⁍ Alexander Zverev beats Dennis Novak to reach French Open second round.
⁍ Venus Williams loses to Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in first round.
⁍ Stan Wawrinka beats Andy Murray in straight sets.
⁍ Victoria Azarenka and Simona Halep through to second round.
– For the first time since 2013, Serena Williams is not taking part in a Grand Slam event after the US Open. The 36-year-old American, who won the last of her 23 Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open in January, lost in the first round of the French Open on Sunday after being diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease that causes fatigue and joint pain, the BBC reports. Williams, who was playing her first match on Court Philippe Chatrier, said in a statement that the illness had affected her movement and that she had decided to pull out of the last Grand Slam tournament of the year after consulting with her family and doctors. Williams, who won the last of her seven Grand Slam titles at the US Open in 2014, said in a statement that she had decided to pull out of the French Open, the last Grand Slam tournament of the year, after consulting with her family and doctors. Earlier Sunday, Williams’ sister, Venus, lost in the first round of the French Open for the fourth year in a row, losing to Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, Reuters reports. The 40-year-old American has now lost in the first round at all her four tournament appearances since the season resumed following the illness, including this month’s US Open. On the men’s side, sixth-seed Alexander Zverev began his campaign with a commanding 7-5 6-2 6-4 victory over Austrian Dennis Novak, while Diego Schwartzman struck 32 winners as he raced past Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic 6-0 6-1 6-1 6-3.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tennis-frenchopen-highlights/highlights-french-open-day-one-idUSKBN26I0B0