Iga Swiatek shook off the emotion from Rafael Nadal’s retirement ceremony 24 hours earlier to post a 6-3, 6-3 win to open her account at the French Open on Monday.
The four-time Paris champion turned in a solid start as defending champion as she dismissed Slovak Rebecca Sramkova.
Swiatek, seeded fifth after a patchy clay run-up season, was in the stands for the Roland Garros goodbye to 14-time men’s winner Nadal on Sunday.
The Pole admitted she shed some tears during the more emotional moments at the Chatrier showcourt ceremony.
“I wouldn’t call it a serious crying, but for sure there were tears… I think twice during the ceremony,” she said.
“But I really tried to hold it together so I don’t look that bad. It was an amazing ceremony, and I’m happy that Roland Garros did this for Rafa.
“I’m happy that also the whole tennis world had the opportunity to come together and just thank him. We all should be grateful for everything that he has done.
“He’s a GOAT so I’m happy that I was there.”
The five-time titleholder at the majors polished her first-round record at Grand Slams to 24-1 with her opening victory.
She has won her last 22 matches here and is seeking to become the first woman to win four successive Roland Garros titles in the Open Era. She comes to Paris without a run-up clay title for the first time in five years.
Swiatek set up a high-profile second rounder against 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu after the weakened Brit battled past Wang Xinyu 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.
Photo Roger Parker International Sports Fotos
Swiatek has beaten Raducanu in all four of their WTA matches as well as in Wimbledon juniors. The pair last met in January’s Australian Open third round.
“Melbourne and Roland Garros, (are) like, totally different surfaces, different stories. I’ll prepare tactically as I should before a clay court match, and that’s it,” Swiatek said.
Raducanu needed a medical timeout in her victory over her Chinese opponent after suffering recent back spasms. She also had her blood pressure taken during the first-set MTO,
The Briton led 4-2 in the first set but only edged it out 7-5 before dropping the second. She gained a double break in the deciding set and advanced on a third match point into the Swiatek clash.
The gruelling win in two and three-quarter hours was the longest-ever clay match for the London-based player.
“I’m actually really proud of today’s match because I woke up and I felt really sick, to be honest. I felt bad from the morning,” she said.
“I was just trying and fighting through that, it was really difficult. I felt it straightaway in the first set and it didn’t really go away.
“To have come through that and overcome how I was feeling, I’m really happy. It would have been easy to let it drag me down.”
The Briton said that she is keen to face Swiatek again.
“This is her preferred surface, she’s won it four times. This is a match where I can really test myself and go for my shots.
“If I just push the ball, I’m probably going to get eaten. I need to hit the ball. I’m looking forward to that challenge.”
Two-time quarter-finalist Elena Rybakina started her campaign with a struggle, overcoming Argentina’s 202nd-ranked qualifier Julia Riera 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 after an hour and three-quarters.
The 11th-seeded Kazakh who won Wimbledon three years ago, came to Paris after a title 48 hours ago in Strasbourg; Monday’s Paris victory was her 24th of the season.
“Winning Strasbourg definitely gives some confidence,” she said. “I was looking to play some more matches in a row.
“I’m happy that it happened right before the French Open. (it was) most important that I felt physically well after all these matches. It was good preparation (for) here.”
Strasbourg semi-finalist Danielle Collins beat Brit Jodie Burrage 7-6 91), 6-4 while one-time WTA No. 2 Paula Badosa defeated former No. 1 Naomi Osaka with a 6-7 (1), 6-1, 6-4 comeback.
Photo Roger Parker International Sports Fotos
Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro showed no mercy to Emma Navarro, crushing the ninth seed with the loss of just one game in 55 minutes.
Benarda Pera accounted for Caroline Garcia, the Frenchwoman who said she had played for much of her career with back pain. The American advanced 6-4, 6-4.
Aljla Tomljanovic won an all-Aussie match-up as she stopped Maya Joint 6-1, 6-3.
