Naomi Osaka marked her return to Grand Slam tennis with a hard-fought victory, while Carlos Alcaraz continued his streak of first-round successes in thrilling day at the French Open.
Osaka, who has struggled to advance beyond the third round at Roland Garros, overcame Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti in a three-set battle on Court Philippe Chatrier.
The scoreline read 6-1, 4-6, 7-5, showcasing Osaka’s resilience as she bounced back from a deficit in the final set. The former world number one, now ranked 134th, expressed her joy and gratitude for being able to compete again, highlighting moments of excellent play during the match.
Her win sets up a potential clash with top seed Iga Swiatek, provided Swiatek can defeat qualifier Leolia Jeanjean. Osaka’s journey in Paris has been mixed, with a withdrawal in 2021 to prioritize her mental health and a first-round exit in 2022 before taking a break from the sport.
On the men’s side, Alcaraz, the reigning Wimbledon champion and world number three, made light work of America’s J.J. Wolf with a straight-sets victory of 6-1, 6-2, 6-1. Alcaraz, who reached the semi-finals last year, showed no signs of the arm injury that affected him in Rome, confidently advancing to maintain his perfect record in Grand Slam first rounds.
The day also hinted at farewells, with Andy Murray, in his final season, and Rafael Nadal, who left open the possibility of this being his last French Open, both in action. Nadal, unseeded due to a drop in ranking after injuries, faces a challenging match against Alexander Zverev.
As the tournament progresses, the anticipation for potential upsets and historic moments continues to build, with players like Stan Wawrinka and Andrey Rublev also making their mark on the clay courts of Paris. Nadal’s future in the sport remains a topic of speculation, but for now, the focus is on the fierce competition unfolding at the French Open.
Reported By AFP.
