Roland Garros: Sinner, Sabalenka, and Andreeva advance to second round, Khachanov crushes Arthur Gea
On the first day of the tournament in Paris, the top seeds secured victories. Russian Mirra Andreeva defeated Fiona Ferro (6:3, 6:3), while Karen Khachanov did not drop a set against Arthur Gea (6:3, 7:6, 6:0).
Roland Garros: Sinner, Sabalenka, and Andreeva start strong, Khachanov routs Frenchman
Date: May 25-26, 2026
Tournament: Roland Garros (French Open), first round
Venue: Paris, Roland Garros courts
Main Event
On Sunday, May 24, the second Grand Slam of the season—the French Open—kicked off in Paris. The first match day, spanning May 25 and 26, brought victories for all top seeds. Jannik Sinner (seed No. 1) and Aryna Sabalenka (seed No. 1) confirmed their favorite status, confidently advancing to the next round.
Russian fans also had reason to celebrate. 19-year-old Mirra Andreeva, seeded 8th, defeated France's Fiona Ferro in straight sets. Karen Khachanov (13th seed) had no trouble against another Frenchman, Arthur Gea, crushing his opponent in three sets. Both Russians continue their fight on the Paris courts.
Details and Statistics
Mirra Andreeva (8) vs. Fiona Ferro (France) — 6:3, 6:3
Andreeva, for whom this is already her fourth Roland Garros, confidently handled world No. 181 Fiona Ferro. The match lasted just over 70 minutes.
The Russian showcased excellent return play: she converted 6 of 7 break points and saved 6 of 7 break points on her serve. Andreeva recorded 19 winners, 10 of which came from her powerful forehand.
This success allowed the Russian to make history: she became only the fourth tennis player in the 21st century to achieve 12 wins at Roland Garros before turning 20, trailing only Coco Gauff. After the match, Mirra admitted she felt nervous before the start, but coach Conchita Martínez helped her manage the anxiety.
Karen Khachanov (13) vs. Arthur Gea (France) — 6:3, 7:6 (7:3), 6:0
Khachanov, ranked 15th in the world, played a confident match against world No. 140 Arthur Gea. The encounter, lasting just over two hours, ended with a rout of the Frenchman in the third set—6:0.
Karen served powerfully and played as the aggressor throughout the match. In the second set, Gea fought back, forcing a tiebreak, but the Russian was relentless, winning it 7:3. The third set turned into a Khachanov showcase, as he did not concede a single game.
Other First Round Results
The top seeds also started with wins. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner defeated a French representative. In the women's draw, Aryna Sabalenka (seed No. 1), Elena Rybakina (No. 2), Iga Swiatek (No. 3), and defending champion Coco Gauff (No. 4) all advanced comfortably.
Context and Significance
For Mirra Andreeva, this start was especially important due to painful memories from last year. At the previous Roland Garros, the 19-year-old Russian unexpectedly lost to the world No. 361 in the quarterfinals in front of packed French stands. Now she has shown she has learned to handle public pressure and expectations.
"I knew the French crowd would support Fiona. She played well today, and I'm very happy I could win," Andreeva commented on her victory.
It is worth noting that Andreeva is among the main favorites of the women's tournament alongside Swiatek and Sabalenka. Her clay-court statistics this season are impressive: 16 wins against only 3 losses—the best record on the WTA Tour.
Karen Khachanov, meanwhile, is also in good form. Last year at Roland Garros, he exited in the third round, losing to Tommy Paul. Now the Russian has every chance to at least match that result and compete for higher positions.
The tournament takes place against the backdrop of the absence of world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, who is skipping Roland Garros and Wimbledon due to a right wrist injury. This opens up additional opportunities for Jannik Sinner and other title contenders.
What's Next / Next Match Preview
Second-round matches at Roland Garros will take place on May 27-28.
Mirra Andreeva will face the winner of the match between Marina Bassols Ribera (Spain) and Emiliana Arango (Colombia) in the second round. Given the Russian's class, she is the clear favorite in this matchup.
Karen Khachanov will play against Marco Trungelliti (Argentina) or Kyrian Jacquet (France) in the second round. Both opponents are significantly inferior to Khachanov in class and ranking, so the Russian should advance without issues.
Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka will also continue their title pursuits in the second round. The tournament finals are scheduled for June 6 (women's singles) and June 7 (men's singles).
Editorial Prediction
Mirra Andreeva is one of the biggest sensations of the season, and her journey at Roland Garros is just beginning. We predict that the 19-year-old Russian will comfortably pass the second round and at least match last year's achievement—reaching the quarterfinals. Beyond that, everything will depend on the draw: an early meeting with Iga Swiatek could be the main test.
Karen Khachanov should also confidently advance to the second round and compete for a spot in the round of 16. His main rival in the draw is Alexander Zverev (seed No. 2), whom Khachanov could face in the fourth round. The German is in excellent form right now, but on clay, the Russian can challenge any opponent. The editorial team believes that reaching the fourth round would be an excellent result for Khachanov.
— Editorial Team
