Tennis: Daria Saville and Chris O’Connell score Australia’s reciprocal French Open singles wildcards

Two Australians have received singles wildcards into the French Open, meaning they will avoid having to qualify for the clay-court grand slam.

Australian star Daria Saville will contest this year’s French Open as a wildcard. Picture: Getty Images

Daria Saville’s comeback tour will continue at this month’s French Open, with the former world No.20 scoring a singles wildcard into the clay-court grand slam.

Saville and Chris O’Connell are the recipients of Australia’s reciprocal women’s and women’s wildcards with the French Tennis Federation and will compete in the May 22-June 5 event.

At least 10 Australians – excluding Nick Kyrgios, who is skipping the tournament again – will contest the Roland Garros singles main draw, while a further 12 will try to join them by qualifying.

Saville has bounced back from achilles and plantar fasciitis surgeries last year and tumbling to a ranking of 627 in February to be on the verge of the top 100.

The 28-year-old is fresh from losing a three-hour-plus heartbreaker this week to Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia in a WTA 125K clay-court event in Paris but has had a stellar few months.

Daria Saville is almost back inside the top 100 after a horror injury run. Picture: Getty Images

She reached her first WTA 1000-level quarterfinal in Miami and advanced to the last 16 at Indian Wells, contributing to a 14-8 win-loss record in 2022.

Saville’s third round appearance at the 2018 French Open is her best result there but she hasn’t played at the past two editions.

“I’m super excited and really grateful for the opportunity to play Roland Garros this year,” the world No.132 said.

“It means so much to get a wildcard and to have ongoing support from Tennis Australia. I really am going to make sure that I make the most of this wildcard.”

O’Connell edged out Aleks Vukic to score his wildcard prize after progressing to the third round of this year’s Australian Open and winning an ATP Challenger event on clay in Split, Croatia, in April.

Chris O’Connell will compete in this month’s French Open after receiving a main draw singles wildcard. Picture: AFP

The 27-year-old Sydneysider stunned Argentinian star Diego Schwartzman during his giant-killing Melbourne Park run.

O’Connell, who will complete his preparations at the ATP 250 Geneva Open in Switzerland, is back up to 125 in the rankings and within sight of his career best of No.111.

“I’m very excited and grateful Tennis Australia has given me the opportunity to compete in the main draw once again,” O’Connell said.

“This wildcard means I now don’t need to go through the physical and mental rigours of qualifying, which I experienced at Wimbledon last year.

“I’ve been playing well on the clay over the past month and hope to continue that form heading into Roland Garros.”

Australia’s French Open contingent

Men: Alex de Minaur, James Duckworth, Jordan Thompson, John Millman, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Chris O’Connell, Alexei Popyrin

Women: Ajla Tomljanovic, Daria Saville, Astra Sharma