World No. 1 Iga Swiatek rallied from a break down in the third set to defeat four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in the second round of the French Open on Wednesday at Roland Garros in Paris.
Swiatek held on for a 7-6 (1), 1-6, 7-5 victory in 2 hours and 57 minutes. She trailed 4-1 in the final set.
The three-time French Open champion survived eight aces by Osaka while batting her own serve. Swiatek won just 65 percent of her first serves but converted 92 percent of her net points.
Osaka, a former World No. 1 herself, has never made it past the third round at the French Open. Swiatek won the French Open in 2020, 2022, 2023.
Also on Wednesday, No. 3 Coco Gauff defeated Slovenian Tamara Zidansek 6-3, 6-4 in 91 minutes. Gauff got in just 48 percent of her first serves but won them 73 percent of the time.
In other action, eighth-seeded Ons Jabeur of Tunisia posted a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 win over Camila Osorio of Colombia.
“I just tried to focus a lot on my serve,” Jabeur said. “I was trying to be more aggressive. Obviously, when the balls are new, it’s even better for me.
“I felt like it was a bit humid inside that court. But yeah, I know I had the game to win this match. I just needed to believe more.”
Jabeur, who won her match in 1 hour and 45 minutes, will face the winner of the match between Wang Xiyu of China and Leylah Fernandez of Canada.
Also, unseeded Sofia Kenin secured a 6-3, 6-3 win over 21st-seeded Caroline Garcia of France. Kenin, who was a finalist at the 2020 French Open, dispatched Garcia in 85 minutes to set up a match against either 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia or Clara Tauson of Denmark.
Kenin entered this tournament with a 4-13 record on the season.
“This is the place where you want everything to come together,” she said. “At the start of the year, I wasn’t playing as I am playing right now. I feel like I’m definitely more fitter, doing the right things from my end: fitness, diet, everything. Obviously, it’s paying off.”
–Field Level Media
