Paris [France]: Reigning champion Iga Swiatek began her French Open 2025 campaign in confident fashion, overcoming a brief scare to defeat Rebecca Sramkova 6-3, 6-3 in the first round on Monday.
The Polish World No. 1, who is chasing her fourth Roland Garros crown, was trailing 1-3 early in the opening set but quickly regrouped to reel off five straight games and dominate the rest of the match. Swiatek took just under 90 minutes to secure her place in the second round.
Up next for Swiatek is a high-profile clash with Emma Raducanu, who battled past Wang Xinyu in a gruelling 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 contest that lasted 2 hours and 44 minutes.
Swiatek holds a commanding 4-0 head-to-head record over Raducanu. Their most recent meeting came in the third round of the Australian Open 2025, where Swiatek dismantled the British star 6-0, 6-1 in just 70 minutes.
Rybakina Advances After Tough Test
Meanwhile, Elena Rybakina, the No. 4 seed, was forced to dig deep against Argentine qualifier Julia Riera, eventually prevailing 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 in a match that stretched 1 hour and 45 minutes.
The Kazakh star, a former Wimbledon champion, has now reached the second round in Paris for the sixth straight year, and she remains one of the tournament’s dark horses. Her best results at Roland Garros include quarterfinal finishes in 2021 and 2024.
Rybakina will next face 17-year-old American wild card Iva Jovic, who is making her Grand Slam debut.
Upcoming Matches to Watch
- Iga Swiatek vs. Emma Raducanu – A rematch of their one-sided Australian Open clash
- Elena Rybakina vs. Iva Jovic – Youth meets experience in the second round showdown