Serena Williams has reached the second round of the French Open in Paris on her eagerly awaited return to the Grand Slam stage.
The 36-year-old defeated Czech Kristyna Pliskova 7:6 (7:4), 6:4, in her first major appearance after a 13-month baby break, and Ashleigh Barty (Australia/No. 17) is the next opponent for the former world number one.
Williams, dressed in a black catsuit, could rely on Pliskova, twin sister of fellow favourite Karolina (No. 6), at the beginning mainly on her serve. The record Grand Slam winner did not allow a single breakchance in the first set but, conversely, was only rarely able to score points in her opponent’s service. In the second half, both players were not quite as dominant, the US player had the better end in her favour.
“I missed playing, I missed Roland Garros,” Williams said after the match point in almost perfect French. “I’m very pleased with the way I played today.”
In Roland Garros Williams takes part in a Grand Slam tournament for the first time since the Australian Open in January 2017. At that time she had already won her 23rd major title. Before the French Open, she made her first comeback at the tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami in March, but failed early on.
Williams has taken part in the second Major of the Year thanks to its “Protected Ranking”. However, because the break around the birth of her daughter Alexis Olympia has brought her down to 453rd place in the world rankings, she is not one of the 32 seeded players. Among other things, Williams himself had therefore initiated a discussion in the run-up to the tournament as to whether the WTA should change the rules for returning after pregnancy.