Paris, France , 25 May 2025 | Vivienne Christie

Destanee Aiava and Tristan Schoolkate are targeting dream debuts as Roland Garros main draw action begins on Sunday, with the Australian wildcard recipients each contesting the respective singles draws for a first time.

Rinky Hijikata is another Australian taking the court for first-round on Day 1 of the 2025 event. The 79th-ranked Sydneysider, appearing in his second Roland Garros main draw, is targeting a first singles win at the event.

Each Australian appreciates the tantalising opportunity that competing on the famed terre battue presents.

For Aiava, a first career meeting with Dayana Yastremska revives memories of her visit to the French capital at age 12 in 2012, when she won the Longines Tennis Future Aces tournament and earned the chance to play doubles with Grand Slam legend Steffi Graf.

“Paris has always been a really special place,” Aiava, now 25, told Stan Sport ahead of her first career meeting with Yastremska.

> READ: Aiava, Schoolkate awarded Roland Garros wildcards 

While the world No.48 Ukrainian is ranked more than 100 places ahead of No.157 Aiava, the first-time competitor is fuelled by her dark horse status.

“I’m just going to use that to my advantage,” Aiava said. “First round was always going to be a tough one. But yeah, I’m just really excited to get out there and play my first main draw.”

Aiava does so with confidence gleaned from eye-turning qualifying campaigns in the past two Grand Slam events.

She arrived in Paris with valuable experience from a first-round meeting with No.4 seed Elena Rybakina at the 2024 US Open.

At her home major in Melbourne in January, Aiava defeated four higher-ranked opponents to reach the Australian Open 2025 second round.

“I feel like those key moments were kind of the breaking [through] point for me and just gave me a lot more confidence in my game and also my mental stability on the court,” she said.

> READ: Debutante Schoolkate embraces the next step

Schoolkate can almost certainly relate.  In his US Open main-draw debut last August, the West Australian claimed a five-set win over Taro Daniel before surrendering two match points to Jakub Mensik in another five-set match.

Schoolkate stepped further into the spotlight at the Australian Open in January, taking a set from world No.1 Jannik Sinner in the second round.

Ahead of a first-round meeting with experienced campaigner Marton Fucsovics, the 24-year-old has full belief that his recent success can translate to clay.

“It will probably be pretty physical, but I know I’ve done the work in terms of all the stuff of the court and being prepared to play for as long as I need to on the clay,” said Schoolkate ahead of his maiden career meeting with the world No.134 Hungarian.

“Rallies are a little bit longer typically, maybe point by point a little longer … but I’m sure it’s going to be a battle either way [and] I look forward to it.”

Hijikata also relishes a chance to test recent claycourt form when he meets big-serving American Reilly Opelka in the first round.

“I’m feeling good. I’ve done the whole clay swing this year and it’s the first time I‘ve had kind of an extended period on the surface. I’m feeling a lot more comfortable, Hijikata told Stan Sport.

The 24-year-old warmed up for Roland Garros as a semifinalist at the Bordeaux Challenger, noting it “was nice to get a few good wins.”

“I still feel like I’m getting week-in and week-out,” said Hijikata, who aims to avenge a first-round loss to Opelka at the recent Madrid Masters. “I’m excited and ready to go.”

Roland Garros, commencing at 7pm AEST is broadcast live in Australia on the Nine Network and Stan Sport.

AUSSIES IN ACTION

> VIEW: Roland Garros 2025 Day 1 Order of Play