Serena Williams

The second day of the 2021 French Open is in the books, and the action at Roland Garros took a back seat to Naomi Osaka's withdrawal from the tournament.

The four-time Grand Slam champion initially announced she wasn't planning to do any press for the tournament. The four Grand Slam events issued a joint statement saying Osaka had received a fine and may be defaulted as a result of her decision. 

She followed up Monday to say she was walking away from the French Open altogether "so that everyone can get back to focusing on the tennis going on in Paris." Osaka's exit was the driving story but far from the only development out of the French capital. 

Sofia Kenin—last year's French Open runner-up—three-time champion Serena Williams and 2016 winner Garbine Muguruza all took the court Monday. In the men's draw, Roger Federer started his quest for a second title in Paris, and Daniil Medvedev was hopeful of advancing out of the first round for the first time.

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Monday Results

Women's Singles

No. 4 Sofia Kenin def. Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 4-6, 6-3

Tamara Zidansek def. No. 6 Bianca Andreescu 6-7(1), 7-6(2), 9-7

No. 7 Serena Williams def. Irina-Camelia Begu, 7-6(6)

No. 8 Iga Swiatek def. Kaja Juvan 6-0, 7-5

No. 10 Belinda Bencic def. Nadia Podoroska 6-0, 6-3

Marta Kostyuk def. No. 12 Garbine Muguruza 6-1, 6-4

No. 14 Elise Mertens def. Storm Sanders 6-4, 6-1

Polona Hercog def. No. 16 Kiki Bertens 6-1, 3-6, 6-4

Sorana Cirstea def. No. 19 Johanna Konta 7-6(5), 6-2  

No. 20 Marketa Vondrousova def. Kaia Kanepi 4-6, 6-3, 6-0

Camila Giorgi def. No. 22 Petra Martic 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-4

No. 28 Jessica Pegula def. Lin Zhu 6-4, 4-6, 6-4

Harmony Tan def. Alize Cornet 6-4, 6-4 

Madison Brengle def. Maria Camila Osorio Serrano 7-5, 6-4

Rebecca Peterson def. Shelby Rogers 6-7(3), 7-6(10), 6-2

Zarina Diyas def. Heather Watson 6-4, 7-5 

Hailey Baptiste def. Anna Blinkova 6-1, 6-4 

Caroline Garcia def. Laura Siegemund 6-3, 6-1 

Martina Trevisan def. Alison Van Uytvanck 7-5, 4-6, 6-4

Varvara Gracheva def. Lara Arruabarrena 6-2, 6-3

Mihaela Buzarnescu def. Arantxa Rus 7-5, 7-5

Daria Kasatkina def. Misaki Doi 6-3, 5-7, 6-3

Saisai Zheng def. Sara Sorribes Tormo 4-6, 6-4, 6-4

Tereza Martincova def. Ivana Jorovic 6-3, 7-6(6)

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Men's Singles

No. 2 Daniil Medvedev def. Alexander Bublik 6-3, 6-3, 7-5

No. 8 Roger Federer def. Denis Istomin 6-2, 6-4, 6-3

Lorenzo Musetti def. No. 13 David Goffin 6-0, 7-5, 7-6(3)

No. 15 Casper Ruud def. Benoit Paire 5-7, 6-2, 6-1, 7-6(4)

No. 18 Jannik Sinner def. Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-1, 4-6, 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-4

Lloyd Harris def. No. 26 Lorenzo Sonego 7-5, 6-4, 6-4

No. 28 Nikoloz Basilashvili def. Dusan Lajovic 6-4, 6-3, 0-6, 6-2

No. 30 Taylor Fritz def. Joao Sousa 6-4, 6-2, 6-4

No. 31 John Isner def. Sam Querrey 7-6(2), 6-3, 6-4

No. 32 Reilly Opelka def. Andrej Martin 6-3, 6-2, 6-4

Carlos Alcaraz def. Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-3, 2-6, 6-1, 7-6(4)

Marin Cilic def. Arthur Rinderknech 7-6(6), 6-1, 6-2

Federico Delbonis def. Radu Albot 6-1, 2-6, 6-0, 6-1

Steve Johnson def. Frances Tiafoe 6-7(5), 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1

Dominik Koepfer def. Mathias Bourgue 6-3, 6-3, 6-4

Filip Krajinovic def. Maximilian Marterer 6-4, 6-1, 7-6(3)

Gianluca Mager def. Peter Gojowczyk 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5

Kamil Majchrzak def. Arthur Cazaux 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4

Pedro Martinez def. Sebastian Korda 6-4, 6-2, 6-2

Thiago Monteiro def. Francisco Cerundolo 6-3, 6-4, 6-3

Jaume Munar def. Jordan Thompson 6-7(1), 6-1, 7-6(5), 6-4

Yoshihito Nishioka def. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(5)

Cameron Norrie def. Bjorn Fratangelo 7-5, 7-6(5), 6-2

Tommy Paul def. Christopher O'Connell 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 4-6 10-8

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Serena Overcomes Sluggish Start

Williams didn't have an ideal buildup to the French Open. She lost to Nadia Podoroska in the second round of the Italian Open, and another second-round exit followed at the Emilia-Romagna Open.

Irina-Camelia Begu pushed the 39-year-old to a tiebreaker in the opening set Monday, but the 23-time Grand Slam champion responded with a dominant second set.

It wasn't a signature performance from Williams, who finished with 27 winners and 30 unforced errors. But it was the kind of workmanlike effort you occasionally see from a higher seed early in a major tournament.

In the nick of time, Serena suddenly remembered how to play like Serena. Wins first set 7-6 (6) after saving set points against Begu in the first round of the French Open

— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) May 31, 2021

Serena's game seems to be in first or second gear but she's competing very well.

Two big forehand swing volleys to fight back from 4-6 to 8-6 in the first set tiebreak over Begu to close out a roller coaster first set.#RG21

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) May 31, 2021

Williams also found a way to ingratiate herself to the French fans after the victory.

https://twitter.com/darcymaine_espn/status/1399470573076598790

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Federer Shakes off Rust for Straightforward Win

Even more so than Williams, Federer has played a light schedule in 2021. The French Open is just his third ATP Tour event of the season, and he went 1-2 in his two previous tournaments.

The Swiss star didn't encounter much trouble with Denis Istomin at Roland Garros. He broke Istomin's serve in the first game and didn't look back from there.

[8] @rogerfederer cruises into @rolandgarros 2R with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 victory over [Q] Istomin. #Federer never faced break point and converted 5 of 13 BPs. He hit 48 winners and won 80% of 1st serve pts and 79% of 2nd serve pts.

Federer is 14-0 in #RolandGarros 1R since 2004.

— ATP Media Info (@ATPMediaInfo) May 31, 2021

The French Open has historically been the hardest for Federer, so a 21st Grand Slam title is far from a given. Still, fans were happy to see the legend roll back the years for at least one day on the big stage.

Federer doing his Globetrotter thing against honorary Washington General Denis Istomin

— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) May 31, 2021

#Federer will turn 40 August 8th, moving great on the clay which he hasn’t played on in almost two years #FrenchOpen @NBCSports

— Adnan Virk (@adnansvirk) May 31, 2021

great start @rogerfederer @rolandgarros ! serve clicking and very clean play. Man, this is fun for so many to watch. #Frenchopen #Federer

— Chris Fowler (@cbfowler) May 31, 2021

A date with Marin Cilic now looms in the second round. They've already met five times at Grand Slam events, with Federer most recently getting the better of Cilic in the final of the 2018 Australian Open. 

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Kenin Outlasts Ostapenko

Osaka's exit opened up the women's singles draw a bit, and multiple top-20 seeds were bounced from the tournament Monday. Kenin was nearly one of them after getting pushed to three sets by Jelena Ostapenko.

The 22-year-old American struggled on serve, committing six double faults and winning just 57 percent of her first-service points and 44 percent of her second serves.

However, Kenin also won nine of her 10 break-point opportunities. Five of those breaks came in the third set as Ostapenko ran out of gas.

Kenin should have answered the question "what was the biggest skill you leaned on..." with "Ostapenko's inability to hold serve"

— Chris Fallica (@chrisfallica) May 31, 2021

What a bizarre third set for Kenin-Ostapenko -- 6-3, nine game, eight service breaks.

— Matt Futterman (@MattFutterman) May 31, 2021

Survive and advance would certainly be the apt cliche. Ostapenko was no pushover, having already won the French Open once in 2017 and reaching the third round in 2020.

Kenin got the win and will probably look to move on as quickly as possible.

Serena Williams had nothing but empathy for fellow tennis player Naomi Osaka on Monday.

"The only thing I feel is that I feel for Naomi," she told reporters when asked about Osaka's decision to withdraw from the French Open. "I feel like I wish I could give her a hug because I know what it's like. Like I said, I've been in those positions. … You just have to let her handle it the way she wants to, in the best way she thinks she can, and that's the only thing I can say. I think she's doing the best she can."

Osaka, who was fined $15,000 for failing to meet her media requirements at Roland Garros, withdrew from the tournament Monday and released a statement explaining her decision on Twitter:

pic.twitter.com/LN2ANnoAYD

— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) May 31, 2021

"I think now the best thing for the tournament, the other players and my well-being is that I withdraw so that everyone can get back to focusing on the tennis going on in Paris," she wrote. "I never wanted to be a distraction and I accept that my timing was not ideal and my message could have been clearer. More importantly I would never trivialize mental health or use the term lightly. The truth is that I have suffered long bouts of depression since the US Open in 2018 and I have had a really hard time coping with that."

Williams also opened up about mental health:

Serena Williams also spoke of a need for players (and people generally) to "step forward and make an effort" when seeking help with their mental health, mentioning the help she herself has been able to receive. #RG21 pic.twitter.com/LPsSWdvRE1

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) May 31, 2021

Prior to the start of the tournament, Osaka announced she would not participate in press conferences during the French Open in part because she "felt that people have no regard for athletes' mental health and this rings very true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one."

Roland Garros responded to that decision with the fine and said "the Roland-Garros teams asked her to reconsider her position and tried unsuccessfully to speak with her to check on her well-being, understand the specifics of her issue and what might be done to address it on site."

In her announcement on Monday, Osaka explained she privately apologized to the tournament and would like to "discuss ways we can make things better for the players, press and fans."

FFT President Gilles Moretton released a statement after Osaka withdrew:

First and foremost, we are sorry and sad for Naomi Osaka. The outcome of Naomi withdrawing from Roland-Garros is unfortunate. We wish her the best and the quickest possible recovery, and we look forward to having Naomi at our Tournament next year.

As all the Grand Slams, the WTA, the ATP and the ITF, we remain very committed to all athletes’ well-being and to continually improving every aspect of players' experience in our Tournament, including with the Media, like we have always strived to do.

Williams was not the only player to offer support for Osaka:

It’s incredibly brave that Naomi Osaka has revealed her truth about her struggle with depression.

Right now, the important thing is that we give her the space and time she needs.

We wish her well.

— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) May 31, 2021

The challenge today is to convince people of the value of truth, honesty, compassion and a concern for others.

— victoria azarenka (@vika7) May 31, 2021

The support from Williams is particularly notable, as she and Osaka are two of the biggest stars in the entire sport. Osaka has frequently discussed how much she idolizes the American legend, who she famously defeated in the 2018 U.S. Open final.

On the court, Williams defeated Irina-Camelia Begu in straight sets in the first round of the 2021 French Open before her withdrawal.

Perhaps the most important action from Monday at Roland Garros came off of the court, when star Naomi Osaka announced she would withdraw from the French Open one day after she was fined for a violation of the media policy. 

But the show went on, with plenty of tennis played on both the men's and women's sides as first-round play continued in Paris.

Headlining Monday's matches was Roger Federer's return to Grand Slam action. The Swiss star, who turns 40 in August, had a pair of knee surgeries and hadn't played in a Grand Slam tournament since January 2020. 

On the women's side, No. 7 Serena Williams cruised to a two-set victory over Irina-Camelia Begu. The victory improved her first-round Grand Slam record to 77-1, per tennis reporter Ben Rothenberg. 

Notable Results

Men's Draw

No. 2 Daniil Medvedev def. Alexander Bublik 6-3, 6-3, 7-5

No. 8 Roger Federer def. Denis Istomin 6-2, 6-4, 6-3

No. 18 Jannik Sinner def. Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-1, 4-6, 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-4

No. 15 Casper Ruud def. Benoit Paire 5-7, 6-2, 6-1, 7-6 (4)

No. 31 John Isner def. Sam Querrey 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-4

Lorenzo Musetti def. No. 13 David Goffin 6-0, 7-5, 7-6 (3)

No. 28 Nikoloz Basilashvili def. Dusan Lajovic 6-4, 6-3, 0-6, 6-2

No. 30 Taylor Fritz def. Joao Sousa 6-4, 6-2, 6-4

No. 32 Reilly Opelka def. Andrej Martin 6-3, 6-2, 6-4

Lloyd Harris def. No. 26 Lorenzo Sonego 7-5, 6-4, 6-4

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Women's Draw

No. 8 Iga Swiatek def. Kaja Juvan 6-0, 7-5

No. 4 Sofia Kenin def. Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 4-6, 6-3

Marta Kostyuk def. No. 12 Garbine Muguruza 6-1, 6-4 

Tamara Zidansek def. No. 6 Bianca Andreescu 6 (1)-7, 7-6 (2), 9-7

No. 10 Belinda Bencic def. Nadia Podoroska 6-0, 6-3

No. 14 Elise Mertens def. Storm Sanders 6-4, 6-1

Polona Hercog def. No. 16 Kiki Bertens 6-1, 3-6, 6-4

Sorana Cirstea def. No. 19 Johanna Konta 7-6 (5), 6-2

No. 20 Marketa Vondrousova def. Kaia Kanepi 4-6, 6-3, 6-0

No. 28 Jessica Pegula def. Lin Zhu 6-4, 4-6, 6-4

No. 7 Serena Williams def. Irina-Camelia Begu 7-6 (6), 6-2

Full results available at RolandGarros.com.

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Recap

The men's draw was hardly surprising, with all but two ranked players moving on in Monday's action.

Among them was Federer, who easily handled the 204th-ranked player in the world, Denis Istomin, in straight sets. Istomin is the lowest-ranked player Federer has faced on the court since returned to play this season, though he struggled in earlier matches—going so far as to drop a first-round bout against No. 75 Pablo Andujar at the Geneva Open.

Rolling back the clock today 🕒

🎥: @rolandgarros | @rogerfederer pic.twitter.com/HBZCYJiitc

— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 31, 2021

He had little trouble, winning as many as eight points in a row while securing 80 percent of points on his first serve and 79 percent on his second serve. 

"I just felt overall much clearer, much better," he said of Monday's match. "Clearly also maybe the type of opponent allowed me to have many different ways to win the point. I knew if I came to the net, that was an option. Hitting a drop shot was always an option. Taking the ball early was an option."

Federer will take on Marin Cilic in second-round action. 

Medvedev was the top-ranked player on the court Monday, and he delivered with a sweep of Bublik in under two hours. The win at Roland Garros was a long time coming for the Russian, who was defeated in his first-round match in each of his last four outings. 

History made!! 💪🤔👊🤣 https://t.co/t9T9d1uJbE

— Daniil Medvedev (@DaniilMedwed) May 31, 2021

The win was just his second clay victory of the season. 

The two-time Grand Slam finalist acknowledged his poor history at the venue in his post-match interview.

"I felt I was not playing well in the past here, but this time I feel comfortable," the Russian said. "I am running well and moving well. I want to keep playing at this level."

He won seven break points and 77 percent of his first serves, giving up just 16 errors to Bublik's 45 en route to the victory, setting up his second-round match with unseeded American Tommy Paul. Paul defeated Australia's Christopher O'Connell in a marathon battle, going 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 10-8 in a three-and-a-half-hour battle.

While the men's draw was predictable, the same couldn't be said for the women's side, where four top-seeded players dropped out during Monday's matches. Among them was Andreescu, who was seeded sixth but couldn't hang on to a one-set lead over unseeded Slovenian Zidansek, who is No. 85 in the world rankings. 

The Canadian star, 20, was previously undefeated in three matches on clay. She made 63 unforced errors, one week after pulling out of last week's tournament in Strasbourg, France, because of abdominal discomfort. 

"I didn’t feel like I played good tennis today," Andreescu told reporters after the match. "But at the same time, she played really, really well. She threw me off a lot with her heavy, spinny shots and her variety.

Zidansek earned her first top-10 win of her career following four losses and will face American Madison Brengle in second-round play.

What. A. Battle. 😮

Three hours and 20 minutes later, Tamara Zidansek has toppled No.6 seed Bianca Andreescu 6-7(1), 7-6(2), 9-7. #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/GjYrmYB6P5

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 31, 2021

Andreescu was the only top-10 seed to drop Monday.

Williams, appearing in the first-ever night session at Roland Garros (where she is a three-time champion), fought through a pair of set points to claim the first-set win over Begu, then cruised to a second-set victory to advance to Round 2. 

How about that? 😍@serenawilliams is one step closer to equaling Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles. Williams advances to the second round, 7-6(6), 6-2#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/N6baI0Syar

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) May 31, 2021

She will take on Romania's Mihaela Buzarnescu.

Further down the rankings, rising American star Jessica Pegula, who was seeded 28th, earned a three-set victory over Lin Zhu of China.

Pegula, who made headlines by defeating Osaka in second-round play at the Italian Open, was seeded for the first time in a Grand Slam, appearing at the French Open for the third year in a row. 

She will play Tereza Martincova of the Czech Republic in the second round. 

Serena Williams dispatched of Irina-Camelia Begu in straight sets during first-round play at the French Open on Monday. But it wasn't an easy, breezy win for the three-time Roland Garros champion. 

Williams needed a first-set tiebreaker before seizing control in the second set, winning 7-6 (6), 6-2. 

Williams registered five aces, won 15 of 19 net points and smashed 27 winners, to go along with 30 unforced errors, per RolandGarros.com. 

Signature Serena power 🔋#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/drSawZX5L2

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 31, 2021

Bringing the best for the night session 😍#RolandGarros | @serenawilliams pic.twitter.com/j4YIwpOHJR

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 31, 2021

Serena's game seems to be in first or second gear but she's competing very well.

Two big forehand swing volleys to fight back from 4-6 to 8-6 in the first set tiebreak over Begu to close out a roller coaster first set.#RG21

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) May 31, 2021

After battling through the first set, Serena Williams closes it out fairly smoothly, 7-6(6), 6-2 over Irina-Camelia Begu.

She's now an incredible 77-1 in Slam R1s in her career.

Serena faces another Romanian, Dr. Mihaela Buzarnescu, in the second round of #RG21.

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) May 31, 2021

The match also made a bit of history, as it was the first scheduled night session in the history of the tournament. 

It was a solid first step for Williams in her quest to tie Margaret Court at 24 Grand Slam titles. She's currently at 23, and that record is essentially the only career milestone she hasn't achieved in a historically incredible career. 

Williams already has earned the title of the greatest female player—and perhaps simply the greatest tennis player, period— of all time. Catching Court would simply be the cherry on top.

But her Roland Garros tuneup matches weren't exactly promising. She lost in the opening round of the Italian Open and the second round of the Emilia-Romagna Open. But her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, wasn't too concerned heading into the French Open. 

"I think it's always interesting to play matches because it gives you a clear vision of where you are, so that was good in that way because we know what she still needs to accomplish in order to be ready for Roland Garros," he said, per Raz Mirza of Sky Sports. "I'm not worried in general because if she does the job she will be ready. It's just about doing the job."

Serena Williams and Roger Federer started off their 2021 French Open runs with straight-set victories on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Monday.

Williams ended a chaotic day in the women's bracket that saw four players in the top 20 eliminated in the first round.

The victory combined with results across the bottom half of the women's singles draw paved a better path for Williams to make a deep run at Roland Garros.

Federer looked strong in his first major appearance since the 2020 Australian Open. He has a long way to go to advance to the final, but Monday's win was a good first step in his return to Grand Slam tennis.

Daniil Medvedev, Sofia Kenin and Iga Swiatek were among the other top 10 seeds who advanced into the second round.

The first round will conclude Tuesday, with Novak Djokovic and Ashleigh Barty headlining the action.

          

Monday's French Open Results

Men's Singles

No. 2 Daniil Medvedev def. Alexander Bublik, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5

No. 8 Roger Federer def. Denis Istomin, 6-2, 6-4, 6-3

Lorenzo Musetti def. No. 13 David Goffin, 6-0, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3)

No. 15 Casper Ruud def. Benoit Paire, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1, 7-6 (7-4)

No. 18 Jannik Sinner def. Pierre-Hugues Herbert, 6-1, 4-6, 6-7 (4-7), 7-5, 6-4

Lloyd Harris def. No. 26 Lorenzo Sonego, 7-5, 6-4, 6-4

No. 28 Nikoloz Basilashvili def. Dusan Lajovic, 6-4, 6-3, 0-6, 6-2

No. 30 Taylor Fritz def. Joao Sousa, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4

No. 31 John Isner def. Sam Querrey, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3, 6-4

No. 32 Reilly Opelka def. Andrej Martin, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4

After suffering four consecutive first-round exits in Paris, Medvedev finally broke through into the second round with a straight-set victory.

The second-seeded Russian needed just under two hours to eliminate Alexander Bublik, who he bested in most stat categories.

Medvedev captured 79 percent of the points on his first serve and took seven of the 15 break points he forced against his 23-year-old opponent.

Medvedev should have a clear path to the second week of the tournament after No. 16 Grigor Dimitrov withdrew from the tournament Sunday. Dimitrov was the highest seed in Medvedev's section.

Federer also got off to a great start in Paris, but his path to the quarterfinals is far more difficult than the one Medvedev faces.

Federer blew past Denis Istomin in one hour and 33 minutes to set up a clash with Marin Cilic, who is one of a few major winners in the men's draw outside of the Big Three of Federer, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

The 20-time major winner could face Djokovic in the quarterfinals if both players continue to progress. Djokovic's section got easier after 19-year-old Lorenzo Musetti upset David Goffin.

Musetti is part of the newest generation of stars hoping to make their impact at major tournaments. His fellow 19-year-old Italian Jannik Sinner survived a five-set battle to move on to the second round.

The three seeded American men in the field advanced Monday. Taylor Fritz, John Isner and Reilly Opelka all came out on top in straight sets.

              

Women's Singles

No. 4 Sofia Kenin def. Jelena Ostapenko, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3

Tamara Zidansek def. No. 6 Bianca Andreescu, 6-7 (1-7), 7-6 (7-2), 9-7

No. 7 Serena Williams def. Irina Camelia Begu, 7-6 (8-6), 6-2

No. 8 Iga Swiatek def. Kaja Juvan, 6-0, 7-5

No. 10 Belinda Bencic def. Nadia Podoroska, 6-0, 6-3

Marta Kostyuk def. No. 12 Garbine Muguruza, 6-1, 6-4

No. 14 Elise Mertens def. Storm Sanders, 6-4, 6-1

Polona Hercog def. No. 16 Kiki Bertens, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4

Sorana Cirstea def. No. 19 Johanna Konta, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2

No. 20 Marketa Vondrousova def. Kaia Kanepi, 4-6, 6-3, 6-0

No. 28 Jessica Pegula def. Zhu Lin, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4

The women's singles draw looks much more wide open than it was 24 hours ago.

Four top 20 seeds were eliminated Monday and No. 2 seed Naomi Osaka opted to withdraw from the event.

Bianca Andreescu, Garbine Muguruza, Kiki Bertens and Johanna Konta all suffered first-round defeats.

Andreescu, Bertens and Konta were drawn into the bottom two sections of the draw alongside Osaka. That leaves No. 10 Belinda Bencic as the highest seed left in that portion of the draw.

If you go further up the draw, Williams looks to be in good shape to reach the semifinal round. Aryna Sabalenka is the only top 10 seed that would be in her way to the final four.

Williams closed Monday's action with a straight-set victory. She battled through a first-set tiebreak and then got stronger in the second set.

Reigning champion Iga Swiatek appears to be in a great spot as well in her section after she reeled off a straight-set victory over Kaja Juvan and Marta Kostyuk upset Muguruza.

Swiatek allowed just four break-point opportunities to Juvan in 18 games. The No. 8 seed won five of her 13 break points and converted on just over half of her receiving points.

Sofia Kenin, whom Swiatek beat in the 2020 women's final, was forced to battle to a win over 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko.

The fourth-seeded American pulled away in the third set by going 5-of-5 on break-point opportunities and 22-of-29 on her receiving points.

Kenin and Swiatek could face each other in the quarterfinals if they each win three more matches.

          

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from RolandGarros.com.

Serena Williams will add another historic achievement to her illustrious resume Monday at the 2021 French Open.

Williams will face Irina-Camelia Begu in the first official night match on Court Philippe-Chatrier at Roland Garros.

Matches in previous years have been played under the lights on Chatrier, but they were forced to complete those contests at night because of weather delays or long matches that occurred earlier in the day.

Williams' match will finish off a loaded slate of stars on Chatrier, which begins with 2020 French Open women's singles champion Iga Swiatek.

Second-seeded man Daniil Medvedev will follow, and Roger Federer makes his return to Roland Garros in the final day match on the primary showcase court.

The full order of play for Monday's matches can be found here on the tournament's official website.

          

Predictions

Serena Williams Opens with Strong Showing

Williams has not advanced to the French Open final since 2016.

Her results in two clay-court tournaments this season suggest she is not the favorite to win at Roland Garros, but she should move on past Begu.

Williams went 1-2 in a pair of Italian clay tournaments, but she has not suffered a first-round exit in Paris since 2012.

The No. 7 seed holds a 1-0 head-to-head record over Begu. That victory was a straight-set win on the Rome clay in 2016.

Begu suffered a first-round exit in 2019 and 2020, won a single match in 2018 and went 2-2 in the clay-court buildup to Roland Garros.

Both of Begu's victories came over players outside the top 100 in the world rankings. One of her losses also occurred versus a woman further down the rankings.

If Williams was playing a tougher foe on clay, there may have been some concern about her status in the tournament.

But at least for Monday, Williams should be in great shape to cruise into the next round of her bracket, which got easier Sunday when No. 26 seed Angelique Kerber was upset.

          

Roger Federer Cruises in Roland Garros Return

After missing the last three Grand Slams, Federer will be back in action Monday.

Because of his absence, the 20-time major winner was dropped to the No. 8 seed. He is typically a top-three seed alongside Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic when fully fit.

Federer could not have asked for a better first-round opponent to get back into his major groove. He owns a 7-0 head-to-head record over Denis Istomin.

Istomin has not been strong on the Paris clay, as he owns a single spot in the second round since 2015.

That is a good sign for Federer, who lost a tune-up match in Geneva two weeks ago. That loss looks much better than it did since Pablo Andujar ousted Dominic Thiem on Sunday.

As long as Federer plays his game and does not press, he should cruise to a three-set victory over his Uzbek opponent.

         

Statistics obtained from ATPTour.com and WTATennis.com.

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are all on the same side of the men's draw for the 2021 French Open. 

The unusual draw was made possible by the seedings of Nadal and Federer. The Spaniard was handed the No. 3 seed, and the Swiss is eighth. 

The positioning of the three legends will allow one of the younger stars of men's tennis to reach the final at Roland Garros. 

On the women's side, the last two winners at Roland Garros are on the top half of the draw. 2019 winner Ashleigh Barty could be on a collision course with reigning champion Iga Swiatek in the semifinals. 

The same could happen with Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams, who were aligned in the bottom half of the draw along with Aryna Sabalenka, Bianca Andreescu and Petra Kvitova.

The bottom half of each draw will begin play Sunday and Monday, while the first round of the top half will be played Monday and Tuesday. 

The full French Open schedule can be found on RolandGarros.com. 

            

French Open Odds

Via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Men's Singles

Rafael Nadal (-125; bet $125 to win $100)

Stefanos Tsitsipas (+450; bet $100 to win $450)

Novak Djokovic (+500)

Alexander Zverev (+1100)

Dominic Thiem (+1200)

Andrey Rublev (+4000)

Casper Ruud (+4000)

Jannik Sinner (+4000)

      

Women's Singles

Iga Swiatek (+275)

Ashleigh Barty (+500)

Aryna Sabalenka (+800)

Naomi Osaka (+1200)

Garbine Muguruza (+1400)

Bianca Andreescu (+2000)

Petra Kvitova (+2000)

Coco Gauff (+2500)

Serena Williams (+2500)

Typically, only two of Nadal, Federer and Djokovic land in one part of the draw because they usually are the top three seeds in a major. 

Federer's long injury layoff pushed him down to No. 8, while Daniil Medvedev's recent play pushed him above Nadal to No. 2. 

As NBC Sports' Nick Zaccardi noted, it is the first time the Big Three are aligned in the same half of a major tournament draw. 

With the Big Three in the top half, one of Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev and Medvedev have a clear path to the final without facing one of the legendary major champions. 

Medvedev carries the loftiest expectations into Roland Garros because he is the No. 2 seed, but he has never won a main-draw match on the Paris clay. If Medvedev gets over that hump, he could carve a path into his third Grand Slam final. He lost to Djokovic in the 2021 Australian Open final. 

Thiem should be viewed as the favorite to come out of the bottom half since he appeared in back-to-back French Open finals in 2018 and 2019. At +1200, Thiem may have the best betting value to win the tournament because of his history at the event. 

On the women's side, Swiatek and Barty are listed as the top two betting favorites, which means there will be value further down the board for the winner of the bottom half of the draw. 

The top half of the draw looks even tougher since 2016 champion Garbine Muguruza and 2017 winner Jelena Ostapenko are on that side of the bracket. 

Ostapenko will go head-to-head with No. 4 seed Sofia Kenin, who lost to Swiatek in the French final last October. 

Williams is the most recent French Open winner in the bottom half of the bracket, but she faces a tough path just to get to the quarterfinals. Angelique Kerber and Kvitova are in her part of the draw. 

Osaka, Andreescu and Sabalenka have easier draws in the bottom half, and that could lead to betting any of them to win the title. Osaka sits at +1200, Andreescu is +2000, and Sabalenka is the third favorite at +800. 

The women's draw has a better chance of producing a long-shot winner, like Swiatek in October, but picking out which player could achieve that feat is a tough task, especially with all of the previous major winners littered through the draw. 

     

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The 2021 French Open men's and women's singles draws were released Thursday, with Novak Djokovic and Ashleigh Barty as the No. 1 seeds in their respective brackets.

Djokovic, 13-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal and 20-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer are all on the same side of the men's tournament:

2021 men's singles draw 👇#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/1KbyAN2V3a

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 27, 2021

Barty, who won the 2019 French Open but skipped last year's event amid the COVID-19 pandemic, received a favorable draw with Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams among the big names in the opposite half:

2021 women's singles draw 👇#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/GfB9eJzgHJ

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 27, 2021

Djokovic and reigning French Open champion Nadal faced off in the Rome Masters final earlier this month, with the King of Clay scoring a three-set victory, and they're the top two players to beat in the French Open. It's unfortunate they can't meet in the final of the season's second Grand Slam, but it would make a terrific semifinal.

Federer isn't on the same level right now. He returned in March after 13 months on the sideline since undergoing knee surgery last February.

He's won just one match in the two events he's played this year, and he admitted winning his second title this year at Roland Garros isn't achievable.

"I'm just realistic that I know I will not win the French and whoever thought I would or could win it is wrong," Federer told reporters last week. "Of course, crazier things might have happened, but I'm not so sure in the last 50 years at the French Open, somebody just rocked up at 40 years old, being out for a year and a half and just go on to just win everything straight."

Still, the trio's presence on one side of the draw opens the door for players on the other half, a group led by Daniil Medvedev, Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev.

On the women's side, a potential third clay championship showdown between Barty and Aryna Sabalenka is in the cards after they landed on opposite side of the draw.

They faced off in both Stuttgart (Barty in three sets) and Madrid (Sabalenka in three sets) over the past month, and a tiebreaker in the French final would be fitting.

Osaka, who's on Sabalenka's side of the draw, is probably the player with the best chance to spoil that budding rivalry. The four-time major champion announced Wednesday she'll skip media briefings throughout the tournament:

❤️ pic.twitter.com/EegFSKnoie

— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) May 26, 2021

Defending women's champ Iga Swiatek is in Barty's half, but a potential meeting wouldn't come until the semifinals.

Meanwhile, It's hard to know what to expect from Williams, who's played just two tournaments since reaching the Australian Open semifinals in February and gone 1-2 in those events.

The 23-time major champion tends to rise to the occasion on the Grand Slam stages, however, so it's impossible to rule out another deep run at Roland Garros.

Play in the French Open begins Sunday with coverage on NBC and Tennis Channel.

Rafael Nadal has a chance to earn as many Roland Garros victories as Pete Sampras had major tournament wins at the 2021 French Open.

The 13-time champion on the Paris clay is once again the favorite to win the event, but he is not one of the top two seeds. 

Novak Djokovic and Danill Medvedev are ranked above the Spanish southpaw for the French Open draw. Roger Federer is even further down the chart as the No. 8 seed. 

The younger generation of men's tennis stars will once again take aim at the "Big Three" of Nadal, Djokovic and Federer, but until that group wins on a consistent basis, the trio of 30-plus-year-olds have to be viewed as favorites at every major. 

The same can't be said on the women's side, especially after Iga Swiatek blew away the competition last fall in Paris. 

Swiatek is the No. 8 seed for this year's event, which welcomes back Ashleigh Barty as the No. 1 seed. Barty did not defend her 2019 French Open title after she opted out of the tournament. 

The 2021 French Open will start on May 30. The women's title match will take place on June 12 and the men's final is scheduled for June 13.

        

2021 French Open Schedule

Dates: May 30-June 13

TV: Tennis Channel and NBC

Live Stream: Peacock, NBCSports.com and NBC Sports app

         

Odds (via DraftKings Sportsbook)

Men's Singles

Rafael Nadal (-118; bet $118 to win $100)

Novak Djokovic (+400; bet $100 to win $400)

Stefanos Tsitsipas (+800)

Dominic Thiem (+900)

Alexander Zverev (+1800)

Andrey Rublev (+3300)

     

The older guard of men's tennis has remained dominant at majors, despite all three of them being deep into their 30s. 

Dominic Thiem's 2020 U.S. Open win marked the only time Djokovic, Federer and Nadal did not win a major since 2017. That title may come with an asterisk to some since Djokovic was disqualified from the tournament. 

Thiem is likely the best option to choose from the younger generation to challenge a member of the "Big Three."

The Austrian reached the French Open final in 2018 and 2019, and he has tested Nadal and Djokovic in Grand Slam finals over the last three years. 

Medvedev broke through at the Australian Open with a final appearance, but he lost in straight sets to Djokovic. 

The second-seeded Russian is notoriously bad on the clay. He has four first-round exits at Roland Garros in the last four years, which is why he is down at +9000 to win the French Open. 

Federer is directly in front of Medvedev on the odds chart at +7000. While we know his quality at Grand Slams, the Swiss legend spent most of last season working on injury issues and is not expected to win over Nadal and Djokovic. 

While it may be hard to bet on long shots in the men's field, keep an eye on Jannik Sinner if you choose to go that route. 

The 19-year-old Italian advanced to the French Open quarterfinals in 2020 and is seeded 18th for this year's event. 

          

Women's Singles

Iga Swiatek (+280)

Ashleigh Barty (+460)

Aryna Sabalenka (+650)

Garbine Muguruza (+1200)

Naomi Osaka (+1700)

Serena Williams (+2100)

Elina Svitolina (+2300)

Petra Kvitova (+2500)

     

As always, the women's singles field is much more wide open than the men's bracket, and that typically leads to a more entertaining two weeks of tennis. 

Last fall, Swiatek emerged out of obscurity to become the seventh first-time Grand Slam winner on the women's circuit since 2018. 

Swiatek faces a much different role coming into the 2021 event as the favorite and the No. 8 seed. She followed up the Roland Garros win with a fourth-round run at the Australian Open in February. 

Barty has to be viewed as a strong betting play at +460 since she was the champion two years ago and enters as the No. 1 seed. 

The Australian opened the European clay-court season with a tournament victory in Stuttgart. Aryna Sabalenka beat Barty in the Madrid final and Swiatek captured the Rome title. 

Sabalenka has the most to prove out of the trio of top players on the odds board. She has not made it past the fourth round at a major, but the win over Barty in Madrid may be a sign that she is ready to contend in the second week of a major. 

American teenager Coco Gauff is worth a look as a long-shot winner. She captured first at the recently completed tournament in Parma, Italy, and made the semifinals in Rome. 

In addition to the favorites and the top rising star, you always have to consider Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams to be in the mix for major titles.

A lack of recent success in Paris is the reason why Williams and Osaka are deeper on the odds chart than usual. Williams has not won at Roland Garros since 2015, and Osaka has not advanced past the third round in her last four trips to the clay. 

        

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Serena Williams suffered a straight-set loss to Katerina Siniakova in the second round of the Emilia-Romagna Open on Tuesday.

Williams was the top seed at the event after accepting a wild-card invitation, defeating Lisa Pigato in Round 1. She wasn't able to keep the momentum in the Round of 16 as Siniakova pulled off the 7-6(4), 6-2 upset.

"It's amazing, it means a lot to me," Siniakova told reporters after the match. ''I played [an] amazing match. It shows me that I can play like this, I can play well. I just need to try be more focused every time and to stay calm and ready for every point. I will be really happy if I could keep it like this."

Siniakova is just the 68th ranked player in the world but she was efficient against Williams, winning 72.2 percent of first serves and 64 percent of second serves. She was only broken twice in the two sets.

Williams didn't help her own cause with seven double faults and plenty of unforced errors leading to the loss.

🇨🇿@K_Siniakova moves into the #EmiliaRomagnaOpen quarterfinals!

The world No.68 defeats top seed Serena Williams 7-6(4), 6-2. pic.twitter.com/ZMXu154FII

— wta (@WTA) May 18, 2021

It continues a disappointing run in the clay-court season for the American, who lost to Nadia Podoroska in her first match of the Italian Open.

The 39-year-old will prepare for Roland Garros later this month, but she hasn't won three matches in a clay-court tournament since reaching the Round of 16 at the 2018 French Open.

While still the No. 8 player in the world, Williams could have a difficult time adding to her 23 career Grand Slam titles.

Siniakova will advance to the quarterfinals in Parma, Italy to face the winner of Anna-Lena Friedsam and No. 8 seed Caroline Garcia.