French Open 2023 Results: Instant Reactions to Winners and Losers from Sunday
Two of the top challengers to Iga Swaitek's French Open throne started their 2023 tournaments with straight-set victories.
No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka and No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula cruised during the first day of action at Roland Garros.
Sabalenka won her first Grand Slam match as a major champion to open up play in Paris. The No. 2 seed captured her first major title at the 2023 Australian Open.
Pegula, the top-ranked American, handled fellow countrywoman Danielle Collins in straight sets.
Not all of the title contenders in the women's singles draw survived the first day of the tournament.
No. 8 seed Maria Sakkari became the first top 10 seed to lose in either singles draw. The two-time Grand Slam semifinalist was one of four seeded players to lose on Sunday, but her loss was the most notable.
In the men's singles draw, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev started their title quests with impressive victories. Both players need to build up form and confidence on the Paris clay since they reside in the same half of the draw as Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.
Sunday French Open Results
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Men's Singles
No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas def. Jan Vesely, 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7)
No. 11 Karen Khachanov def. Constant Lestienne, 3-6, 1-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-3
No. 13 Hubert Hurkacz def. David Goffin, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
No. 17 Lorenzo Musetti def. Mikael Ymer, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4
Thanasi Kokkinakis def. No. 20 Dan Evans, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
No. 24 Sebastian Korda def. Mackenzie McDonald, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4
Lorenzo Sonego def. No. 30 Ben Shelton, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
Women's Singles
No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka def. Marta Kostyuk, 6-3, 6-2
No. 3 Jessica Pegula def. Danielle Collins,
Karolina Muchova def. No. 8 Maria Sakkari, 7-6 (5), 7-5
No. 15 Luidmila Samsonova def. Katie Volynets, 6-0, 6-1
No. 19 Zheng Qinwen def. Tamara Zidansek, 6-3, 6-1
Magdalena Frech def. No. 20 Zhang Shuai, 6-1, 6-1
Leylah Fernandez def. No. 21 Magda Linette, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3
No. 24 Anastasia Potapova def. Taylor Townsend, 6-1, 6-2
No. 27 Irina-Camelia Begu def. Anna Bondar, 6-4, 6-2
No. 28 Elise Mertens def. Viktoria Hruncakova, 6-1, 6-4
Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula Look Strong in Opening Matches
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Sabalenka and Pegula needed less than 90 minutes each to finish off their first-round victories.
Sabalenka dispatched Marta Kostyuk in one hour and 11 minutes and Pegula swept Collins in two sets in one hour and 22 minutes.
The victory by the No. 2 seed felt more meaningful because of her struggles at Roland Garros. She has never made it past the third round in Paris.
Sabalenka got over every other Grand Slam hurdle in her career over the last three years, as she won the 2023 Australian Open and made three other semifinal appearances.
She still has a few matches to win to set a new career best in Paris, but the victory felt like a good step in the right direction.
As for Pegula, she is in search of her sixth Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance since 2021. She made it to the final eight in Paris last year.
Pegula has been the most consistent American woman at major tournaments during that span, and she showcased that attribute in the two-set win over Collins.
Pegula had a 23 percent advantage in first-serve points, committed just three double faults and was 6-for-10 in break-point opportunities.
Tougher tests will await both players, but it was nice for both of them to start strong on Sunday.
Maria Sakkari Experiences Another Early Exit
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Sakkari became the first top 10 seed to lose at Roland Garros.
The defeat suffered by the No. 8 seed continued a string of disappointing major results.
Sakkari has not made it past the fourth round in her last six Grand Slam appearances after advancing to the French Open and U.S. Open semifinals in 2021.
The Greek's career progression took a step backward after those successful runs in Paris and New York, and now she has to wait until Wimbledon to turn things around.
Upsets are common at the French Open. Four of the top 10 seeds were eliminated in the first round in the women's singles draw in 2022.
Sakkari's issue seems to be with overall performance at majors, and not just being susceptible to a trend on the Paris clay.
Three-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist Karolina Muchova, who beat Sakkari in straight sets, has the potential to go on a deep run in Paris.
That section of the draw is wide open with Sakkari's exit, and if everything goes well for Muchova, she could face Pegula in the quarterfinals.
Stefanos Tsistipas, Andrey Rublev Pick Up Wins
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The two most notable men's players on the court on Sunday handled their business in four sets.
Tsitsipas was challenged for a set by Jan Vesely before he shut the door on a comeback attempt with a fourth-set tiebreak victory.
The fifth-seeded Greek only dropped the third set, 6-4, so there is not much to worry about his game. He just was on the wrong side of a break in that instance.
Rublev rallied back from a 6-3 second-set loss to Laslo Djere. The No. 7 seed won the final two sets 6-3, 6-4.
Sharpness will be vital for Tsitsipas and Rublev in their part of the draw. They could face Alcaraz and Djokovic in the quarterfinals if chalk holds in the men's bracket.
Alcaraz has been brilliant on clay all season and Djokovic is difficult to beat at any major, so errors must be few and far between for any opponent.
It seems unlikely that either Tsitsipas or Rublev reach the final, but if they clean up their respective games and look strong going into the potential quarterfinal matches with Alcaraz and Djokovic, there is a slight chance for an upset to happen.
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