Emerson Jones already has an appreciation of how extraordinary it is to feature in a Grand Slam and will look to utilise her experience in the Roland Garros girls’ singles this week.

The Roland Garros Junior Championships has a tremendous history of identifying the star performers of tomorrow and features the world’s most richly-talented teenagers.

The No. 1 seeded Jones, who played in the Australian Open women’s singles this year, and other gifted aspirants featuring in the 64-strong draw need look no further than last year’s champion Tereza Valentova for inspiration.

A year after her triumph in the girls’ singles, the 18-year-old qualified for this year’s Roland Garros and won a round on debut to earn an outing against American champion Coco Gauff.

Not only will the players featuring at Roland Garros over the next week gain a Grand Slam experience, Valentova’s example provides a tangible guide that the next step is possible.

Gauff, too, is a shining example as a former girls’ champion in Paris that a dream achieved over the next seven days on the world’s finest clay courts can lead to the brightest of futures.

The 2018 champion, Daria Kasatkina (2014) and Elina Svitolina (2010) are among former junior winners alive in the second week of the women’s draw in Paris.

Similarly, the boys’ singles headed by top seeded Spaniard Andres Santamarta Roig can look to second week men’s representatives and former junior champions Holger Rune (2019), Alexei Popyrin (2017), Tommy Paul (2014) and Andrey Rublev (2013) for motivation.

There are no prior junior grand slam singles champions in either draw, which furthers the exciting opportunity at hand in Paris in an event beginning on Sunday morning at 11am.

A winner of the ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals in China last October, Jones plays American qualifier Capucine Jauffret and will hope to improve on an early exit in 2024 as she seeks to become the first Australian to win a junior title in Paris since 1968.

There is intrigue surrounding exciting Belgian teenager Jeline Vandromme, the No. 3 seed drawn to play Austrian Lilli Tagger, as she seeks to become just the second girl from her nation to win the highly-sought after title after seven-time Grand Slam champion Justine Henin.

Among the leading contenders at Roland Garros this year are twin sisters and 2025 Australian Open girls’ doubles champions Kristina and Annika Penickova.

Kristina Penickova, the No. 2 seed, will play Bulgarian Rositsa Dencheva in the opening round on Court No.8, while her sister will fly the American flag against Sweden’s Nellie Taraba Wallberg.

Alena Kovackova, the No. 10 seed and a girls’ doubles champion at Wimbledon in 2023, will face Japan’s Lisa Kamigata, who enters under a special exemption, on Court No. 10.

Spain’s Charo Esquiva Banuls has demonstrated a liking for clay this year, winning 20 of her 24 matches on the surface in J300 or above tournaments, and is seeded 13th in Paris. She faces French wildcard Margot Phanthala in the first round on Sunday.

Roig, who has been competing in ITF senior events this year, has earned the top seeding but is unlikely to have all the fan support given an opening round clash with French wildcard Ferdinand Livet Novkirichka.

Romanian Yannick Theodor Alexandrescou, the No.7 seed, has the most wins in J300 or above tournaments on clay in 2025 but faces a challenge from Great Britain’s Oliver Bonding.

The presence of American Jagger Leach, the No. 5 seed, and Cruz Hewitt, who won through qualifying last week in Paris, is certain to draw focus given the deeds of their parents.

Leach, who faces Kazakhstan’s Zangar Nurlanuly and is among the 19 Americans who feature in the respective draws, is the son of three-time Grand Slam champion Lindsay Davenport.

Hewitt, who spent time with legendary coach and 1966 Roland Garros champion Tony Roche to prepare for the boys’ singles in Paris, is the son of former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt. One of three Australians in action in the respective singles, he faces Italian Pierluigi Basile in the opening round.

The sons of stars will begin their campaigns back-to-back on Court No. 4 in Paris on Sunday.

Another Italian, the second seeded Jacopo Vasami, is considered among the leading candidates to claim the prized junior Grand Slam and will begin his campaign against Joao Pedro Didoni Bonini from Brazil.

Local hopes expected to challenge for Roland Garros glory are headed by Moise Kouame, who is the top-ranked French player across the boys and girls’ singles at 834 in the world.

There are 29 French players in total across the two singles draws for the 2025 junior event.