Day 3 at Roland-Garros served up a mix of dominant performances, heartbreaking retirements, and a major upset as the first round of singles concluded and doubles action kicked off.
Azarenka’s Masterclass, Dimitrov’s Recurring Nightmare, and Norrie’s Breakthrough
In a truly remarkable display of efficiency, Victoria Azarenka rolled back the years to deliver a stunning 6-0, 6-0 victory over Yanina Wickmayer in her 18th Roland-Garros campaign. This marks Azarenka’s second career double bagel at the French Open, with an incredible 16 years and 363 days separating it from her first in 2008. Her five career Grand Slam match wins with this scoreline now surpass Serena Williams (four) and trail only Maria Sharapova and Kim Clijsters (six each) since 2000, cementing her place among the elite in Grand Slam dominance.
Meanwhile, it was a tough break once again for Grigor Dimitrov. Out on Court 6, the Bulgarian was forced to retire from his match against American qualifier Ethan Quinn, marking his fourth consecutive Grand Slam where physical issues have cut his tournament short. Dimitrov was leading two sets to one when he pulled the plug, visibly struggling with movement and pace. Quinn advances with a 2-6, 3-6, 6-2 ret. scoreline and will face lucky loser Alexander Shevchenko in the second round.
In the day’s biggest upset, unseeded Brit Cameron Norrie emerged victorious from a marathon clash on Court Simonne-Mathieu, taking out 11th seed Daniil Medvedev 7-5 in the fifth set. Medvedev seemed to have the match in hand, serving for victory at 5-4 in the decider, but Norrie snatched the win from under his nose. This hard-fought victory marks Norrie’s first-ever success over a former Grand Slam champion at a major.
For More Exciting Articles: Follow RevSportz
Other Results of the Day
The courts were buzzing with action as several other players secured their spots in the next round. Young talents Mirra Andreeva and Joao Fonseca both clinched impressive wins, with Fonseca, in his main draw debut, surprising 28th seed Hubi Hurkacz. Sofia Kenin and Hailey Baptiste also advanced, with Baptiste pulling off a notable upset over 23rd seed and former semi-finalist Beatriz Haddad Maia, winning 6-1 in the third.
On the men’s side, Alexander Zverev comfortably dispatched Learner Tien in straight sets on Lenglen, while Novak Djokovic made a smooth return to Grand Slam tennis, brushing aside Mackenzie McDonald 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 despite challenging breezy and damp conditions before the Chatrier roof was closed. Miami champion Jakub Mensik had to dig deep to beat an in-form Alexandre Muller in four sets after the Frenchman had served for a two-sets-to-one lead.
However, it wasn’t good news for everyone. Three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur was ousted after going down 7-6 (4), 6-0 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech. Third seed Jessica Pegula, however, had an easier path, winning comfortably 6-2, 6-4 against Romania’s AncaTodoni.
What’s in Store on Wednesday
Wednesday promises another exciting day as the second round gets underway. The top half of the women’s singles and bottom half of the men’s draw will be in focus. Fans can look forward to seeing Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz in action.
The highlight of the day is undoubtedly the highly anticipated clash between Iga Swiatek and Emma Raducanu. In a late change to the schedule, Ben Shelton, who was expecting to play Hugo Gaston in the night match, is already into the round of 32 due to his opponent’s withdrawal. This means Holger Rune against American Emilio Nava will now take centre stage as the Wednesday Chatrier night match.
Also Read: A Day of Shocks as Roland Garros Delivers Early Upsets