Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz returns the ball to Italy’s Giulio Zeppieri throughout their first spherical match of the French Tennis Open, on the Roland-Garros stadium, in Paris on Could 26, 2025
| Picture Credit score: AP
Iga Swiatek, who has struggled these days, and Carlos Alcaraz, who has not, obtained off to good begins of their French Open title defences Monday (Could 26, 2025), recording straight-set victories to succeed in the second spherical.
Swiatek was up first in Court docket Philippe-Chatrier and defeated Forty second-ranked Rebecca Sramkova 6-3, 6-3. Swiatek compiled 25 winners and 17 unforced errors within the 1-hour, 24-minute contest.
Alcaraz wanted solely a few half-hour greater than that for a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over Giulio Zeppieri, an Italian qualifier who’s ranked 310th. Alcaraz gained all 14 of his service video games, saving the three break factors he confronted, at Court docket Suzanne-Lenglen.
“It was actually, actually strong,” Alcaraz mentioned. “Actually proud about my begin.”
Each Swiatek and Alcaraz sat within the Chatrier stands a day earlier to observe the farewell tribute to 14-time champion Rafael Nadal — and each lively gamers wore the rust-colored T-shirts that learn “Merci Rafa” distributed to spectators. Swiatek has typically talked about her admiration for Nadal; Alcaraz is taken into account the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s inheritor obvious.
“For certain, there have been tears,” mentioned Swiatek, who faces 2021 U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu subsequent. “It was superb ceremony, and I’m blissful that Roland Garros did this for Rafa. I’m blissful that additionally the entire tennis world had a possibility to form of come collectively and simply thank him. … He is a GOAT, so I’m blissful that I used to be there.”
Alcaraz is seeded No. 2 behind Jannik Sinner — who superior Monday night time with a 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Seventy fifth-ranked Arthur Rinderknech — and is coming off a clay-court title on the Italian Open a little bit greater than per week in the past. Alcaraz beat Sinner within the ultimate there.
Monday’s consequence gave Alcaraz 28 wins in his previous 30 matches on purple clay, together with going 7 for 7 a 12 months in the past at Roland-Garros. One of many losses got here towards Novak Djokovic within the gold-medal match eventually 12 months’s Paris Olympics, held on the similar web site because the French Open.
Swiatek has slipped to No. 5 within the rankings, her first trip of the highest two spots in about three years. She hasn’t reached a ultimate at any match since amassing her third consecutive championship — and fourth in 5 years — in Paris in 2024.
The 23-year-old from Poland prolonged her French Open unbeaten streak to 22 matches and is making an attempt to grow to be the primary girl with 4 trophies in a row on the match within the skilled period, which started in 1968. Monica Seles and Justine Henin additionally gained three straight titles at Roland-Garros.
Two extremely seeded Individuals who made career-best runs on the U.S. Open final September bowed out shortly in Paris: No. 4 Taylor Fritz, the runner-up to Sinner in New York, and No. 9 Emma Navarro, a semifinalist at Flushing Meadows.
Fritz misplaced 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 to 66th-ranked Daniel Altmaier of Germany. The massive-serving Fritz was damaged 5 instances and noticed the top of his 15-match Grand Slam successful streak towards opponents ranked exterior the highest 50.
Navarro was eradicated 6-0, 6-1 in simply 57 minutes by Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain. Bouzas Maneiro’s largest win of her profession additionally got here within the first spherical at a Grand Slam match: She beat reigning champion Marketa Vondrousova within the first spherical of Wimbledon final 12 months.
Printed – Could 27, 2025 04:41 am IST