Dramatic Start to the French Open
The French Open kicked off with a day full of surprises and dramatic moments, as several high-profile players found themselves on the wrong side of the scoreline. Among them was World No.9 Taylor Fritz, who was expected to be one of the top contenders in the tournament. However, he suffered a shocking defeat in the first round, losing 6-7 (5-7) 6-7 (5-7) 7-9 (11-0) 1-6 to 21-year-old Nishesh Basavareddy. This marked Basavareddy’s first career victory over a top-10 player, making Fritz the highest-ranked player to fall on the opening day.
In addition to Fritz, four former grand slam champions also faced early exits. Emma Raducanu, Sofia Kenin, Sloane Stephens, and Barbora Krejcikova all fell at the first hurdle. Raducanu’s performance was particularly concerning, as she failed to win a single game in the first set against Argentina’s Solana Sierra. She hit zero winners and made 15 unforced errors in that set alone. The former US Open champion then trailed 4-1 in the second set but managed to show some fight before ultimately losing 0-6 6-7 (4).
“I don’t think I’ve fully processed it yet, so it’s hard to speak about the match right now,” Raducanu said after the match, where she made a total of 42 unforced errors.
Stephens lost in straight sets to Sara Bejlek, while former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin suffered the same fate against Peyton Stearns. Krejčíková, who has two grand slam singles titles to her name, lost in three sets to 20th seed Hailey Baptiste.
Djokovic’s Close Call
Novak Djokovic, one of the most decorated players in tennis history, had his own moment of suspense during the first round. He dropped the first set against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, which looked like it might cost him the match. However, the 24-time major winner showed his resilience by coming back to win 5-7 7-5 6-1 6-4.
Djokovic praised his opponent’s serve, saying, “His service is practically impossible to see…Only once or twice in my career have I seen a serve like it.”
Australian Players’ Mixed Results
The Australian contingent had a mixed day at the French Open. World No.82 James Duckworth advanced when Gabriel Diallo, ranked 33 places higher, had to quit with the Aussie leading 6-3 4-1. Ajla Tomljanovic, however, was the first Australian casualty, as she blew a set and 3-0 lead against American doubles specialist Caty McNally, eventually losing 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-3.
These results highlight the unpredictable nature of the French Open, where even the top seeds can face early exits. The tournament promises to be a thrilling competition, with many more surprises expected in the coming days.
