Canadians could contend at the French Open

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The second major of the tennis season begins on Sunday at Roland Garros in Paris — and the 2022 French Open does not appear to lack for intrigue.

On the men's side, Rafael Nadal looks to extend a pair of records as he sits on 13 French Open titles and 21 total Grand Slam championships. The latter mark could be threatened by Novak Djokovic, who might've taken the record for himself at the Australian Open but was instead unable to play because he is unvaccinated. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Spanish phenom Carlos Alcaraz could crash the party with a first major championship of his own.

The women's bracket is all about Poland's Iga Swiatek, who's riding 28-match and five-tournament winning streaks into France. Also, former No. 1 Naomi Osaka returns to Roland Garros, the site of her withdrawal last year after she was fined for skipping post-match press conferences to protect her mental health.

Meanwhile, five Canadians carry hopes of their own into the tournament. Here's what you should know about each of them:

Bianca Andreescu

The 2019 U.S. Open champion is the lowest ranked of the four Canadians in singles at the French Open. And yet the betting markets will tell you that Andreescu, at No. 72, represents the country's best shot at winning the whole thing.

That's because ever since the 21-year-old returned in time for clay season, she's played like her vintage 19-year-old self with six wins in nine matches. Among those victories was a straight-sets takedown of No. 6 Danielle Collins, but the best thing is that Andreescu has appeared healthy and powerful. Even her incredible 2019