PARIS: Ons Jabeur redeemed herself at the French Open on Court Philippe Chatrier, a year after her early exit, by securing a victory this time. The No. 7 seed Jabeur defeated Lucia Bronzetti 6-4, 6-1, erasing the memories of her previous disappointment and addressing concerns about a recent calf injury.
Jabeur, a beloved figure among the Parisian crowd, expressed her relief at not repeating last year’s mistake when she lost to Magda Linette of Poland. Speaking on court, she said, “I’m very happy to win my first match on Philippe Chatrier—because I’ve never won here.” Jabeur now sets her sights on pursuing her first major title after finishing as the runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open last year.
This season, the 28-year-old Tunisian has encountered injury setbacks. Following knee surgery after the Australian Open, she then faced a calf injury that sidelined her from competition. Jabeur had to retire against top-ranked Iga Swiatek at the clay-court tournament in Stuttgart, Germany, in late April and subsequently withdrew from the Madrid Open. However, she mentioned that she is starting to regain her rhythm and is optimistic about her form.
In her match against Bronzetti, Jabeur showcased her skills, hitting 27 winners compared to her opponent’s seven. Although she committed 24 unforced errors, there is room for improvement as she progresses in the tournament.
Other Actions in French Open
In other action on Tuesday, 16-year-old Russian player Mirra Andreeva made an impressive Grand Slam debut by dominating Alison Riske-Amritraj with a 6-2, 6-1 victory. Andreeva’s older sister, 18-year-old Erika, was set to face Emma Navarro later in the day, further highlighting their promising talent.
Looking ahead, reigning champion Iga Swiatek will commence her title defense against Cristina Bucsa, who is currently ranked 70th.
On the men’s side, No. 4 seed Casper Ruud made a strong statement by defeating qualifier Elias Ymer 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. Ruud’s performance serves as a reminder to the tournament favorites that he was the runner-up to Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros last year.
