PARIS — Iga Swiatek, facing recent challenges, and Carlos Alcaraz, riding high on success, both delivered impressive starts to their French Open title defenses on Monday, securing straight-set victories that propelled them into the second round.
Swiatek was the first to take the stage at Court Philippe-Chatrier, triumphing over 42nd-ranked Rebecca Sramkova with a score of 6-3, 6-3. In a contest lasting 1 hour and 24 minutes, Swiatek unleashed 25 winners while committing 17 unforced errors.
Alcaraz followed suit, taking about half an hour longer to secure a solid 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory against Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri, who is ranked 310th. The rising star dominated his service games, winning all 14 and saving three break points on Court Suzanne-Lenglen.
“It was a really solid performance,” Alcaraz reflected. “I’m truly proud of my start.”
Both players were present in the Chatrier stands the previous day to participate in the heartfelt farewell tribute to the legendary Rafael Nadal, a 14-time champion. Sporting rust-colored “Merci Rafa” T-shirts distributed to the crowd, Swiatek expressed her admiration for Nadal, while Alcaraz is often regarded as the heir to the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s legacy.
“There were definitely tears,” Swiatek shared, looking ahead to her match against 2021 U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu. “It was an incredible ceremony, and I’m grateful that Roland Garros honored Rafa in such a way. It was a beautiful moment for the entire tennis community to come together and express our gratitude… He’s truly the GOAT, and I’m glad I was there.”
Alcaraz is seeded second, following Jannik Sinner, who was set to compete later that night. Coming off a triumph at the Italian Open just over a week ago, Alcaraz had previously defeated Sinner in that final.
With Monday’s match result, Alcaraz recorded 28 wins in his last 30 encounters on red clay, including an impressive 7-for-7 at Roland-Garros the previous year. One of his few defeats came at the hands of Novak Djokovic during the gold-medal match at last year’s Paris Olympics, hosted in the same venue as the French Open.
Swiatek, now positioned fifth in the rankings, finds herself outside the top two for the first time in nearly three years. She hasn’t reached a final in any tournament since capturing her third consecutive title—and fourth overall—in Paris in 2024.
The 23-year-old Polish star extended her unbeaten French Open streak to 22 matches, aiming to become the first woman since the tournament’s inception in the professional era in 1968 to clinch four consecutive trophies. Notably, Monica Seles and Justine Henin also achieved three straight titles at this prestigious event.
What else unfolded at the French Open on Monday?
Emma Navarro, the ninth-seeded American and U.S. Open semifinalist from last September, faced a swift exit, falling to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain with a score of 6-0, 6-1 in just 57 minutes.
Bouzas Maneiro’s victory marks her most significant career achievement, having previously defeated the reigning champion Marketa Vondrousova in the first round of Wimbledon last year.
Who will take to the court at Roland-Garros on Tuesday?
Day 3’s lineup features past major title holders, including Djokovic, Coco Gauff, Daniil Medvedev, and Sofia Kenin, along with runners-up like Alexander Zverev and Jessica Pegula.
