Sabalenka and No.3 Jessica Pegula lead the bottom half of the draw, opening up against Marta Kostyuk and Danielle Collins, respectively.

The top seed Swiatek begins her quest for a third title in Paris against Cristina Bucsa of Spain, whom she defeated in the third round of the Australian Open in January. However, the road becomes increasingly difficult from there. In the fourth round, she might meet No.13 Barbora Krejcikova. Swiatek was defeated in their last two matches, in the 2022 Ostrava final and the 2023 Dubai final, by the Czech, who won the title here in 2021. Krejcikova held match points in their sole clay-court meeting before losing in the third round of the 2021 Rome tournament.

Former World No.1 and No.18 seed Victoria Azarenka opens up against 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu. The winner could be Krejcikova's third-round opponent.

Rybakina, the fourth seed, has established herself as a reliable all-court danger. After winning Wimbledon last year, Kazakhstani has won WTA 1000 titles on both hard courts (Indian Wells) and clay courts (Rome), as well as reaching the finals of the Australian Open and Miami.

In the quarterfinals, Rybakina could face a rematch of either last year's Wimbledon final, against No.7 seed Ons Jabeur, or this year's Miami final, against No.10 seed Petra Kvitova.

3rd seed Pegula is in charge of an intriguing quarter full with impending challenges. Her first opponent is Danielle Collins, the 2021 Australian Open runner-up, although Pegula will be buoyed by her 4-0 record versus Collins and her fellow American's absence from action since Charleston. (ANI)