In the women’s singles, Swiatek began her campaign for a fourth consecutive clay-court Grand Slam title with a comfortable 6-3, 6-2 victory over Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova.

There was something of an upset in the women’s draw, as four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka was knocked out in the first round. She lost 6-7, 6-1, 6-4 to 10th seed Paula Badosa of Spain.

In the men’s singles, former world number one and defending champion Alcaraz cruised past Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri, winning 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 without much trouble.

Iga Swiatek. Photo: Nicolas Gouhier/FFT

Current world number one Jannik Sinner also eased into the second round with a straight-set win over France’s Arthur Rinderknech. Sinner took the match 6-4, 6-3, 7-5.

After the match, Sinner said that opening-round matches are never straightforward, and he was pleased with his performance. “First-round matches are never easy, so I’m very happy with how I handled the situation, especially in the third set,” said Sinner.

“Coming through in straight sets means a lot. We’ve played each other a couple of times before, so we know each other a bit – he’s an amazing player.

“I was just trying to focus on my side ... He played very well in the third set. That first break was crucial – at 5-0, it’s nearly impossible to come back.

Jannik Sinner. Photo: Cédric Lecocq/FFT

“I tried to regain my confidence – he made a few mistakes while serving for the set, which helped me. I just aimed to maintain a good mindset and the right attitude on court, and I’m really happy with how I managed that.”

Meanwhile, South Africa’s Lloyd Harris will return to Grand Slam action for the first time since Wimbledon last year when he takes on Russia’s Andrey Rublev in the first round on Tuesday afternoon. The match is scheduled to start at approximately 13:20.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion, Novak Djokovic, will also be in action on Tuesday when he starts his campaign against Mackenzie McDonald of the USA.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cg