Juniors to watch: Parry's second act

A look at the top two seeds in the boys' and girls' singles draws with junior action kicking off on Sunday.

Diane Parry Roland Garros 2019Diane Parry. ©Philippe Montigny / FFT
 - Reem Abulleil

Feel that youthful energy in the air as you stroll around the Roland-Garros grounds? That's because the juniors have arrived ahead of the boys' and girls' events that kick off at Porte d'Auteuil on Sunday.

Here are four to watch in the junior singles draws this week.

Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) [1]

The 17-year-old Italian is ranked No.2 in the world junior rankings and is the reigning Australian Open boys’ singles champion. He was runner-up at last summer’s US Open junior event and will be looking to make the final for a third straight Slam this week in Paris. He started playing ATP Challenger tournaments this year, amassing a 5-4 win-loss record so far.

Jonas Forejtek (CZE) [2]

The Czech junior world No.3 comes to Roland-Garros carrying a 12-match winning streak, having picked up Grade 1 clay titles in Vrsar and Milan within the past four weeks. The 18-year-old won the boys’ doubles title with Emilio Nava at the Australian Open in January and seeded No.2 in Paris this week.



Leylah Annie Fernandez (CAN) [1]

Canadian tennis is on the rise on the professional tour and it seems there is a lot more talent in the pipeline, with the junior circuit also filled with young talent from the North American nation. The 16-year-old Fernandez peaked at No.4 in the world junior standings in February, after she reached the final of the Australian Open junior tournament.

She is already active on the women’s tour, with a WTA ranking of 371 and comes to Paris in good form, having lifted a junior trophy in Belgium on Saturday, on the eve of the Roland-Garros junior event.



She lost in the girls’ singles semi-finals here last year to eventual champion Cori Gauff. Fernandez made her Fed Cup debut for Canada this year in a tie against the Czech Republic in Prostejov.

Diane Parry (FRA) [2]

Parry already made history at Roland-Garros this fortnight by becoming the youngest female to win a main-draw match at the Parisian tournament this decade when she defeated Belarus’ Vera Lapko in the women’s singles first round. The 16-year-old, who will be ranked inside the WTA’s top 400 when the new standings are released after Roland-Garros, has an attractive playing style, with a one-handed backhand inspired by her compatriot, former world No.1 Amelie Mauresmo. She lives in Boulogne and will be looking to capitalise on home court advantage in the girls’ event this week.