Sinner overcomes late wobble to win Paris opener

French Open 2025

Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland Garros

Coverage: Live power commentaries crossed 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, positive unrecorded matter commentaries connected nan BBC Sport website and app

World number 1 Jannik Sinner defied a precocious wobble to statesman his French Open run pinch a straight-set triumph complete Arthur Rinderknech.

Playing his first Grand Slam lucifer since serving a three-month doping ban, Italian Sinner hit his French force 6-4 6-3 7-5 connected Court Philippe Chatrier.

It was not arsenic comfortable arsenic nan scoreline suggests, however, pinch nan 23-year-old forced to conflict backmost from a double break down successful nan 3rd group against a resurgent Rinderknech.

It marked a return to winning ways for Sinner aft Carlos Alcaraz ended his tally of 26 successive lucifer victories successful nan Italian Open last earlier this month.

"First-round matches are ne'er easy," he said. "I'm very happy pinch really I handled nan situation, particularly successful nan 3rd set.

"He made a mates of mistakes erstwhile he was serving for nan group truthful that gave maine immoderate help. But I conscionable tried to person nan correct mindset and attitude."

Earlier connected Monday, world number 4 Taylor Fritz became nan highest-ranked subordinate to exit this year's tourney astatine Roland Garros arsenic he was beaten by Daniel Altmaier successful nan first round.

Having saved 3 early break points successful a cagey opener, Sinner was talented nan first group successful an error-strewn work crippled from 75th-ranked Rinderknech, a backhand planted into nan nett connected Sinner's first group constituent sending nan Italian connected his way.

He collapsed astatine nan 2nd clip of asking successful nan 4th crippled of nan 2nd group and eased done its remainder, dropping conscionable a solitary constituent connected serve.

But his crippled temporarily crumbled successful nan 3rd group arsenic Rinderknech, buoyed by a partisan crowd successful his location capital, won nan opening 4 games to return a commanding lead.

Normality soon resumed nevertheless arsenic Sinner fought backmost to cancel retired Rinderknech's break points, puncturing nan ambiance connected nan showcase court.

From location he hardly gave his force different sniff of a chance. Piling nan unit connected nan Frenchman's racquet, Sinner went a break up and sealed nan lucifer pinch a fierce service Rinderknech, 29, could do small to match.

Sinner will play French seasoned Richard Gasquet successful nan 2nd round.

Former apical 10 subordinate Gasquet, 38, is playing nan last tourney of his profession astatine Roland Garros and hit compatriot and chap wildcard Terence Atmane successful his opening match.

Sinner won his 3rd awesome title astatine nan Australian Open successful January but has yet to scope nan last astatine Roland Garros, exiting successful nan semi-finals 12 months agone astatine nan hands of eventual champion Alcaraz.

In February he accepted an contiguous three-month prohibition aft reaching a colony pinch nan World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) complete his two affirmative narcotics tests past year.

That suspension ended earlier successful May, meaning he was capable to compete astatine his location tourney successful Rome - wherever he dropped conscionable 1 group en-route to nan last against Alcaraz - earlier travelling to Paris for nan 2nd awesome of nan year.

Earlier, American Fritz mislaid 12 of nan last 16 games successful a 7-5 3-6 6-3 6-1 conclusion by nan German world number 47 Altmaier.

Fritz, 27, reached nan last of past year's US Open - losing to Sinner successful consecutive sets - but his mediocre shape successful 2025 continued connected Court Simonne Mathieu.

He will driblet retired of nan apical 4 arsenic a result, pinch Britain's Jack Draper moving up a spot successful nan unrecorded rankings.

"I deliberation I'm playing mostly fine. It's conscionable I'm playing horrendous tennis connected a batch of nan important points," said Fritz.

"All nan pressure, important points, I don't cognize what's going on. I'm uncovering ways to conscionable play nan worst constituent possible.

"Physically, I don't really consciousness that bad. For really I've been astir of this year, I consciousness good."

Altmaier earned nan biggest triumph of his profession by ranking to group up a second-round gathering pinch 86th-ranked Czech subordinate Vit Kopriva.

The 26-year-old collapsed Fritz's service 3 times arsenic he reeled disconnected nan last six games of nan match, sealing triumph successful 2 hours and 41 minutes.

Fritz reached nan French Open 4th information successful 2024 but has mislaid 4 of his 7 matches connected clay this year.

Also connected Monday, men's defending champion Carlos Alcaraz made serene progress, beating Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri 6-3 6-4 6-2.

Two-time runner-up Casper Ruud avoided immoderate scares, breezing past Spanish qualifier Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-3 6-4 6-2, while 10th seed Holger Rune came backmost to hit Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 6-3 6-2.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, nan beaten finalist successful Paris successful 2021, besides advanced, beating Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-5 6-3 6-4.

Etcheverry's compatriot Francisco Cerundolo, nan 18th seed, was besides knocked retired successful a 7-5 6-3 6-4 conclusion by world number 54 Gabriel Diallo of Canada.