Ons Jabeur is also safely through after a 6-3 6-2 win over the American wildcard Sachia Vickery; plenty of drop shots and variety on display from the eighth seed during the straight-sets win.

“It’s all about getting through and getting to the next round. It was slow conditions and the road to the final is long. I hope the people will be with me all the way.”

It’s hard to believe Jabeur has only reached the quarters at Roland Garros. She could have Coco Gauff to come should she return to the last eight.

Jannik Sinner opens his French Open campaign with a straight-sets win over Christopher Eubanks. It looked fairly routine for the Australian Open champion, but Sinner looked a little uncomfortable with his movement in the third set.

The Italian closed it out and now faces Richard Gasquet in the next round.

“I’m just happy to be back on court,” Sinner says. “I’m trying to build every day and I’m happy about today’s performance.

“The hip is good, I’m very happy. We worked very hard to get back on court as soon as possible. I’m not 100 per cent yet, but we are building.”

This was Nadal’s full answer when he spoke about his future ahead of the tournament.

“In terms if that’s going to be my last Roland Garros, it’s a long answer, but I think I need to answer that, because we’re going to avoid future questions since the beginning – so I’m going to do it.

“As I said, it’s a big, big chance that it’s going to be my last Roland Garros, but if I have to tell you it’s 100 per cent my last Roland Garros, sorry, but I will not, because I cannot predict what’s going on. I hope you understand.

“Myself, I have been going through a long process of recovery with a very difficult injury, almost two years of suffering, a recovering process that seems like I feel better now.

“I am not a guy that reacts because I lost there or I lost in the other place, no? I react about my personal feelings, and my personal feelings are better now than one month and a half ago, without a doubt.

“So in some way I don’t want to close, 100 per cent, the door, because of a very simple thing.

“First thing, I am enjoying playing tennis. Second thing, I am travelling with the family. They are enjoying and I am enjoying sharing all this process with them.

“And the third thing, I was not able to explore yet the proper way how I will be able to play in more or less healthy conditions, playing without limitation.

“So give me some time. Maybe in one month and a half I say ‘OK it’s enough, I can’t keep going’, but today in some way I cannot guarantee that that’s going to be the last one. But of course it’s a big chance.”

French Open organisers have scrapped a planned farewell ceremony for Rafael Nadal after the 14-time champion revealed he may not quit this year after all, writes Andy Sims.

The Spaniard, who turns 38 next week, was expected to retire at the end of the current season but said on Saturday that he was not certain that this year’s tournament would be his last.

“If I have to tell you it’s 100 per cent my last Roland Garros, sorry, but I will not, because I cannot predict what’s going on,” he said.

Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo admitted that Nadal had already told her about his apparent U-turn.

She said: “As you can imagine, we had something planned for him, but he said yesterday – he told us actually before yesterday – that because he doesn’t know if it’s going to be his last Roland Garros or not.

“He wants to leave the door open for him maybe to come back next year as a player. So we’re not going to push him obviously to do anything.

“It’s his decision when he wants to have a proper ceremony. So we’re not going to do it this year. That’s his wish, even though we’re ready to push the button.”

Ons Jabeur has taken the opening set 6-3 against the American wildcard Sachia Vickery, as the Tunisian looks to make her grand slam breakthrough following three final defeats. The former Wimbledon and US Open runner-up has only made the quarter-finals at the French Open, even though she has the game to be the champion here.

Jannik Sinner, meanwhile, is cruising against the American Chris Eubanks and leads 6-3 6-3 and by a break in the third set. All eyes are on the Australian Open champion’s fitness, after the Italian missed his home tournament in Rome due to injury. He, too, is a big favourite in Roland Garros.

There are dark skies over Paris and unfortunately plan on the outside courts is suspended due to rain.

Thankfully there are roofs over Philippe-Chatrier and Suzanne-Lenglen, so the action is continues there.

Ons Jabeur and Jannik Sinner are in action first up on the main show courts.

All times UK (BST)

Court Philippe-Chatier

Sachia Vickery vs Ons Jabeur

Iga Swiatek vs Leolia Jeanjean

Alexander Zverev vs Rafael Nadal

Not before 7:15pm

Gael Monfils vs Thiago Seyboth Wild

Court Suzanne-Lenglen

Chris Eubanks vs Jannick Sinner

Marton Fucsovics vs Stefanos Tsitsipas

Coco Gauff vs Julia Avdeeva

Elina Svitolina vs Karolina Pliskova

Court Simonne-Mathieu

Rebeka Masarova vs Marketa Vondrousova

Matteo Arnaldi vs Arthur Fils

Maria Sakkari vs Varvara Gracheva

Dominik Koepfer vs Daniil Medvedev

You can watch the French Open live on Discovery+ and Eurosport in the UK. The action will be broadcast on Eurosport’s TV channels, or fans can tune into Discovery+ to stream the tournament, where an Entertainment & Sport pass is available for either £6.99/month or £59.99/year.

Watch every moment of Roland-Garros LIVE and exclusive on discovery+, Eurosport and Eurosport App

The match is scheduled third on Court Philippe-Chatrier, following two matches in the women’s singles. It will follow Ons Jabeur and Iga Swiatek’s opening matches, with play starting at 11am UK time. Nadal could therefore expect to be on court at around 2pm, but it could be later depending on the earlier matches. Jabeur and Swiatek are heavy favourites in their matches, though, so could wrap a pair of quick victories.

Rafael Nadal faces Alexander Zverev in a blockbuster French Open first-round clash, in what could be the record 14-time champion’s final match at Roland Garros. The Spaniard, 37, says this year’s tournament may not be his last in Paris, forcing any planned farewell ceremonies to be postponed, but has admitted there is a “big, big chance” he is playing at the French Open for the final time.

Nadal has dominated the French Open since winning the tournament on his debut in 2005, winning a stunning 112 matches while only losing three times. The ‘King of Clay’ was unseeded after returning from injury and was handed a brutal first-round match against the German fourth seed Zverev, who broke his ankle during a close semi-final clash against Nadal the 2022 semi-finals.

Elsewhere in Paris, defending champion Iga Swiatek gets her tournament defence underway while Jannik Sinner and Coco Gauff are in action. Cameron Norrie will hope to advance after defeats for Andy Murray and Jack Draper on the opening day yesterday.

Follow live scores and updates from the French Open in today’s live blog