Proficient younger Australians Destanee Aiava, Rinky Hijikata and Tristan Schoolkate goal tantalising profession firsts as Roland Garros 2025 begins.
Paris, France , 25 Might 2025 | Vivienne Christie
Destanee Aiava and Tristan Schoolkate are concentrating on dream debuts as Roland Garros fundamental draw motion begins on Sunday, with the Australian wildcard recipients every contesting the respective singles attracts for a primary time.
Rinky Hijikata is one other Australian taking the court docket for first-round on Day 1 of the 2025 occasion. The 79th-ranked Sydneysider, showing in his second Roland Garros fundamental draw, is concentrating on a primary singles win on the occasion.
Every Australian appreciates the tantalising alternative that competing on the famed terre battue presents.
For Aiava, a primary profession assembly with Dayana Yastremska revives recollections of her go to to the French capital at age 12 in 2012, when she received the Longines Tennis Future Aces event and earned the possibility to play doubles with Grand Slam legend Steffi Graf.
“Paris has all the time been a extremely particular place,” Aiava, now 25, advised Stan Sport forward of her first profession assembly with Yastremska.
> READ: Aiava, Schoolkate awarded Roland Garros wildcards
Whereas the world No.48 Ukrainian is ranked greater than 100 locations forward of No.157 Aiava, the first-time competitor is fuelled by her darkish horse standing.
“I’m simply going to make use of that to my benefit,” Aiava mentioned. “First spherical was all the time going to be a troublesome one. However yeah, I’m simply actually excited to get on the market and play my first fundamental draw.”
Aiava does so with confidence gleaned from eye-turning qualifying campaigns previously two Grand Slam occasions.
She arrived in Paris with invaluable expertise from a first-round assembly with No.4 seed Elena Rybakina on the 2024 US Open.
At her house main in Melbourne in January, Aiava defeated 4 higher-ranked opponents to achieve the Australian Open 2025 second spherical.
“I really feel like these key moments had been sort of the breaking [through] level for me and simply gave me much more confidence in my recreation and likewise my psychological stability on the court docket,” she mentioned.
> READ: Debutante Schoolkate embraces the subsequent step
Schoolkate can nearly definitely relate. In his US Open main-draw debut final August, the West Australian claimed a five-set win over Taro Daniel earlier than surrendering two match factors to Jakub Mensik in one other five-set match.
Schoolkate stepped additional into the highlight on the Australian Open in January, taking a set from world No.1 Jannik Sinner within the second spherical.
Forward of a first-round assembly with skilled campaigner Marton Fucsovics, the 24-year-old has full perception that his latest success can translate to clay.
“It’ll in all probability be fairly bodily, however I do know I’ve finished the work when it comes to all of the stuff of the court docket and being ready to play for so long as I have to on the clay,” mentioned Schoolkate forward of his maiden profession assembly with the world No.134 Hungarian.
“Rallies are just a little bit longer sometimes, possibly level by level just a little longer … however I’m certain it’s going to be a battle both approach [and] I stay up for it.”
Hijikata additionally relishes an opportunity to check latest claycourt type when he meets big-serving American Reilly Opelka within the first spherical.
“I’m feeling good. I’ve finished the entire clay swing this 12 months and it’s the primary time I‘ve had sort of an prolonged interval on the floor. I’m feeling much more snug, Hijikata advised Stan Sport.
The 24-year-old warmed up for Roland Garros as a semifinalist on the Bordeaux Challenger, noting it “was good to get a couple of good wins.”
“I nonetheless really feel like I’m getting week-in and week-out,” mentioned Hijikata, who goals to avenge a first-round loss to Opelka on the latest Madrid Masters. “I’m excited and able to go.”
Roland Garros, commencing at 7pm AEST is broadcast stay in Australia on the 9 Community and Stan Sport.
Aussies in motion on Day 1
COMING UP
Males’s singles, first spherical
[WC] Tristan Schoolkate (AUS) v Marton Fucsovics (HUN) Court docket 12, first match (from 7pm AEST)
Rinky Hijikata (AUS) v Reilly Opelka (USA) Court docket 7, second match
Ladies’s singles, first spherical
[WC] Destanee Aiava (AUS) v Dayana Yastremska (UKR) Court docket 9, second match
