Maximilian Marterer has reached the second round of the French Open. For four German tennis players, the tournament is already over. And Naomi Osaka returns to Paris victorious.
From a German perspective, Maximilian Marterer is the first tennis professional to reach the second round. The 28-year-old from Nuremberg won surprisingly clearly against Australian Jordan Thompson on Sunday (May 26, 2024) with 6:3, 6:2, 6:0. Marterer reached the second round of the Grand Slam tournament on clay for the first time since 2018.
“I’m happy that we got off to a good start here,” said Marterer, who secured the first German victory in the main round of Roland Garros and certainly made a small statement.
Singles Women, 1st Round Arrow Right Singles Men, 1st Round Arrow Right
Strange: Marterer had to wait days for his match. At first it looked as if he would have to compete in the qualification, so he traveled to Paris at Whitsun. “But all the trains were fully booked and all the flights were extremely full. On Saturday evening I was still on standby, but then I was able to fly,” he said. When he arrived in Paris, he slipped into the main field: “I hadn’t expected that at all.”
Early exit for Siegemund, Lys, Maria and Niemeier
Four German tennis players have already been eliminated. Laura Siegemund and Eva Lys both won their first set, but were unable to maintain their lead. World-class doubles player Siegemund lost to former Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin (USA) 6:4, 2:6, 2:6, while qualifier Lys missed a surprise against Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia with a 6:4, 5:7, 2:6 win. Lys from Hamburg led 4:3 against Garcia, seeded number 21, in the second set, but left the court as the loser.
Lys had publicly revealed that she had a rheumatic autoimmune disease at the beginning of March; she had been diagnosed with spondyloarthritis in 2020. “This is a physical challenge that I have to face every day in addition to the physical exertion,” she explained.
The tournament is also already over for former Wimbledon semi-finalist Tatjana Maria. She was clearly defeated by the Dane Clara Tauson 2:6, 3:6. For Maria, number 65 in the world rankings, a black streak continued. The 36-year-old has never made it further than the second round at Roland Garros.
After her 6:0, 2:6, 4:6 win against Wang Xinyu (China), Jule Niemeier is still waiting for her first main round victory in Paris. Of the German women, only Angelique Kerber and Tamara Korpatsch are still in the tournament.
Osaka returns victorious to Paris
Successful return to Paris for Naomi Osaka: Two years after her last appearance at the French Open, the four-time Grand Slam winner from Japan has won her opening match at Roland Garros. On the first day of the tournament, Osaka beat Lucia Bronzetti from Italy 6:1, 4:6, 7:5. In the second round, she could face defending champion Iga Swiatek (Poland).
Osaka (26), who triumphed twice at the major tournaments in New York and Melbourne, does not have the best memories of the clay court classic in Paris. She has never made it past the third round. In 2021, she refused to attend the obligatory press conferences after her matches, reported mental health problems and gave up after the second round. In 2022, she failed in the first round. Last year, she was pregnant and absent.
Daughter takes first steps in Paris
Her daughter Shai motivates Osaka to build on her previous successes on clay. “I’m learning a lot of lessons from being a mother and I hope to be able to apply them on the tennis court,” she said before her debut. She brought her ten-month-old daughter with her in Paris – and watched Shai’s first steps. “I was so happy about it,” Osaka said, “it’s so nice to have her here.”
Alcaraz without problems
In the men’s competition, Carlos Alcaraz was the first tournament favorite to overcome the opening hurdle. The 21-year-old Spaniard won against the overwhelmed American JJ Wolf with 6:1, 6:2, 6:1.
The two-time Grand Slam tournament winner played with a white bandage around his recently injured right elbow, which had forced him to take a three-and-a-half-week break. On Court Philippe-Chatrier, however, the world number three no longer seemed to be affected by this.
