Staff Reporter.
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka cruised into the second round of the French Open on Sunday with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova.
Sabalenka broke Rakhimova five times as she wrapped up victory in an hour to make a convincing start to her Roland Garros campaign.
Three-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka will play Switzerland’s Jil Teichmann or Italian qualifier Lucrezia Stefanini for a spot in the last 32.
The 27-year-old from Belarus has never reached the final in Paris, but the tournament appears more open than in recent years given the struggles of three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek.
She could face Chinese eighth seed Zheng Qinwen – who she beat in the 2024 Australian Open final – in the quarters and three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek in the semis.
Before that, Sabalenka will play Switzerland’s Jil Teichmann or Italian qualifier Lucrezia Stefanini for a spot in the last 32.
After rampaging to victory over Rakhimova, Sabalenka took pictures of her bags and the court with a polaroid camera – something which has become a tradition for her this season.
Asked about the camera by former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli on court after her win, Sabalenka said: “The idea was to take some good moments in my life – I started in December and I already have a pretty big album.
“When I feel sad, I go through the album and remember the good moments, they give me good vibes.
“The album is full of my team, which is annoying sometimes but it is good fun.”
Meanwhile, Elina Svitolina has cruised through her first match in just 72 minutes, winning 6-1 6-1 against Zeynep Somnez of Turkey.
Elsewhere, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova has lost to Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland, who triumphed 3-6 6-0 6-4.