The 38-year-old Djokovic starts off against 98th-ranked American Mackenzie McDonald, three days after becoming only the third man to win 100 ATP titles with his victory in Geneva.

Reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz kicked off his French Open campaign with a commanding straight-sets victory over Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri on Monday.

Swiatek extended her winning run at Roland Garros to 22 matches but has dropped to fifth in the world after a year-long trophy drought.

Roland Garros held an emotional tribute to the 14-time French Open winner's career on the opening day of the tournament, six months after Nadal played his final match.

The 38-year-old, who retired from tennis last November, was serenaded by the Roland Garros crowd, with spectators wearing different coloured t-shirts to create the message "14 RG, Rafa".

The 27-year-old from Belarus has never reached the final in Paris, but the tournament appears more open than in recent years given the struggles of three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek.

Roland Garros will pay tribute to its greatest champion with a ceremony for the retired Rafael Nadal on Sunday, while Aryna Sabalenka gets her French Open campaign up and running on the opening day of the tournament.

A special ceremony will honor the 14-time champion Nadal on opening day.

Djokovic joins Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer as the only players with a century of tour titles.

With the aid of shovels, brooms and wheelbarrows -- and a dose of elbow grease -- the 180 or so specialised staff, most of whom are temporary workers, toil from dawn till dusk to whip the 18 courts into pristine condition for the year's second Grand Slam.

Novak Djokovic marked his 38th birthday in style on Thursday, defeating Matteo Arnaldi 6-4 6-4 to reach the Geneva Open semi-finals and continue his pursuit of a 100th career title.

Novak Djokovic said he would carry on without a coach for now after parting ways with Andy Murray last week, as the Serbian prepares for his latest bid to win a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title at the French Open.

Alcaraz fended off two set points late in the first set and then seized control in the tie-break before pulling away for a 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 win, his fourth in a row over world number one Sinner.

Carlos Alcaraz won the Italian Open on Sunday after beating rival Jannik Sinner 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 in the final and firing a warning shot for Roland Garros.

Late bloomer Paolini is the first Italian woman to win the Rome event since Raffaella Reggi in 1985 after overcoming former US Open champion Gauff.

Jannik Sinner set up a blockbuster Italian Open final with Carlos Alcaraz by beating Tommy Paul 1-6, 6-0, 6-3 on Friday.

Carlos Alcaraz set up a semifinal meeting with Lorenzo Musetti at the Italian Open on Wednesday with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Jack Draper in the last eight, while women's world number one Aryna Sabalenka was knocked out.

Men's world number one tennis player, Jannik Sinner, offered to rally with Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday, after being received by the head of the Catholic Church at the Vatican.

Jannik Sinner came through the first true test of his comeback from a doping ban with Tuesday's straight-sets win over Francisco Cerundolo which took the world number one into the Italian Open quarter-finals.

Carlos Alcaraz reached the Italian Open quarter-finals on Tuesday after battling past Karen Khachanov 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 to continue his bid for a first Rome title.