French Open: Sabelenka storms to opening win against Bouzas Maneiro
Key takeaways
- Aryna Sabalenka powered into the French Open second round, defying her world number 50 opponent and searing Paris heat.
- A double fault, however, handed the top-seeded Belarusian the first set and she opened up a 5-0 advantage in the second.
- Bouzas Maneiro survived a further two games when she held and then broke for 5-2, but a double fault gave Sabalenka a routine win.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Aryna Sabalenka powered into the French Open second round, defying her world number 50 opponent and searing Paris heat.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Aryna Sabalenka plays a backhand against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain during the Women's Singles first-round match during Day Three of the 2026 French Open at Roland Garros [James Fearn/Getty Images]By Kevin Hand Published On 26 May 202626 May 2026World number one and last year’s defeated finalist Aryna Sabalenka blazed through her opening round at the French Open as she brushed aside Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-4 6-2 in just 75 minutes.
Sabalenka, who is still seeking her first Roland Garros title, raced to a 4-0 lead on a sun-kissed Court Philippe Chatrier on Tuesday before unforced errors crept into her game, which allowed her opponent to pull two breaks back and serve for 5-5.