Top Players Begin their Quest for French Open Glory

Carlos Alcaraz, the world’s number one tennis player, eased past Flavio Cobolli, the Italian qualifier, 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 in the first round of the French Open. Alcaraz, who missed the Australian Open due to a leg injury, is considered one of the favorites to take the mantle of his Spanish compatriot Rafael Nadal, who is absent from the competition due to a hip issue. Alcaraz won the US Open in 2020 and has already cemented his status as a top contender on the biggest stages. He has won the clay-court tournaments in Barcelona and Madrid. Alcaraz will next face Taro Daniel of Japan, who beat Australian Christopher O’Connell 6-0, 6-2, 6-4.

Djokovic Begins Campaign to Break Grand Slam Singles Title Record

Novak Djokovic launched his campaign for a record-breaking 23rd men’s Grand Slam singles title with a 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (1) first-round victory over Aleksandar Kovacevic. Djokovic, a two-time French Open champion, looked in good form in windy conditions, despite not having an ideal buildup to the clay-court Grand Slam. Djokovic missed the Madrid Masters and was eliminated in the last eight at the Italian Open in Rome. Djokovic will next face Hungarian journeyman Marton Fucsovics for a place in the third round.

Fognini Rolls Back the Years to Beat Auger-Aliassime

Fabio Fognini of Italy, a veteran tennis player, rolled back the years to take down Felix Auger-Aliassime, the 10th seed, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 in the first round. Auger-Aliassime became the first top-10 player in the men’s draw to exit the tournament.

Other Results

Stan Wawrinka, the 2015 champion, beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-7 (2), 1-6, 6-4 in an epic battle lasting more than four hours. Zhizhen Zhang became the first Chinese man in the Open Era to win a main draw match at the French Open as Dusan Lajovic retired while down 6-1, 4-1. Benoit Paire was beaten in five sets by British 14th seed Cameron Norrie. Canadian 26th seed Denis Shapovalov overcame American Brandon Nakashima 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3 in a roller-coaster match.

The French Open has just started, and it has already produced some exciting matches. Tennis enthusiasts all over the world are eagerly waiting to see which player will come out on top in the end. With the absence of Rafael Nadal, the competition has become more open. The likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic will be hoping to take full advantage of the situation and lift the coveted trophy at the end of the tournament.