8:31 AM ET Associated Press Second-seeded Karolina Pliskova advanced to the second round of the French Open by beating Mayar Sherif 6-7 (9), 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday. Sherif was the first Egyptian player to qualify for the main draw at Roland Garros. She saved five break points in the seventh game of the third set.
Tennis
12:15 PM ET ESPN News Services Novak Djokovic‘s first Grand Slam action since his disqualification at the US Open went as smoothly as can be in Paris. Djokovic, the French Open’s No. 1 seed who is bidding for a second title here and an 18th major title overall, beat Mikael Ymer of Sweden 6-0, 6-2,
11:26 AM ET ESPN News Services PARIS — Serena Williams went from a 72-minute first set that required a tiebreaker to a lopsided second set in which she did not drop a game in her first-round match at the French Open. “I just need to play with more confidence, like I’m Serena,” Williams said, by
3:38 PM ET Associated Press A women’s doubles player has been removed from the main draw at the French Open after she was declared a contact case following her coach’s positive coronavirus test. French Open organizers did not name the player. Doubles matches start on Wednesday. The French Tennis Federation has carried out around 1,900
9:37 AM ET Associated Press US Open champion Dominic Thiem advanced to the second round of the French Open by beating former US Open champion Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. The third-seeded Austrian won his first major tournament at Flushing Meadows two weeks ago and is among the favorites again at Roland Garros after losing
7:12 AM ET Rafael Nadal has won a record 12 French Open titles with the same ritual precision that compels him to line up his water bottles just so, or avoid treading on the painted lines on a court. For that reason, the 2020 French Open — so fraught with disruptions, so loaded with unknowns
4:05 PM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com The French Open red clay court was shrouded in mist and a drizzle fell from the sky. The temperature hovered in the mid-50s, but the blustering winds made it feel even cooler. There was a smattering of spectators in the stands at Court Suzanne Lenglen, but the 10,000-seat stadium sat
7:39 AM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com Victoria Azarenka and her opponent Danka Kovinic briefly walked off the court during a rain delay during their opening round match at the French Open on Sunday. Play was stopped after three games on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, and the players were instructed to stay on court. However, they both were unhappy
5:13 PM ET The 2020 French Open begins Sunday with only 1,000 spectators allowed on site, questions about whether France’s coronavirus cases will continue to rise and the debut of the new $55 million retractable roof atop Court Philippe Chatrier. The French Open normally starts in May but was postponed this year because of the
2:52 PM ET World No. 5 Elina Svitolina held off a spirited challenge from Elena Rybakina to lift the Strasbourg International title with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 win on Saturday. Second seed Svitolina, the 2010 French Open junior champion, will return to Roland Garros next week on the back of her fifth claycourt triumph in
10:17 AM ET Tennis fans haven’t had much time to catch their collective breath following a wild and unusual US Open, but in this, the strangest sporting year of any of our lifetimes, it’s time to turn the clock back to mid-May and gear up for the 2020 French Open at Roland Garros. The shortest
3:47 AM ET Associated Press PARIS — Already repeatedly trimmed, crowd sizes for the French Open have been reduced again — to just 1,000 spectators per day — because of the worsening coronavirus epidemic in Paris. The new limit, reduced from 5,000 per day, was first announced by Prime Minister Jean Castex on Thursday night.
8:28 AM ET The French Open, which begins Sunday in Paris, is working like most every other sporting event under strict health protocols because of the coronavirus pandemic. The organizers of the event, which was postponed from its late spring time slot because of the health crisis, are hoping to make a bold statement. “We
8:42 PM ET D’Arcy Maine Peter Bodo Close ESPN.com Staff Writer Peter Bodo has been covering tennis for over 35 years, mostly recently for ESPN. He is a former WTA Writer of the Year and the author of numerous books, including the classic “The Courts of Babylon” and the New York Times bestseller (with Pete
8:39 PM ET The 2020 French Open is underway after the Grand Slam was postponed from May to September because of the coronavirus pandemic. Unlike the US Open, 5,000 fans will be allowed to attend per day. Three-time defending champion and men’s favorite Rafael Nadal looks to tie Roger Federer‘s record of 20 men’s major
1:51 PM ET Associated Press PARIS — Rafael Nadal will begin his bid for a record-extending 13th French Open title against Egor Gerasimov in the first round, while Serena Williams starts her attempt for a record-equaling 24th major against Kristie Ahn in all-American matchup. Nadal, 34, who is seeded second and has never faced the
5:33 PM ET Associated Press French tennis player Benoit Paire was allowed to compete at the Hamburg Open despite twice testing positive for the coronavirus, he said Wednesday. Paire retired from his opening-round match while trailing Casper Ruud 6-4, 2-0 on Wednesday with what the ATP Tour said was “dizziness.” Paire withdrew from the U.S.
7:38 AM ET It’s a sight as emblematic of the French Open as white socks deeply stained by red clay dust: The chair umpire climbs down from the lofty perch and jogs over to inspect a skid mark in the clay near a white line. He or she inspects the mark, sometimes bending to peer