Day 1 at Roland-Garros Sees Upsets and Stars Shine

PARIS, France — The opening day of the 2025 Roland-Garros was filled with excitement and surprise as world number one Aryna Sabalenka made a quick exit through the first round.

Sabalenka dominated her match against Kamilla Rakhimova, winning 6-1, 6-0 in just 60 minutes. “I’m super happy to be back in Paris, I love playing in front of all you guys,” she told Marion Bartoli on court after her victory.

In a shocking upset, Italy’s Matteo Gigante, ranked 167th in the world, defeated 20th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, a former French Open finalist, in four sets on Court Simonne Mathieu. This marked Gigante’s first victory at a Grand Slam.

Meanwhile, 12th seed Tommy Paul was engaged in a thrilling match with Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics that went to a deciding set.

Sabalenka, who expressed her hope of performing well this tournament, faced a few challenges during her match, including some frustration over unforced errors. However, she rebounded quickly and delivered powerful strikes to dominate the match.

A late match between Frances Tiafoe and Lorenzo Sonego was also stirring, moving into a tense fifth set as night approached. Tiafoe managed to stay alive in the contest, matching Sonego point for point.

Shifting focus back to women’s singles, Elina Svitolina effortlessly dispatched Zeynep Sonmez of Turkey, winning 6-1, 6-1. In contrast, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova faced an unexpected exit, losing to Viktorija Golubic.

As the night continued with fans buzzing with the day’s events, all eyes turned to the upcoming matches, including a highly anticipated showdown between Iga Swiatek and Emma Raducanu.

The first day concluded with fans eager for what the next round would bring, showcasing the unpredictable and thrilling nature of tennis.