Swiatek, Alcaraz, and Djokovic Begin 2024 Olympics Tennis at French Open Venue with Wins
Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz kicked off the tennis competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics with first-round victories on Saturday, competing under the closed roofs at Roland Garros, where they recently won their French Open titles.
Novak Djokovic also secured a straight-sets win, joining Swiatek and Alcaraz in the quest for an Olympic gold medal. Djokovic’s second-round match could see him face his long-time rival Rafael Nadal, who was scheduled to play his opening singles match on Sunday.
Nadal, who has claimed a record 14 of his 22 Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros and won two Olympic gold medals, was notably a torch bearer during the rainy opening ceremony on Friday. He was also set to compete alongside Alcaraz in doubles on Saturday night.
Swiatek, ranked No. 1 and a three-time French Open champion, overcame Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu 6-2, 7-5, while Alcaraz, the reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion, defeated Lebanon’s Hady Habib 6-3, 6-1.
Djokovic, seeded No. 1 in the men’s field after Jannik Sinner withdrew due to tonsillitis, dispatched Australia’s Matthew Ebden in under an hour. Ebden, who was competing in singles for the first time in two years due to a late entry, only managed to win one game in the match.
The day’s tennis events faced delays due to rain, which led to long lines for spectators and postponed the start of matches on outdoor courts by at least 4.5 hours. Thankfully, recent upgrades to the facilities, including retractable roofs on two main courts, helped accommodate the delays.
Italy’s Jasmine Paolini, the runner-up to Swiatek at the French Open and to Barbora Krejcikova at Wimbledon, became the first tennis player to secure a win at the Games by defeating Romania’s Ana Bogdan 7-5, 6-3 at Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Later on Saturday, Naomi Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, was among the notable players scheduled to compete. Coco Gauff, who carried the U.S. flag at the opening ceremony, was set to make her Olympic debut in doubles with Jessica Pegula. Gauff, who missed the Tokyo Games due to a positive COVID-19 test, won the French Open doubles title last month and the US Open singles title last September.
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