PARIS – World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka cruised into the second round of the French Open on Sunday with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova.
Meanwhile, Philippine sensation Alex Eala took an early exit in her Roland Garros main draw debut, losing a tough three-setter versus Colombia’s Emiliana Arango, 0-6, 6-2, 3-6.
Sabalenka broke Rakhimova five times as she wrapped up victory in an hour to make a convincing start to her Roland Garros campaign.
Three-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka will play Switzerland’s Jil Teichmann or Italian qualifier Lucrezia Stefanini for a spot in the last 32.
The 27-year-old from Belarus has never reached the final in Paris, but the tournament appears more open than in recent years given the struggles of three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek.
On Sunday, Roland Garros will pay tribute to its greatest champion with a ceremony for the retired Rafael Nadal.
Nadal, the record 14-time champion on the Paris clay, retired from tennis last November after an illustrious career.
He returns to Court Philippe Chatrier a year after suffering a first-round exit at the hands of Alexander Zverev in what proved to be his final French Open.
The Spaniard finished with a remarkable 112-4 win-loss record at Roland Garros, dominating the tournament since winning the title on his debut in 2005.
Nadal hung up his racquet following the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, initially denying him an opportunity to wave goodbye to his adoring fans in Paris.
His tally of 14 victories at a single Grand Slam appears unlikely to be beaten, with Margaret Court’s 11 Australian Open titles second on the all-time list.
Nadal’s heir apparent Carlos Alcaraz will start his title defense next week as a slight favorite to become the first man to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires since his compatriot’s retirement.