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French Open Day 2: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal easily glide into Round 2

Liz Roscher
·Staff writer
·5-min read

Welcome to Day 2 of the French Open. There are 48 matches scheduled on Monday, divided equally between the men and women, and some big names are taking the court. Iga Swiatek, Naomi Osaka, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Emma Raducanu are all playing on Day 2. Will we see more Top 10 upsets like we did on Day 1? Will there be a qualifier that starts to rise? Will the rain become a major obstacle?

Surprises are always in store in Round 1, because that's where everyone's story begins.

Djokovic rolls into Round 2

To the surprise of no one, Novak Djokovic, seeded first in the men's field, is moving on to Round 2. He defeated Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka 6-3, 6-1, 6-0 in 1:58. At no point in the match was Djokovic in trouble. His defense was graceful, his offense was solid, and he was so relaxed that it almost felt like a televised practice round. Nishioka is speedy and fought as hard as he could, but it takes a hammer to demolish the brick wall that is Djokovic.

Raducanu survives challenge from feisty teenager

In her French Open debut, 12th seed Emma Raducanu won her first-round match against 17-year-old Linda Noskova, but it wasn't easy. Raducanu (who is just 19 herself) won 6(4)-7, 7-5, 6-1 in a back-and-forth battle that took two hours and 37 minutes. Both players were evenly matched, and continued to match each other throughout the first two sets. Raducanu was oddly calm throughout the early part of the match, even as she fought to keep up with Noskova. After losing the first-set tiebreak, Raducanu began to show some emotion, celebrating points and games. When she finished off Noskova in a lopsided third set, she let out a scream and pumped her fist.

Nadal easily handles Thompson

The King of Clay has come to play. In just over two hours, fifth-seeded Rafael Nadal beat Australian Jordan Thompson 6-2, 6-2, 6-2. Thompson had some power, but Nadal absolutely dominated him on his serve. On first serve, he had a win percentage of 73, which rose to 77 on second serve. Thompson broke Rafa's serve just once on two opportunities, while Nadal went 7-for-11 on break points. It was a vintage Roland Garros performance for Nadal, who lunged and ran and slid all over the clay like he'd been doing it his whole life, because he actually has been doing it his whole life.

Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 23, 2022 Spain's Rafael Nadal celebrates after winning his first round match against Australia's Jordan Thompson REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
Rafael Nadal is back at the French Open and is already dominating the competition. (REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes) (Gonzalo Fuentes / reuters)

Krejcikova stunned by unseeded Parry

Another top-10 seed has fallen. Barbora Krejcikova, the No. 2 player in the world, won't defend her title at Roland Garros. Nineteen-year-old Diane Parry of France, unseeded in Paris and ranked No. 96 in the world, dismantled Krejcikova 1-6, 6-2, 6-3. Krejcikova was rusty going into the match, as she hadn't played competitively since February due to an elbow injury, but the 2021 champ looked fine in the first set, easily dominating Parry. But a few games into the second set, a long delay (due to two spectators who couldn't find their seats) turned the entire match around. Krejcikova started to fall apart once play resumed, and Parry was relentless. This loss will knock Krejcikova out of the WTA top 10.

Osaka loses tough match to No. 27 Anisimova

Naomi Osaka, the four-time Grand Slam champion, is out of the French Open after just one match. American Amanda Anisimova, seeded 27th, took down Osaka 7-5, 6-4 in 90 minutes. Osaka remained relatively competitive throughout, but had a lot of trouble with her serve (eight double faults and a first-serve percentage of 45). Osaka was also hampered by a number of factors. Due to an Achilles injury, she wasn't able to get a lot of competitive prep time on clay. Plus, clay has never been one of her strong surfaces. She's made it to the third round three times, but never farther. It's possible we could see Osaka play at Wimbledon, but she admitted after the match that she's thinking about skipping it.

PARIS, FRANCE May 23. Naomi Osaka of Japan during her match against Amanda Anisimova of the United States on Court Suzanne Lenglen during the singles first round match at the 2022 French Open Tennis Tournament at Roland Garros on May 23rd 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
Naomi Osaka is out of the French Open after just one round. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images) (Tim Clayton - Corbis via Getty Images)

Swiatek glides into Round 2

It took Iga Swiatek less than an hour to win her 29th straight match and move on to Round 2 at Roland Garros. The No. 1 seed dispatched Lesia Tsurenko in just 54 minutes, winning 6-2, 6-0. Swiatek's defense was strong (as usual) and she dominated with her forehand. It felt like a foregone conclusion that she'd win the first round, mostly because she's been playing on another level for three straight months. Swiatek will be challenged at Roland Garros, but Monday wasn't that day.

Other notable results

  • Reilly Opelka, one of two American men seeded in the top 20, lost his Round 1 match to Filip Krajinovic. He took the first set to a tiebreak but lost, then Krajinovic took control to win 7-6(5), 6-2, 6-3.

  • The highest-seeded American man at the French Open, Taylor Fritz (No. 13), won a five-setter against Santiago Rodriguez Taverna that lasted three hours and 31 minutes. Fritz survived a first set tiebreak and a rain delay to move on to Round 2.

  • Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 US Open champ, has equaled her best showing at Roland Garros with a first-round win against Ysaline Bonaventure. Between COVID and injuries, Andreescu has had a rough few years, but maybe this win can get her on the comeback trail.

Check back for more results throughout the day.