Top Seeds Survive Opening Tests
World No. 1 Iga Świątek advanced smoothly, dismantling Emiliana Arango 6-1, 6-2. Aryna Sabalenka showed her power early with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Rebeka Masarova, while Elena Rybakina eased through against Julieta Pareja 6-3, 6-0. Jessica Pegula also looked sharp, dropping just four games against Mayar Sherif. Coco Gauff scraped through against Ajla Tomljanovic.
Upsets and Early Exits
A few big names stumbled at the first hurdle. Madison Keys lost a marathon to Renata Zarazua, and Petra Kvitova suffered a shocking 1-6, 0-6 defeat to Diane Parry. Caroline Garcia also fell in three sets to Kamilla Rakhimova, while Venus Williams was outlasted by Karolina Muchová.
American Storylines
The US contingent had mixed fortunes. Coco Gauff edged a thriller against Ajla Tomljanović 6-4, 6-7, 7-5, while Sofia Kenin bowed out to fellow American Ashlyn Krueger. Amanda Anisimova and Taylor Townsend advanced, but Alycia Parks was dismantled by Mirra Andreeva 0-6, 1-6.
Qualifiers and Breakthroughs
Qualifiers made their mark: Janice Tjen stunned Veronika Kudermetova in three sets, and Alexandra Eala saved multiple match points to edge Clara Tauson in a 7-6 (13-11) decider. Promising teenager Iva Jovic also won in straight sets against Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
Other Notables
- Victoria Azarenka needed grit to beat qualifier Hena Inoue.
- Venus Williams won a set but had to bow out against Karolina Muchova.
- Jelena Ostapenko and Barbora Krejcikova progressed comfortably.
- Maria Sakkari and Daria Kasatkina each delivered solid straight-sets wins.
- Naomi Osaka started strong, defeating Greet Minnen 6-3, 6-4.
Conclusion of Round 1
Round 1 was a mix of dominance from the top seeds, surprising early exits from seasoned stars, and plenty of drama courtesy of tiebreaks and 3 breakthrough wins by qualifiers. The stage is now set for high-stakes clashes as the tournament moves into Round 2.