The second day of the tournament will see all-time greats Serena Williams and Roger Federer play their opening matches. Both Serena and Roger have gone only 1-2 over the last three months. Serena withdrew mid-event during two of the last three French Opens, while this is just the second time Federer has played this event since 2015.
Despite an 0-4 career record at Roland Garros, Daniil Medvedev is seeded second based on his hard court accomplishments. He’ll face the entertaining and dangerous Alexander Bublik, who already has 19 wins this season. Meanwhile, last year’s runner-up Sofia Kenin will play her first Major without her father as her coach. She receives perhaps the worst draw of any seeded player: 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko. And the player who defeated Kenin in last year’s championship match, Iga Swiatek, begins her title defense on Monday
Sunday’s play will begin at 11:00am local time on all courts except Philippe-Chatrier, which starts at 12:00pm. And the final Chatrier match of the day, which features Serena Williams, will be the first-ever French Open night session, beginning at 9:00pm.
Daniil Medvedev (2) vs. Alexander Bublik – Second on Court Philippe-Chatrier
Before the clay court season began, Medvedev was on a 28-3 tear. But after missing Monte-Carlo due to a positive COVID-19 test, he’s gone just 1-2 on the red dirt. And we’ve seen and heard just how uncomfortable the Russian No.1 feels on this surface. Clay has not been Bublik’s best surface either, though he did reach the quarterfinals of Madrid earlier this month, with impressive victories over Denis Shapovalov and Aslan Karatsev. These players have only met once at tour level, with Daniil easily prevailing 6-4, 6-0 five years ago on a hard court in his home country. But if Medvedev cannot improve his attitude on clay, his French Open record very well may go to 0-5.
Sofia Kenin (4) vs. Jelena Ostapenko – Third on Court Suzanne-Lenglen
Kenin was the WTA Player of the Year in 2020, but in 2021, she’s a quite modest 7-8. She arrives in Paris on a three-match losing streak. Ostapenko has struggled of late as well, though she did advance to the quarters in Rome just a few weeks ago. Jelena also claimed their only previous meeting, last year in the newly-renamed Billie Jean King Cup (formerly Fed Cup) on a hard court. With Kenin’s coaching situation in flux, and her confidence in peril, Ostapenko should be favored to knock out the fourth seed.
Roger Federer (8) vs. Denis Istomin (Q) – Not before 4:00pm on Court Philippe-Chatrier
This will only be Federer’s fourth match in the last 16 months, as he’s still working his way back from two knee surgeries last year. And over the past four years, he’s only contested 12 matches on clay, 11 of which were in 2019. Istomin is a 34-year-old veteran currently ranked outside the top 200, and had to qualify for this event. He famously upset Novak Djokovic at the 2017 Australian Open. But against Federer, he’s 0-7 lifetime. Despite Roger’s inactivity, this should be a straightforward win for the 2009 champion.
Belinda Bencic (10) vs. Nadia Podoroska – Third on Court 14
Podoroska was one of the breakout stars of this event last autumn. She had previously never won a match at a Major, yet became the first qualifier to ever reach the semifinals, defeating third-seeded Elina Svitolina to get there. The 24-year-old from Argentina won three ITF titles last season, and this year owns victories over Petra Kvitova and Serena Williams. Bencic had an excellent 2019, with nearly fifty match wins, and achieving her first Major semifinal. But since the start of last year, she’s just 19-18. And this has easily been the worst Major throughout her career, with an overall record of 4-4 in Paris. In their first-ever encounter, the unseeded player might just be the favorite.
David Goffin (13) vs. Lorenzo Musetti – Fourth on Court 14
Last year at this tournament, Goffin was thwarted in the first round by Jannik Sinner. That was part of a five-match losing streak for David, who after the match spoke of his struggles to remain motivated amidst the pandemic. In the first round this year, he gets another fast-rising Italian in Musetti, a 19-year-old with a stylish game who has already earned victories over some top players, including Stan Wawrinka and Diego Schwartzman. This will serve as Lorenzo’s Major debut, and his first match against the veteran from Belgium. Considering Goffin has been losing almost as many matches as he’s been winning, I would not be surprised to see Musetti pull off the upset.
Other Notable Matches on Monday:
Serena Williams (7) vs. Irina-Camelia Begu – When they met on clay at the 2016 Rome event, Serena won 6-4, 6-1. Begu has not won a main draw match on clay since last year’s Roland Garros.
Iga Swiatek (8) vs. Kaja Juvan – Swiatek has claimed 15 of her last 16 matches on clay, with her only loss coming at the hands of world No.1 Ash Barty. Earlier this year at the Gippsland Trophy in Melbourne, she defeated 20-year-old Juvan in three sets.
Garbine Muguruza (12) vs. Marta Kostyuk – The 2016 champion was putting together a great season before a left thigh injury sidetracked her momentum. 18-year-old Kostyuk is one of the WTA’s most promising newcomers, who reached two tour semifinals this season.
Bianca Andreescu (6) vs. Tamara Zidansek – This is only Andreescu’s fourth WTA tour-level match on clay in her career, though she’s 3-0 thus far not counting multiple withdrawals. Zidansek reached the final of the clay event in Bogota last month.
Yoshihito Nishioka vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga – The Frenchman is just 1-5 this season after suffering a lower back injury last year. Nishioka picked up four victories on clay over the last two weeks.
Monday’s full schedule is here.
