Roland Garros WTA Day One Round-Up | Emma Raducanu collapses after bagel opener, former champion Krejcikova stunned as Andreeva and Bencic ease through
WTASunday, 24 May 2026 at 22:51
The 2026 WTA French Open at Roland Garros opened the Day One with a clear split between dominant straight-sets progressions and matches defined by large momentum reversals. Emma Raducanu endured a difficult start marked by a bagel opening set before attempting a late response, while Mirra Andreeva and Belinda Bencic both advanced through controlled performances that required minimal recovery phases.
The same opening day also delivered a notable early upset, with former Roland Garros champion Barbora Krejcikova eliminated after failing to convert match points in a tight three-set contest. Alongside efficient wins from Andreeva and Bencic, the Round of 128 already begins to reshape projected pathways into the second round.
Marta Kostyuk controls early surge before closing Selekhmeteva
Marta Kostyuk def. Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-2, 6-3
Kostyuk began her Roland Garros Round of 128 campaign by immediately establishing control through return pressure and early baseline aggression, racing into a 3-0 lead. Selekhmeteva briefly stabilised after holding serve, but Kostyuk consistently created break-point situations through depth and angle variation, keeping the Russian pinned behind the baseline.
The second set followed a more fragmented pattern, particularly after Kostyuk failed to convert two match points at 5-3, which extended the contest and allowed Selekhmeteva a short resurgence on serve. Despite this, Kostyuk maintained structural dominance in return games, repeatedly forcing second-serve rallies under pressure.
Kostyuk finished with 68% of first-serve points won and converted 5 of 11 break points, a decisive edge that reflected her control of neutral exchanges. She progresses into the Round of 64 of the Roland Garros draw with a performance defined by early separation and controlled closing phases.
Mirra Andreeva maintains baseline authority in straight-sets win
Mirra Andreeva def. Fiona Ferro 6-3, 6-3
Andreeva opened her Round of 128 match with immediate breaks in both sets, but the underlying control came from how early she was taking neutral rallies on her own terms. From the first few games, she established a clear baseline pattern: heavy depth to the backhand wing followed by accelerated crosscourt angles, which consistently pushed Ferro behind the baseline before she could construct any forward court positioning.
As the match progressed, Ferro’s serve became increasingly predictable under return pressure, particularly on second serve where Andreeva was stepping inside the baseline and redirecting early contact. That positioning compressed Ferro’s reaction time, forcing repeated defensive slices and short replies that never allowed her to stabilise rhythm or extend service holds beyond isolated games.
Andreeva finished with 74% of first-serve points won and converted 4 of 8 break points, but the more telling indicator was her ability to neutralise Ferro’s second serve, which effectively removed any sustained offensive structure from the French player. She advances into the second round with a controlled performance built on return positioning and early rally dominance rather than pure serve efficiency.
Mirra Andreeva celebrating the victory in the game, she raises her arms during the Mutua Madrid Open reaching her first Madrid semifinal
Belinda Bencic returns with composed win over Kraus
Belinda Bencic def. Sinja Kraus 6-2, 6-3
Bencic’s return to competition in the Roland Garros Round of 128 was underpinned by early return pressure and structured baseline control from the opening games. She created immediate separation, repeatedly targeting Kraus’ second serve and stepping inside the baseline to prevent any meaningful service consolidation.
Even after a brief disruption following a missed match point opportunity, Bencic quickly re-established her return rhythm, maintaining consistent depth in baseline exchanges and limiting Kraus to defensive patterns rather than constructed rallies.
Bencic finished with 71% of second-serve return points won and converted 6 of 9 break points, reflecting strong efficiency in return-driven phases. She moves into the Round of 64 with a controlled and tactically stable opening performance.
Hailey Baptiste eliminates Barbora Krejčíková after missed match points
Hailey Baptiste def. Barbora Krejčíková 6-7, 7-6, 6-2
Baptiste produced the standout result of the Round of 128 in a match defined by tight service patterns and extended baseline exchanges, with neither player able to generate sustained separation across the opening two sets. The overall structure was shaped by service holds under pressure, with return games repeatedly reaching deuce but without consistent break consolidation.
The second-set tiebreak became the key inflection point, where Krejcikova — a former Roland Garros champion (2021), two-time Grand Slam winner and former world No. 2 — held match points but was unable to close as Baptiste increased return depth and reduced the time available to execute second-serve patterns. That sequence shifted the contest into a more direct baseline exchange dynamic.
In the third set, Baptiste carried that adjustment forward, breaking early and consistently targeting second serves to prevent any rhythm recovery. Krejcikova’s output in extended rallies declined as the match progressed, while the American maintained higher return efficiency in key games to close out a controlled final set.
Baptiste finished with 63% of return points won and converted 5 of 10 break points, reflecting the shift from tiebreak survival to decisive third-set control.
Emma Raducanu overwhelmed early before partial recovery against Solana Sierra
Solana Sierra def. Emma Raducanu 6-0, 6-3
Raducanu was overwhelmed in the opening set as Sierra imposed immediate baseline control, using heavy depth and consistent return pressure to force repeated errors. The British player struggled to land first serves with any reliability and won only around 22% of total points in a one-sided first set, where she was repeatedly pushed behind the baseline and unable to neutralise rally patterns.
The second set initially followed a similar trajectory, with Sierra building a double-break lead and maintaining control through extended baseline exchanges. Raducanu, however, gradually adjusted by reducing unforced errors and improving first-serve percentage, which allowed her to extend rallies beyond the early contact phase and begin disrupting Sierra’s rhythm from neutral positions.
That adjustment became decisive in the closing stages of the set, where Raducanu recovered multiple games from a deep deficit to force a tiebreak. In the breaker, she executed with greater depth on return and more stable rally tolerance under pressure, overturning Sierra’s earlier dominance. Despite Sierra winning 5 of 12 break points across the match, she was unable to convert her control into a closing advantage in the second set as Raducanu completed the comeback.
Francesca Jones completes comeback over Beatriz Haddad Maia
Francesca Jones def. Beatriz Haddad Maia 1-6, 7-6, 6-2
Jones recovered from a heavy opening set in her Round of 128 match by increasing return aggression and extending baseline exchanges beyond Haddad Maia’s preferred rhythm. The Brazilian initially controlled serve patterns, but struggled to maintain consistency as rallies lengthened.
The match pivoted in the second-set tiebreak, after which Jones carried momentum into the decider by breaking early and maintaining return pressure throughout service games. Haddad Maia’s first-serve efficiency declined in the final set.
Jones won 58% of second-serve return points and converted 4 of 7 break points, key to sustaining her comeback structure. She progresses into the second round after reversing early match control.
Magda Linette survives marathon against Tereza Valentová
Magda Linette def. Tereza Valentová 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(11)
Linette progressed through one of the most extended Round of 128 encounters, defined by long baseline exchanges and repeated shifts in momentum. Neither player was able to sustain control for extended periods, producing a volatile deciding set.
The final tiebreak featured multiple match-point swings on both sides, with Linette ultimately securing the match after extended exchanges of mini-breaks. Valentová’s return pressure remained consistent but lacked decisive finishing patterns.
Linette won 62% of return points and converted 6 of 13 break points, reflecting marginal but decisive efficiency in key moments. She advances into the Round of 64 after surviving a high-variance encounter.
Sorana Cirstea overturns early deficit to control Efremova
Sorana Cirstea def. Ksenia Efremova 3-6, 6-1
Cirstea’s Round of 128 match began with immediate pressure from the 17-year-old Efremova, who broke early and used proactive baseline positioning to take a surprise lead. The Romanian initially struggled to find rhythm in extended rallies, allowing Efremova to dictate early exchanges.
The turning point came after Cirstea broke back to level the set, after which she progressively reduced unforced errors and began to control depth in baseline exchanges. From that moment, Efremova’s first-serve effectiveness declined under sustained return pressure.
Cirstea won 64% of return points in the final two sets and converted 5 of 8 break points, reflecting her increasing control of rally length. She advances into the Round of 64 after reversing an early momentum shift with experience and consistency.
claps 0visitors 0
Just In
Popular News
Latest Comments
- Nick back, Serena back. Life is great 😀
AceOfBase10-06-2026 - Swiatek an underdog for the WTA race. Nuts. What happened to her. I thought she would dominatethe WTA for 10 years or so.AceOfBase10-06-2026
- I love it. Go SerenaAceOfBase10-06-2026
- Nole nailed it. Unreal to win a Grand Slam while living with diabetes.
MrAndreeva08-06-2026 - Did John or any of these analysts see how far Cobolli was sitting away from Arnaldi??? Oh my God!!! Must they find an issue with every little thing players say and do??? All viruses are not contagious! They are just speculating!! If it was contagious the doctor would have advised him to stay away from people!!!Rapunzel07-06-2026
- Lightenup Cornet, it was a jokeAceOfBase07-06-2026
- Fun opening of her speech 😁AceOfBase07-06-2026
- Come on Sascha. You got this!AceOfBase07-06-2026
- Not too difficult for Mira. Still wonder what happened to Sabalenka suddenly. She should have been in the finalAceOfBase07-06-2026
- Hope he doesSakkariFan2305-06-2026
Loading