Paula Badosa mounted a resounding comeback to Grand Slam tennis at Roland Garros in a three-set fightback against Naomi Osaka, declaring herself fit to rejoin the sport's elite.
The 27-year-old Spaniard, seeded 10th and recently delayed by injury setbacks, fought her way back from a set down to beat Osaka 6-7 (1), 6-1, 6-4 in a nailbiting first-round battle on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Ahead of the tournament, Badosa kept expectations in check, stating, "I have to be realistic," recognizing her limited match experience following a two-month layoff due to injury. But on court, she was every bit the veteran contender who had once made quarterfinals in Paris.
In spite of Osaka's explosive beginning—17 winners and four aces influenced her to romp through the first set—Badosa countered with stoicism and precision. She reversed the match with forceful returns, excellent court coverage, and unshakeable consistency.
The decider was a struggle of wills. Both players traded service breaks in the early going, but Badosa won a decisive break in the seventh game and then served out the match to love to win her 12th main-draw victory at Roland Garros, her career best at any of the majors.
Reflecting on the win, Badosa said, “We both went to the limit. It’s not fair to have a first-round like this, but I’m proud of how my body responded.” She will face either McCartney Kessler or Elena Gabriela Ruse in the next round.
And in Osaka, clay still is the problem. The ex-world No. 1 made 36 winners but was undone by 54 unforced errors and is still winless in six matches against Top 10 rivals on clay.
British Stars Shine on Opening Day
In other action, British supporters had reason to cheer as Katie Boulter posted her first-ever main-draw victory at the French Open. The 28-year-old overcame French wildcard Carole Monnet 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-1.
“I sometimes find it really difficult on this surface,” said Boulter, ranked No. 38 in the world. “But I’ve persevered, and this one is special for me.” Her reward could be a second-round showdown against reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys.
At the same time, Jacob Fearnley, another emerging British player, caused a big upset in his Roland Garros debut. The 23-year-old shocked 2015 winner Stan Wawrinka in straight sets—7-6 (6), 6-3, 6-2—on Court 14. Displaying exceptional calmness, Fearnley seized command after narrowly winning the opening-set tiebreak, gliding the rest of the way with equanimity.
Plenty of guys were chatting to me—it was all in French. They could be saying good things, but I highly doubt it," Fearnley quipped afterwards.
Now at number 55 in the world, Fearnley continues his incredible climb after being a year ago outside of the top 500. Next up for him will be either Ugo Humbert or Christopher O'Connell, as he keeps his record in Grand Slam first rounds intact with similar results at Wimbledon and the Australian Open.
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