Aryna Sabalenka beat 2018 finalist Sloane Stephens 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 in a topsy-turvy encounter in the night session -- the first women's match to feature in the primetime slot this year.

The 36-year-old Serb, champion in Paris in 2016 and 2021, will face 11th seed Karen Khachanov for a place in the semi-finals.

Across 57 matches in 17 Grand Slam appearances in her young career, Swiatek has already won 19 sets to love.But she knows how it feels to be on the wrong end of a bagel, having lost three sets at majors 6-0 herself, although all of those came across her first two Slam appearances in 2019 -- one in a match she won against Monica Puig

Swiatek blitzed 80th-ranked Wang Xinyu of China 6-0, 6-0 on the back of 21 winners as the 22-year-old Pole took another step closer to becoming the first woman since Justine Henin in 2007 to win back-to-back titles at Roland Garros.

"I had fever and a headache and it's difficult to breathe. I tried in the warm-up but I feel it's the right decision to withdraw."

Novak Djokovic admits that his push towards a record-setting 23rd Grand Slam title is at the mercy of a "long list" of injuries at the French Open with "pills and angels" amongst the cures.

The Belarusian second seed is yet to drop a set in the tournament after a comfortable 6-2, 6-2 win against the world number 82.

Eighth-seeded Sinner, whose best performance at Roland Garros came in 2020 when he lost in the quarter-finals against Rafael Nadal, looked set for a no-nonsense win after cruising through the third set but Altmaier had other ideas.

World number four Elena Rybakina racked up her 30th win of the year on Thursday to reach the French Open last 32.

Novak Djokovic defiantly insisted on Wednesday "it's something I stand for" regarding the controversy over his explosive comments about Kosovo earlier this week at the French Open.

World number one Carlos Alcaraz overcame a second set blip to defeat Japan's Taro Daniel and reach the French Open last 32 on Wednesday.

World number two Aryna Sabalenka cruised into the French Open third round on Wednesday with a straight-sets win over fellow Belarusian Iryna Shymanovich.

World number five Stefanos Tsitsipas found little resistance as he disposed of claycourt specialist Roberto Carballes Baena in straight sets 6-3 7-6(4) 6-2 on Wednesday to advance to the French Open third round.

"Kosovo is our cradle, our stronghold, centre of the most important things for our country... There are many reasons why I wrote that on the camera," 36-year-old Djokovic told Serb media at the tournament

World number one Carlos Alcaraz got his French Open campaign underway with a straight-sets win over Italian qualifier Flavio Cobolli on Monday.

Novak Djokovic started his bid for a men's record 23rd Grand Slam singles title with a straight-sets victory over Aleksandar Kovacevic in the French Open first round on Monday.

Novak Djokovic will bid for a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title at the French Open without his old rival Rafael Nadal, while Iga Swiatek attempts to become the first woman to defend the title in 16 years.

Fast-forward a year and 23-year-old Wu is his country's highest-ranked male player at 59 in the world and about to spearhead a landmark assault at the French Open where it has been 86 years since a Chinese man last played in the main draw.

Djokovic is chasing a record 23rd men's Grand Slam title in the absence of the injured Rafael Nadal, who will miss the tournament at Roland Garros for the first time since his 2005 title-winning debut

Elena Rybakina will head to the French Open with the confidence that she can be as effective on clay as she is on the other two surfaces with her booming serve and groundstrokes after the Kazakh world number six won the Italian Open on Saturday.