Svitolina strikes first: hard-fought victory ignites her 2026 Roland Garros campaign
Еліна Світоліна / фото пресслужби тенісистки
Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina made a strong start at Roland Garros 2026, advancing to the second round after a successful opening match.
In the first round, the world number seven defeated Hungary’s Anna Bondar in three sets—3:6, 6:1, and 7:6 (10:3).
The match proved difficult for the Ukrainian. In the deciding set, Svitolina trailed 1:3 but managed to get back into the game. When the score became 5:4 in Svitolina’s favor, the Ukrainian could have ended the match, but her opponent came back into the game and reached the super tie-break.
As a result, the Ukrainian tennis player confidently won the match.
This is Svitolina’s seventh consecutive victory. Before Roland Garros began, the Ukrainian won the WTA 1000 tournament in Rome.
Elina also continued her unbeaten streak in the first rounds of the French Grand Slam—in 13 appearances in the main draw, she never crashed out after the opening match.
Svitolina’s best results at Roland Garros remain quarterfinals in 2017, 2020, 2023, and 2025.
In the next round, the Ukrainian will play the winner of the match between Caitlin Quevedo and Leoli Zhanzhan.
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