Elina Svitolina survives First-Round scare at Roland Garros
Elina Svitolina fought back to defeat Anna Bondár 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(3) in a dramatic first-round battle at the French Open.
She was down 1-3 in the deciding set and facing an opponent who had beaten her in their last two meetings, but somehow found another level when the match got tight.
The Rome champion once again showed why she is one of the toughest players on tour.
Svitolina has now won seven matches in a row and improves to an incredible 13-0 record in first-round matches at Roland Garros.
After the match, she joked about how many times she has faced Bondar.
“Anna, we played many times. I’m literally tired to play against her,” Svitolina said with a smile.
She also praised the crowd for helping her through the battle.
“These kind of battles are never easy… I’m really overwhelmed with emotions to be fair.”
The win gives Svitolina her 30th victory of the 2026 season as she continues her strong run on clay heading deeper into Paris.
