1) Casper Ruud has updated his look

Casper Ruud is enjoying Paris 2024 and has tweaked his kit to look more Norwegian, ready for today's match against Italy’s Andrea Vavassori. “It’s fun. Today I even was able to bring some more blue into the match outfit. I was criticised yesterday for wearing only white and red,” he smiled. “The shorts are new, the shirt is also new.”

“I think they (Norway fans) were missing a bit of blue in my outfit, so it looked like I played for Denmark yesterday.”

With the blue cross of the Norwegian flag on display on each leg of his shorts, there’s no confusion about which country the world No. 9 represents now. Ruud is the only player from Norway in the Olympic Tennis Event, and the 25-year-old has reached the third round on his debut, thus matching the achievement of his father Christian at Atlanta 1996.

Ruud reached the final of Roland Garros in 2022 and 2023 and clay is his best surface. “I'm not going to say that I'm one of the big favourites but definitely I'm here because I would love to get a medal for my country.”

2) Colombia’s star is rising

Camila Osorio became the first Colombian man or woman to reach the third round of an Olympic singles event when she beat Brazil’s Laura Pigossi on Monday.

“I’m so happy with this win. It’s really special and really important to play for my country, so I’m just really glad that I got through this match,” said the 22-year-old, who has been sporting a yellow star on her cheek as a reference to her country. “It was a tough battle and I’m just really happy and proud.”

It can be hard for players from less established tennis nations to break through to the elite level of the sport. Osorio is a former junior world No. 1 and 2019 US Open girls champion, and her progression has been given a helping hand by the Grand Slam Player Development Programme.

The GSPDP, funded by the four Grand Slam tournaments and administered by the ITF, supports talented players to ensure all countries are represented in professional tennis.

Osorio received a $25,000 grant from the GSPDP in 2020, and junior grants in 2018 and 2019. She was also on several ITF/GSPDP Touring Teams, which gave her the chance to travel to international tournaments with other promising youngsters.

3) Iga Swiatek is a rock fan

Three-time Roland Garros champion and top seed Iga Swiatek’s music of choice in her headphones when she walks on court is rock music. “ I keep it the same the whole season to have my routine. Usually it's Guns N' Roses, Led Zeppelin and AC/DC."

The routine of 1980s metal is clearly working for the world No. 1, as she defeated local hope Diane Parry 61 61 on Monday to extend her impressive win-loss record for the year to 49-5.

4) Paternity leave mid-match is possible

Chair umpire Nico Helwerth was umpiring the match on Court 8 between Beatriz Hadda Maia and Anna Karolina Schmiedlova when the tournament referee’s office called to tell him that his wife had gone into labour. In a rare mid-match umpire change, he was whisked off court so that he could rush home to Stuttgart, Germany for the birth of his first child.

Everyone at the ITF wishes Nico and his wife Denise the best of luck.

5) Mixed doubles can be a love match

The mixed doubles at the Olympic Tennis Event always throws up some intriguing combinations as higher-ranked singles players, who might not see it as a priority during the year, team up with the prospect of an Olympic medal on the line.

Perhaps the most interesting partnership of all, however, is the Czech duo of Katerina Siniakova and Tomas Machac – who are not just a couple on the court, having been in a relationship since 2021.

So, what’s it like playing professional tennis with your real-life partner?

“He says that I give him more pressure than I do other partners,” said Siniakova, who also revealed that she is the boss both on and off the court.

“We are both athletes, we don’t talk about tennis off the court – there’s too much tennis!”

Siniakova and Machac – both very accomplished doubles players in their own right – marked themselves as ones to watch in the mixed event by taking out top seeds Laura Siegemund and Alexander Zverev 6-4 7-5 on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

When asked how competing in mixed doubles at the Olympics compares with other events, Siniakova explained: “On Suzanne Lenglen it was amazing, much bigger than when we play on smaller courts. I would say this match the atmosphere was bigger, amazing. It was really nice.”

Other results of note in the mixed doubles on Monday saw wins for Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori against Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev, while Demi Schuurs and Wesley Koolhof defeated Maria Sakkari and Stefanos Tsitsipas.