Roland Garros 2024 Women’s Day 1

Naomi Osaka needed a final-set fight to end a run of three consecutive first-round Grand Slam defeats as the former No. 1 started the French Open 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 over Italian Lucia Bronzetti on Sunday.

The unseeded Japanese who returned to the WTA at the start of 2024 after taking off 2023 to give birth, had not won a match at a major since Australia, 2022.   

The best showing this season for the WTA No. 134 was a February quarter-final in Doha,

The 48th-ranked Bronzetti has now lost all three of her Roland Garros matches but threatened an upset of Osaka in a dramatic final set.

The Italian fought back from 0-4 down for a 5-4 lead before Osaka held serve, 5-all.

The former No. 1 broke for 6-5 and secured the tight victory after two hours on a first match point as Bronzetti netted a return.

“At moments I played pretty well but I got tight and nervous,’ the winner of four hardcourt Grand Slam titles said.

“I’m glad I was able to come back from being down in the third set, I’m pretty happy.

“I can play quite well on clay and I hope to show it in more matches.”

Ninth seed Jelen Ostapenko, who has never come anywhere close to duplicating her 2017 trophy here, began this edition with a 6-4, 7-5 defeat of Romanian Jacqueline Cristian.

The Latvian prevailed as she broke in the final game, advancing on her first  match point as Cristian double-faulted after 94 minutes.

“It’s great to come back and play here,” Ostapenko said. “This is a special place for me.

“It was not an easy match, she’s had some good wins. I’m happy with how I was fighting today.

“I never gave up, these courts are amazing for me.”

Croat Donna Vekic earned the first win of the tournament, advancing to the second round when Lesia Tsurenko retired trailing 5-6 in the first set.

Dayana Yastremska earned a win for Ukraine as she beat Australian wild card Ajla Tomljanovic 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.