Emma Raducanu slammed French Open organisers for limiting practise time on the big courts before facing four-time champion Iga Swiatek. “I feel like certain players get preferred treatment,” she said. The British No.2 battled to a three-set win over China’s Wang Xinju on Court 8 - the first British singles win in the claycourt Grand Slam since 2023.

The 2021 US Open winner will now face the defending champion who extended her French Open winning streak to 22 matches by beating Rebecca Sramkova 6-3 6-3.

Raducanu has lost all four of their previous matches without winning a set, including in the third round of this year’s Australian Open. “It's great,” she said. “I get another crack at the best in the world. And I'm looking forward to playing on a big court probably as well.”

The match is likely to be staged in either Court Philippe-Chatrier or Court Suzanne-Lenglen - the two main arenas where Raducanu has never played. She played only two matches on her French Open debut in 2022.

“I honestly think it's really difficult, because the tournament don't really help in terms of getting you court time on the bigger courts or on like the match courts, really,” said the world No.42.

“I feel like, I don't know, certain players get preferred treatment. It's very different from at the annex, for example, across the road or other courts to then kind of jump onto Chatrier or jump on to a stadium. It isn't easy. I wish they would give us more opportunities on stadium or bigger courts, especially if we're going to play on them.

“That court today, it was cute, intimate. I like you can really feel the fans and their support, because sometimes on a bigger court, if it is not full, it feels a little bit empty. There you're right in the thick of it.

"There is a lot going on. There are other courts around. There's a lot of noise. There's music. But it was good I think for me to stay focused and really centred on the match in front of me. But yeah, it does take a little bit of just adjustment.”

Asked about facing Swiatek in her courtside interview after beating world No.43 Wang, Raducanu said: “I am very happy to have given myself another chance in the draw. I felt the noise around the match before even playing our first rounds. I’m looking forward to going out there. Obviously not much pressure on me. My game is actually in a pretty good place. A good challenge.

“I think it's a match for me where I can really test and challenge myself. I think exposure to the top players is great for where I'm at for my development.

“I think especially on clay, you know, it's her preferred tournament and probably surface. She's won it, like, four times. It's a match where I can go out and test really just myself and go for my shots, because I know if I just push the ball, I'm probably going to get eaten. I need to, like, hit the ball. I'm looking forward to that challenge.”