2023 Roland Garros: Three Americans in wheelchair draw; Ratzlaff makes U.S. history

Three Americans will feature in the wheelchair event at Roland Garros this week, with Casey Ratzlaff making history U.S. history in the process. While Dana Mathewson and David Wagner will compete in the women's and quad events, respectively, again in their careers, Ratzlaff will be the first American man to play in the men's open division when he makes his tournament debut on Tuesday.

Entering Roland Garros at No. 14 in the world wheelchair rankings, one spot off the career-best he attained in March, the unseeded Ratzlaff will open against No. 3 seed, Gustavo Fernandez of Argentina, in singles. He'll also partner France's Frédéric Cattaneo in men's doubles, though the pair earned a tough first-round draw against No. 1-seeded Brits Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid. 

This year's Roland Garros wheelchair event features a 16-player field for the first time, an expansion from 2022's dozen that which paved the way for Ratzlaff's entry.

Mathewson, into the women's field for the third straight year, also knows what it's like to fly the flag for the U.S. in Paris as the first American woman to ever compete at Roland Garros. The world No. 9 will face her doubles partner, Great Britain's Lucy Shuker, in the first round in singles, and as a tandem, they'll open against the French pair of Pauline Déroulède and Emmanuelle Mörch.

Wagner rounds out the trio, and eyes a first quad singles title in Paris to go along with what would be a fourth quad doubles title. The world No. 3 faces Great Britain's Andy Lapthorne in the first round in the bottom half of the draw, and with Japan's Koji Sugeno, will face No. 2 seeds Heath Davidson of Australia and Canada's Rob Shaw in the doubles semifinals.