THE opening day of the French Open saw smooth sailing for Lorenzo Musetti and Aryna Sabalenka, who both advanced to the second round without dropping a single set on Sunday (Monday, May 26, 2025, PH time).
Eighth-seeded Musetti secured a convincing 7-5, 6-2, 6-0 victory over German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann. Earlier, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka had set the tone for the day, dispatching Kamilla Rakhimova with a dominant 6-1, 6-0 performance.
Musetti arrived at Roland Garros in formidable clay-court form, having reached at least the semifinals in his last three Masters tournaments in Rome, Madrid and Monte Carlo.
While he experienced a loss in the Monte Carlo final to four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz, that match saw him hampered by a right-leg injury.
On Sunday, however, Musetti showed no signs of discomfort. He punctuated his win with an improbable forehand winner down the line from Hanfmann’s drop shot in the third set, prompting him to cup his ear to the roaring crowd.
Following his victory, Musetti received a thunderous ovation from the spectators on Court Philippe-Chatrier. This enthusiastic reception might have stemmed from his achievement of winning Italy’s first Olympic tennis medal in a century — a men’s singles bronze at the Paris Games last year.
Alternatively, it could have been a nod to his memorable performance as a 19-year-old in 2021, when he held a two-set lead against Novak Djokovic in the fourth round before ultimately losing a five-set thriller.
Nadal honored
However, in all honesty, much of the Chatrier crowd, adorned in clay-colored jerseys and filling stands that had been half-empty just an hour prior, were truly in an enthusiastic mood because they were eagerly anticipating the arrival of another legend: Rafael Nadal.
The recently retired Nadal, who claimed 14 of his 22 major titles on that very court, was honored with a special trophy during an emotional ceremony. His long-time rivals — Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray — were all present to bid farewell to Nadal, who attended in a suit.
Earlier in the day, Sabalenka showcased her power, hitting five aces and successfully fending off the two break points she faced against the unseeded Rakhimova. Sabalenka, a three-time major champion, previously reached the semifinals at Roland-Garros two years ago.
Joining her in the second round was Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen of China, who defeated 2021 French Open runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-3. / From the wires