French Open 2025: Aryna Sabalenka Dominates Early, Ben Shelton Survives Marathon Battle

The 2025 French Open has kicked off with a bang, featuring some thrilling matches and exciting moments. Aryna Sabalenka, the world's No. 1 player, made a dominant start to the tournament by defeating Kamilla Rakhimova in straight sets, 6-1, 6-0. Sabalenka served up five aces and broke serve five times during the match, putting her recent defeat at the Italian Open in the distance. Her victory made her the first top seed to lose just one game in her opening match of the tournament since Serena Williams did so in 2013 against Anna Tatishvili.

Sabalenka's next opponent is Jil Teichmann on Wednesday. The 22-year-old Ben Shelton, the United States' brightest young tennis star, also reached the second round after a five-set thriller against Italy's Lorenzo Sonego, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. Shelton, who reached the third round at the French Open last year and is coming off his second career Grand Slam semifinal at the 2025 Australian Open, had his girlfriend Trinity Rodman in the stands supporting him while she recovers from a back injury.

Tommy Paul also made headlines recently off the court when his truck was repossessed in Florida while he played in the Rome Open. However, he didn't let those concerns preoccupy him as he defeated Elmer Moller in four sets, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-3, 6-1. Paul will face Márton Fucsovics in the second round. Fucsovics beat Tristan Schoolkate in straight sets in his first-round match.

In another match, Frances Tiafoe endured through a sluggish second set to defeat his opponent in three sets. Tiafoe had a tough first round at the Rome Open but bounced back with a strong performance at the French Open.

Overall, the French Open 2025 has already shown that it will be a thrilling and competitive tournament with some of the best players in the world vying for the title. With matches like these, it's clear that fans are in for a treat as the tournament progresses.