Baptiste outlasts Krejcikova after saving match points at Roland Garros

American Hailey Baptiste is gaining a reputation as one of the toughest players to put away on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz. Weeks after saving six match points to beat world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in Madrid, Baptiste saved two match points to defeat former French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova in the first round of this year's tournament.

Baptiste and Krejcikova went toe-to-toe through the opening two sets. There were no breaks of serve in the first set, with Baptiste earning the only break point before Krejcikova saved it. The American then held a set point in the tiebreak, but Krejcikova fought back to claim it 9-7.

In the second set, the Czech broke early to move ahead 2-0, but Baptiste battled back to level the set. Krejcikova saved two set points in the 12th game to force another tiebreak. She led 6-4 and earned two match points, but Baptiste responded by winning four straight points to force a deciding set.

With the momentum in her favor, Baptiste broke twice in the third set to race to a 4-0 lead and comfortably closed out a 6-7 (7), 7-6 (6), 6-2 victory in just under three hours.

The American, who reached the fourth round in Paris last year, has now won six main-draw matches at the French Open - tied for her most at any WTA event alongside Miami.

For Krejcikova, it was another early exit in Paris. Since winning the title in 2021, she has advanced beyond the first round only once in the past five editions of the tournament.

Former Grand Slam winners Raducanu, Kenin and Stephens follow Krejcikova out of the French Open

Krejcikova was one of four former Grand Slam champions in action on the opening day in Paris. But soon after she was knocked out, the other three also followed her out of the tournament.

Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, staged a strong fightback in the second set against Solana Sierra before falling in straight sets. Sierra led the Brit 6-0, 4-1 before Raducanu rallied to level at 5-5. However, the Argentine proved too solid in the tiebreaker, sealing a 6-0, 7-6 victory in 1 hour, 45 minutes. It was only Raducanu’s second tournament since Indian Wells. She returned to the tour last week in Strasbourg, where she also lost in the first round.

Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion and a runner-up in Paris that same year, was defeated 6-3, 7-6 by fellow American Peyton Stearns. Kenin has now lost four straight matches on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz and has dropped her opening match in 10 of 13 events in 2026. She also trails Stearns 2-0 head-to-head, with both losses coming this year.

Sloane Stephens, the 2017 US Open champion and runner-up in Paris in 2018, came through qualifying this year but was beaten 6-3, 6-2 by Sara Bejlek. It marked only the third time in 14 main-draw appearances that Stephens failed to win her opening match at Roland-Garros.