World No.3 Alexander Zverev successfully entered the fray on Sunday at Roland Garros by eliminating Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi (95th) 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
“It was a very good start to the tournament, it’s always nice to start with a victory in three sets,” the three-time Grand Slam finalist said on court.
Finalist of the 2024 edition of Roland-Garros, the German will face the Czech Tomas Machac (43rd) in the second round, winner 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 of the Belgian Zizou Bergs (40th).
Still in search of a first Grand Slam title at 29, Zverev is the second seed in Paris in the absence of Carlos Alcaraz (2nd), injured in the wrist. The ultra-favorite Jannik Sinner (1st in the world) must enter the fray on Tuesday against another Frenchman, Clément Tabur (171st).
On a Philippe-Chatrier court bathed in sunshine (more than 30°C measured on Sunday in Paris), Zverev was rather sharp against a player who had distinguished himself in the Grand Slam by eliminating former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev in the first round of Wimbledon and the US Open in the summer of 2025.
At Roland-Garros, on the other hand, Bonzi has not won a match in the final draw since the 2020 edition, postponed to the fall due to Covid.
If the Frenchman managed to get back to four games everywhere in the second set after being led 4-2, he immediately lost his throw and was quickly left behind in the third act.
Asked about his slight decline in the second set, Zverev put things into perspective, recalling that Grand Slam matches were always made of “ups and downs.”
“When he (Bonzi, Editor’s note) broke me, I immediately took over his serve,” said the German, who alternated powerful serves, heavy baseline shots (38 winning shots) and skillfully distilled cushion shots.
