The French Open
Roland Garros 2026 Women’s Day 1
Marta Kostyuk won a French Open match under the most extreme pressure on Sunday as she advanced to the second round after a Russian drone and missile attack on her hometown overnight.
The winner of the Madrid title this month played her first match in more than three weeks, blocking out the tragedy unfolding in Kyiv.
Kostyuk defeated Russian-born Oksana Selekhmeteva, somehow appearing here under Spanish colours, 6-2, 6-3.
Her support box included Spanish BJK Cup captain Carla Suarez Navarro, who watched her hastily adopted player fire a dozen double-faults as she lost.
The 15th-ranked Kostyuk became emotional after her victory, calling the win “one of the most difficult matches of my career.
“This morning, 100 meters from my parent’s house, the missile destroyed the building. It was a very difficult morning. I didn’t know how this match is gonna turn out for me.
“I didn’t know how I would handle it. I’ve been crying part of the morning. I don’t wanna talk about myself today.” She added: “
I’m very pleased to be in the second round, but all of my thoughts and all my heart goes to the people of Ukraine today. Thank you so much for coming out. Slava Ukraine.”
Eighth seed Mirra Andreeva made quick work of France’s Fiona Ferro 6-3, 6-3, thriving in the unusual broiling conditions.
“It’s a little bit unexpected for Paris, this kind of weather, but I was okay.
“I’m just happy that I was prepared (they) didn’t really bother me on the court.”
Emma Raducanu lost a seventh consecutive match as she was eliminated 6-0, 7-6 (4) by Argentine Solana Sierra.
But the Brit who won the 2021 US Open and has done barely anything since put up a fight in the second set.
Trailing 4-1, Raducanu forced the match into a tiebreaker, where her South American opponent finally prevailed on a first match point.
Raducanu last won a match in February in between injury absences and will now transfer her attention to the brief grass season at home.
,Last year’s junior champion Lilli Tagger lost in the first Grand Slam main draw match of her career, saving four match points before going down to China’s Wang Xinyu.
The Austrian, linked with the management team handling fellow German-speaker Jannik Sinner, was unable to close the gap from 5-1 down in the third set against Wang.
Tagger pulled to 4-5 but took the loss with a forehand return into the net as Wang escaped with the victory after more than two hours on court.
Swiss 11th seed Belinda Bencic, playing the event for the first time in three years after taking leave to have a daughter, began her campaign 6-3, 6-3 over Sinja Kraus.
The No. 101 Austrian qualifier was playing a Grand Slam main draw for the first time but was unable to make an impression on the former Olympic champion.
Bencic will bid for the third round against Caty McNally after the American staged a fightback from a set and two breaks down, overhauling Australian Ajla Tomljanovic, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3.
American Hailey Baptiste shocked 2021 Paris champion Barbora Krejcikova with a 6-7 (7), 7-6 (6), 6-2 result.
The defeat sent the two-time Grand Slam winner now ranked 42nd out in the first round for the fourth time in the past five editions since lifting the 2021 trophy.
“It was a very close first two sets, 7-6, 6-7, and I had set points in both sets that I wasn’t able to convert, but I just stayed tough,” the winner said.
“I saved a couple of match points in the second, and somehow got
over the finish line.”
A video tribute from Roger Federer marked the end of the French Open on Monday for Stan Wawrinka as the Swiss went out in the first round.
Joining Federer in celebrating the career of the three-time Grand Slam winner who will pack up his racquet at the end of this season were former rivals Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and retiring French icon Gael Monfils.
Current world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and his own rival Carlos Alcaraz also sent best wishes.
The 41-year-old Wwarinka, who won the Paris title in 2015 and claimed Davis Cup and Olympic titles, reached a career high of third in the world.
He lost his opening match at this edition, defeated by 25-year-old Jesper de Jong 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
The winner’s Dutch coach had once lost to Wawrinka back in the day.
Three-timm Grand Slam champion Wawrinka was surprised in a post-match on-cort ceremony orchestrated by TD Amelie Mauresmo and federation boss Gilles Moretton,
“Ciao Stanley, congratulations for your career and especially what you did when you won at Roland Garros,” 20-time Grand Slam winner Federer said in his message on the stadium video wall.
“It was exceptional what you did in beating novak in the final – I will neve forget it
“I spent so much time with you on the Tour over the course of your career. I hope you celebrate this final Roland Garros properly and that you enjoy everything up until the end of your career (coming at the end of this season).
“See you soon, old man.”
Nadal recalled that he and Wwarinak “grew up together” adding that the Swiss had “an unforgettable career.”
Djokovic, last of the fabled Big 3 still active in the sport, addressed his friend and rival: “Stanimal, congratulations on an incredible career.
“You were an inspiration to me and many other players across several generations (after 25 years in the sport).
“You have so much to be proud of, I’m very happy to call you a friend.”
Rome champion Elina Sviolina was broken to love while serving for the match, but had to struggle in the end to emerge with a 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (3) result.
The Ukrainian married to Gael Monfils rallied from 1-3 down in the final set, winning in a tiebreaker to preserve her record of never having lost in the first round here.
Daria Kasatkina continued repairs on her game after a poor first half of the season, with the adopted Australian advancing past Zeynep Sonmez 6-4, 6-4.
Kasatkina, who reached the semi-finals here in 2022, earned only her seventh WTA-level match win of 2026.
“I’m proud of the effort, conditions were brutal,” the winner said. “Grand Slams are always very tricky. You never know how you’re going to face (them at the start).”
Double Grand Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini, who has not been past the fourth round of a major since her summer 2024 highlight period, reached the second round 7-5, 6-3 as she defeated Dayana Yastremska.
The Italian who is concentrating only on singles for the moment, next faces Argentine Solana Sierra, a Monday winner over Emma Raducanu.
Olympic champion and 2024 Australian Open runner-up Zheng Qinwen managed to win just four games as Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinski scored a straight-sets knockout.
The Chinese player, who will drop from the top 100, has been through a tough injury period, missing seven months after elbow surgery last season.
A disheartening French Open defeat has left Emma Raducanu’s dream of a Wimbledon seeding a mirage.
The Briton who has barely played through injury and illness over the last few seasons, crashed out in a dismal showing, losing 6-0, 7-6 (4) to Solana Sierra of Argentina.
The Day 1 defeat dropped her ranking to 39th, out of range for one of the 32 seeded spots when play begins in a month.
The former US Open winner is apparently ready to get straight onto the grass, with the BBC reporting that she has signed up for pre-Wimbledon WTA tournaments in Berlin and Eastbourne after Queen’s Club and prior to the Grand Slam.
Federer leads tributes as Swiss Stan plays final RG match
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