French Open Day 2 recap – Iga Swiatek, Rafael Nadal and Jannik Sinner were all in action on bumper day at Roland-Garros – Eurosport

That’s it for our live match updates from the first Monday at the 2024 French Open. We’ll be back on Tuesday morning for more action from Paris. See you then!

If it was Nadal’s French Open swansong, he gave it everything against the in-form Rome champion.

The Eurosport experts chat all-things Nadal and whether he will return to Paris beyond the Olympics

Nadal has refused to completely rule out playing on and featuring again in 2025.

The Spaniard addresses the crowd in French before switching to English.

He says it has been so special. He’s not sure it’s the last time but if it is he enjoyed it.

Zverev had initially taken the mic but just praised Rafa and said it wasn’t his moment.

Nadal continues by saying it is a high percentage chance that he won’t be back but says he’s enjoyed travelling around the world with the family (on the tour). He hopes to back on Chatrier for the Olympics and again speaks about how special the court and the tournament is to him.

It’s all over! Nadal is beaten in the first round of what could be his last ever Roland-Garros.

The great Spaniard leaks a forehand well wide on the first of two match points and the crowd rise to salute both players.

It is just the fourth time he has ever lost here. An incredible statistic.

Nadal punches the air as he once again refuses to go down without a real battle. Zverev looks nervy and a double fault offers up two break back points.

Rafa just can’t make it happen though and Zverev reaches deuce before consolidating via a belter of a crosscourt backhand.

He’s one game away from becoming only the third man ever to beat Nadal at RG.

Zverev is closing in on victory now. Nadal makes a superb winner for 15-30 but coughs up the following point and it’s two break points to the German.

Nadal saves the first but can’t repeat the feat, and Sascha is now two games away from dispatching the King of Clay.

Nadal secured the early break for 2-0 but once again failed to back it up. Zverev has just been too strong. The German pushes again to break right back and keeps asking more of the questions – but Rafa fights on!

Nadal’s back is against the wall when he double faults to offer up a pair of instant break points at the start of Set 3.

They are like virtual match points, but the Mallorcan comes out on top in a brilliant rally with a forehand up the line and something ignites within.

Another incredible stun volley puts him in charge from deuce and he plays aggressive front foot tennis on the final point to get out of dodge and nudge the board in his favour.

It’s Zverev who seizes the day from 3-3 as he secures the mini break with a gorgeous stun volley before reading Nadal’s crosscourt slice and lashing away the forehand winner.

It’s the same situation on the next point, but Rafa reads the Germans’ move and bullets away a crosscourt pass to trail 5-4.

It only delays the inevitable as a poor dropper allows Sascha to swoop in and prod away a backhand winner to tee up two set points.

Nadal saves one with a much better execution of the dop shot but the No.4 seed makes it count on his own serve on the next to take the breaker 7-5 and lead two sets to love.

Nadal may yet rue some near misses early on as he slices just wide on the stretch with Sascha on the run before a forehand miscue scrubs out more fine work at the net.

Zverev shows signs of stress with an overcooked forehand long but resets to keep calm dealing with a succession of defensive lobs to nudge the board.

Nadal conjures up a big serve to earn a cheap point and it’s all square at the change of ends.

Nadal opens with a trademark 1-2 forehand punch and then shows great hands once again when he takes a high ball out of the sky and deftly kills the volley.

Zverev can’t get near on this occasion and Rafa motors through for a clean hold to force the breaker.

Zverev carries his purple patch of points into this service game, but then it suddenly evaporates.

He miscues off the forehand and backhand before a double fault offers up two BPs.

Nadal hooks a return way long on the first and it’s a costly miss as Zverev lands a sixth ace to make deuce.

From there the break never looks on and eventually the No.4 seed prevails.

Nadal will now have to hold serve to avoid falling two sets behind.

Sascha plays party pooper in spectacular style.

Nadal has little answer as the German unleashes backhand and forehand winners down both flanks en route to a comprehensive break back to love.

All square and the Rafa fans are deflated.

Nadal goes on the offensive with a wonderful crosscourt backhand winner.

Zverev feels the heat at 15-30 but conjures up a pair of aces before Nadal loses his bearings with a bizarre overhead that he flicks wide.

The Mallorcan will have to serve it out to clinch this set….

Nadal mixes the downright bad with the ridiculously good.

Two shocking backhands are juxtaposed by sublime hands at the net. He does it on three occasions, blocking away a sizzling attempt at a pass on the stretch before sliding in to guide home another to turn around a 15-30 concern.

Zverev has a big opportunity to force deuce but blasts a forehand into the net from the forecourt and Rafa maintains his advantage right at the business end of Set 2.

Zverev must feel like the world is against him, but he manages to reset, shrugging off a majestic backhand down the line from his opponent to ease to a game to 15.

At 30-15 he avoided more heat by magnificently turning defence into attack and stepping forward to delay a simple forehand pass to Rafa’s left flank.

Nadal consolidates as he reels off four points in a row from 0-15, sealing the hold courtesy of one of those trademark forehands down the line.

Rafa rides the crest of the wave from that hold – and breaks Sascha for the first time!

The Spaniard manages to crank up some pressure at 30-30 with a super crosscourt backhand and Zverev buckles with a tight forehand into the net.

The 14-time champion manages to loop a deep return into play, stepping in to unleash a sizzling forehand and then securing the break with a delightful drop shot.

Clutch mode – activated!

Nadal stares down the barrel when he skews a horribly mistimed backhand into the tramlines.

He faces two BPs but fends them off with extra pep on a crosscourt backhand and a timely first ace.

Another clutch serve puts him in charge from deuce and he can’t help but leap into the air and fist pump when a big forehand proves too good.

The pattern continues as Sascha puts an emphatic full stop on a game to 15 with a rocket of a forehand that just licks the back of the baseline.

Nadal refuses to be disheartened by his lack of impact on the return and a superb clean hold of his own gets him on the board and keeps his belief afloat.

Zverev is landing that booming first serve and seizing control of the points from the off.

Nadal can do little despite an appetite for the defence and the German makes a statement-like start to Set 2 with a clinical love hold.

Nadal comes unstuck in a baseline exchange when he arcs a make-able forehand into the net to trail 15-30.

He steps it up immediately with a scorching forehand down the line that he backs up with a deft volley at the net.

A timely first serve earns him a cheap point to take charge but Zverev presses to deuce with a sumptuous drop shot.

The Spaniard then snatches at a crosscourt backhand and burrows it into the net to offer up set point, but he swats it away with a howitzer off that flank to force an error.

A stunning, wide serve gets him out of dodge on a second SP and a big forehand earns a game point, but Zverev won’t let him off the hook. The German darts in to snare a third set point with a super pick-up from Rafa’s drop shot and the silence that greets Nadal’s next miss tells you the story; Zverev breaks again and takes the opener in 50 minutes.

Zverev keeps Rafa penned back with some hefty first serves, executing a lovely S+V tactic before concluding a game to 15 with an ace.

Nadal’s defence helps him through here as his backhand pass on the stretch is just wide enough to force a block volley long from Sascha before the German is made to go for an acute angle on the forehand that misses by a whisker.

Nadal dictates on the next point with a wonderfully short, high bouncing forehand that the No.4 seed can only slice long. Rafa reacts with a punch of the air as he holds to 15 and continues to demonstrate major improvements from that first game.

Sascha responds in kind, utterly dominating in contrast to his previous service game and notching up a clean hold via a ferocious forehand to the Spaniard’s left corner.

There’s a sudden shift in Nadal’s approach as he adds more zip to his serve and that lasso forehand.

That famed strike breaches Zverev’s defences with deep attempts to both flanks alongside a brutal one-two punch.

A sublime stun volley off a whopping wide serve catches Zverev off guard before another big forehand proves too good as Nadal gives his supporters more hope with a superb love hold.

A wonderful reaction volley gets Nadal into the battle after he had darted in to retrieve Sascha’s half volley.

It ignites the crowd and seems to unnerve Zverev as he slams a forecourt backhand long off a short ball and then butchers a forehand into the net to cough up two break points.

Nadal then loops a deep, probing forehand just long and the No.4 seed swats away the second opportunity with a bazooka of a forehand to the baseline.

The German seems quite happy dealing with the different flight of Nadal’s shots and seizes control from deuce with a wrong-footing forehand up the line.

Sascha then completes the recovery with a delightful crosscourt volley that silences the crowd.

It’s already clear there’s still a lack of penetration in Rafa’s famous forehand and the match is very much on Zverev’s racquet. That’s possibly a result of the indoor conditions, but also the fact Nadal isn’t quite where he wants to be in terms of performance level.

A miscue off the backhand flies into the tramlines and the alarm bells ring again at 15-30, but the Spaniard lures two errors off the German before that trademark crosscourt forehand forces Sascha into a tough attempt on the stretch down the line and it flashes into the net.

Despite that break to love, Zverev looks nervy with a tight backhand into the net followed by a double fault.

A sumptuous drop shot steadies him before Nadal loops a forehand pass long after some wonderful defence had given him a half chance.

The Spaniard looks a yard off the pace as Zverev’s firepower pushes him back and a sizzling overhead is too hot to handle as the German consolidates.

It’s not the start Rafa fans were hoping for.

The Spaniard dictates the opening point but then blows a drop shot into the net. He can’t find a first serve and Zverev punishes him with a rasping forehand winner up the line before a double fault offers up triple break point.

It’s all too easy really as Zverev’s movement looks much sharper and his low backhand sees the former World No.1 claw a weak strike off the same flank into the net.

It is closed. The ball will not bounce as high as Nadal would like, hence a further boost for Zverev as he looks to banish the demons of his semi-final injury against Rafa back in 2022.

The King of Clay enters his Kingdom – and what a reception!

Will this be his last ever match here or can he roll back the years to somehow down an in-form Sascha?

It’s almost time for 14-time Roland-Garros winner, Rafael Nadal.

The great Spaniard could well be featuring in his last ever tournament here and he faces a daunting first round clash against No.4 seed Alexander Zverev.

Job done. Iga breaks again to clinch victory in just one hour and one minute.

The scoreline suggests it was easier than it actually was but The Clay Queen proved too good against the qualifier and is now set for a real popcorn second-round clash with fellow four-time Grand Slam champion, Naomi Osaka.

It feels like it was only a moment ago Iga was locked in a real battle and kicking the clay in frustration.

In the blink of an eye, there’s a very different feel about this as she romps through a lightning clean hold to consolidate and move within a game of victory.

Jeanjean produces a beauty of a drop shot followed by a wrong-footing forehand pass, but it all goes pear-shaped when she double faults to cough up break point following a superb drive volley from Iga.

The French underdog can’t find a first serve and Swiatek jumps all over the second delivery to force an error and clinch the break.

Swiatek finds the first serve regularly to do most of the heavy lifting in a highly efficient game to 15 that keeps her nose in front.

Monte Carlo champion and former finalist here, Stefanos Tsitsipas has been pushed all the way in his opener with World No.54 Marton Fucsovics. The server reigned supreme throughout a 59-minute set, but it was the Hungarian who took charge in the breaker, leading 3-0 and 4-2 before Stef roared back to clock up two set points at 6-4.

Marton saved both of them for another change of ends at 6-6 but blew his chance at 7-6, allowing the Greek to get it done 9-7 on his third opportunity.

Jeanjean digs in and again benefits from some miscues off Iga, with the defending champion lashing an awkward backhand way into the tramlines to allow her opponent to mop up a solid game to 15.

What a bizarre game of tennis!

Swiatek plays a weird forehand slice well into the tramlines to give Jeanjean more hope at 15-30. A sizzling backhand down the line wipes it out before the qualifier goes too big trying to force the issue on the return.

Swiatek then lets rip on a close-range forehand that looks like it might by flying out, but it catches Leolia on the foot as she tried to jump out of the way. The umpire sees it and the game is Iga’s but it was a strange old series of events.

Jeanjean has a game point to consolidate but Iga just won’t let you go. The Pole bombards the French qualifier’s defences and rakes a backhand winner up the line before drilling deep returns to take charge from deuce and claim an instant break back.

Well, this wasn’t in Iga’s script.

The rough edges to her game are still there to see in the opener to Set 2 and this time she can’t rescue it from 15-40 down as the leaky errors prove costly.

Iga turns superb defence into attack with a raking crosscourt backhand winner and the writing appears on the Chatrier wall for the home hopeful.

It lays the platform for another break as the defending champion forces a backhand long to bake a breadstick in just 27 minutes.

The scary thing is that she probably wasn’t playing in anywhere near her top gear there either.

No danger there. Swiatek surges through a rapid clean hold to back up the double break and move to within a game of securing the opener.

Iga follows up a belting forehand to the baseline with hooked misses off both flanks.

A drive volley and a clean crosscourt forehand winner pull her to deuce where Jeanjean half volleys a lob long after the Pole had tracked down a dropper.

The French hopeful must have though the game was hers at one point, but she trudges to her chair in a forlorn state as Swiatek arrows another unreachable forehand winner up the line to secure the double break.

The clay season often sees Iga open up her bakery with bagels and breadsticks served up with unerring regularity.

The Pole doesn’t seem to quite have all the ingredients in her game just now, but she’s doing enough to stay in charge despite a slip arrowing a backhand into the net.

Iga again misfires and takes a mid-game time-out to wipe her nose on a tissue!

It doesn’t affect Jeanjean’s focus though as the French hopeful brilliantly redirects a winner off Iga’s hefty strike and eventually clocks up a morale-boosting game to 15 when the World No.1 is forced to scoop a pass on the run long.

Iga is still trying to find her range and drills a backhand long to give Leolia a smidgen of hope.

It doesn’t materialise into anything tangible, however, as Swiatek eases away from 30-30 to consolidate.

Swiatek races out of the traps and launches right on the offensive with a series of scintillating returns.

Jeanjean throws in a wobbly double fault for 15-30 and from there Iga takes control, hammering a drive volley to force an error before a crosscourt return winner licks the line and the seals the break in style.

Jeanjean will serve first.

Iga Swiatek begins her defence of the Roland-Garros crown and her bid to become champion for a fourth time here against French qualifier Leolia Jeanjean.

Moving Ons – Jabeur proves too strong for American wild card Sachia as she marauds through the second set to serve out a routine victory in one hour and 21 minutes.

The No.8 seed will meet Kalinina or Osorio next.

The World No.2 and Australian Open champion allays any concern that he may have a lingering issue with his hip with a sharp performance to beat American Eubanks in two hours and nine minutes.

The Italian saved two break back points to serve it out on his second match point from deuce and he will now meet home favourite Richard Gasquet in round two.

Ons consolidates an early double break to lead 6-3 4-0 on Chatrier where World No.1 Iga Swiatek will be up next, barring any dramatic turnaround from Vickers.

Sinner slides to his left and reaches out those long levers to propel a sizzling backhand winner down the line and tee up match point from 30-0 down.

Eubanks responds with a crisp forehand winner before a wide ace and another clutch serve help him through to pose the serve-out question.

There’s a moment of intrigue as Sinner flashes a bounce smash long for 0-30 following a superb defensive lob from Chris.

The Italian responds with aggressive groundstrokes that he backs up with a trio of expert overheads to quash the memory of that howler and move within a game of victory.

Chris Eubanks – still there and still fighting.

Few inside Lenglen will be giving him any chance at this juncture, but the American has improved as the match has worn on and an accomplished hold to 15 keeps him within shouting distance if there is any sort of surprise lapse from Jannik.

Sinner back pedals, reaches into the sky and thunders away an overhead to seal a confident game to 15. The Italian continuers to show no signs of any issues of that hip problem that kept him out of Rome.

‘Taste some of your own medicine,’ could well be the inner thought of Eubanks as he surges back from 0-30 to dig out the hold and avoid allowing Sinner to sail towards that finish line.

Ons Jabeur clinches a solid first set by a 6-3 scoreline in 45 minutes. The Tunisian’s best showing at RG was in reaching the quarter finals last year. Could she be a dark horse to go deep this year? Vickery will hope not!

This game was like a microcosm of the match. Eubanks has his moments and some real hope at 15-30, but ultimately Sinner has played the important points better. It’s the same again here as the World No.2 reels off three in a row to hit back and consolidate in business-like fashion.

As it stands with rain suspending play:

• Auger Aliassime-Nishioka, 6-2, *5-4 30-15
• Squire-Purcell, 6-2, 6-2, 3-6
• Paolini-Saville 6-3, 5-3* 30-40
• Kwon-Ruusuvuori, 6-3, 5-4*
• Shelton-Gaston 3-6, 6-3, 3-3
• Baptiste-Day 4-6, 6-2
• Karatsev-Shevchenko 4-6, 6-4

That’s a heartbreaker for Eubanks.

He follows up that near miss on the Sinner service game by being completely overwhelmed on his own as the Italian builds upon an instant double fault from his opponent with a couple of brilliant returns.

Chris feels the heat at triple break point down and skews a backhand into the net to hand the No.2 seed the breakthrough.

Chris ups the ante on the return and is luring more disjointed play out of Jannik. It’s not the procession it felt like in the opening set, that’s for sure.

The American presses and has a real look-in when a double fault offers up two break points.

Sinner again finds his A-game when it matters, staving off both – and then a third from deuce – before edging out of dodge to level.

Vickery had broken back to threaten parity from 3-0 down. However, she can’t hold serve from deuce at 3-2 and Jabeur regains the momentum.

The Tunisian then fires a pair of winners on her way to a clean hold to consolidate and move 5-2 to the good.

That’s an important hold from Eubanks.

If he’s to maintain any sort of belief here, he’s going to have to find more impact on serve. He does that on this occasion with a strong hold to 30 to earn the scoreboard advantage at the start of Set 3.

Eubanks has deployed the loopy return on occasion so far today with varying results. This time he gets the error he wants as Sinner cannons a forehand into the net to cough up two break back points.

The Italian responds with an ace and a service winner to wipe them out but that loopy return once again lures a forehand long to tee up a third opportunity.

Sinner finds two more clutch serves and then a big backhand to turn the tables and secure the two-set lead.

Eubanks keeps Jannik honest with a rare, routine hold to 30 and poses that serve-out question.

No.8 seed Ons Jabeur is in action against American wild card and Sachia Vickery and it’s one-way traffic as they approach the quarter of an hour mark. The Tunisian has just backed up the early break to lead 3-0 in the opener.

Sinner stands with his hands on his hips, puffs out his cheeks and grins at Eubanks. It follows a wonderful exchange at the net with Chris failing to put away a series of volleys and the Italian firing straight at him. In the end, Jannik’s power forces the error and he goes on to clinch a solid game to 30.

A beauty of a forehand off a 1-2 punch helps Chris reach the sanctuary of deuce after Jannik had carved out another BP opportunity without really doing anything special to earn it.

The Italian fires long with a pass on the run following an angled volley from the American before another 1-2 forehand punch gets him through another difficult service game.

It’s a routine hold to 15 that keeps Jannik firmly in charge with one particularly explosive point seeing the Australian Open champion race to his right to unleash a short-angled crosscourt forehand winner on the run.

Well, that was a missed bag, but it concludes with Eubanks getting on the board.

The American throws away a 40-0 lead with a double fault sandwiched by two unforced errors. He resets at deuce and slams down a welcome ace before another huge first serve seals the deal to keep him in touch.

That will deflate Chris even more.

Sinner’s level clearly dips, but he can’t take full advantage. The No.2 seed jabs a forehand way long to cough up break back point from deuce, but he then hits clutch mode to snatch the hope away and reel off quick-fire points to consolidate via the scenic route.

The World No.2’s level remains red-hot at the start of Set 2 as he swashbuckles through a love hold, sealing it with an ace.

Eubanks has no answer right now and can’t even hang tough on his own serve. The American is immediately faced by triple break point and despite saving one of them, he succumbs on the second when he can only block another rasping Sinner approach into the net.

Sinner shows supreme anticipation to dart to his right and block off an angled volley to take care of Chris’ attempted pass and threaten at 15-30.

The American thuds down a clutch serve to make Pulp (30-30) and then survives a forecourt forehand from Sinner that looked like being decisive until it hit the top of the tape and failed to reach its target.

Jannik digs in to make deuce and then sizzles a wonderful crosscourt forehand winner on the run to tee up set point.

Eubanks buckles under the pressure and a double fault gifts a 39-minute opener to the Italian.

There are some lovely clay-court skills on show at both ends of the court now.

Jannik edges one particularly aesthetically pleasing exchange with a superior drop shot to his opponent and then arrows a dipping forehand to Eubanks’ feet to take a firm grip of the game.

Eubanks rasps a thumping return to offer more resistance but a big first serve edges Sinner through to 30 and within sight of taking the first set.

Sinner presses hard on the Eubanks serve again, nailing a precise backhand down the line but failing to make the most of another break point opportunity.

Chris stands firm at deuce and after forcing the error long with a superb angle on a crosscourt backhand, he gets over the line when Jannik drills a close-range forehand into the net.

With his fashion rather than his tennis (to begin with anyway).

Frenchman Hugo Gaston actually has an early break to lead 5-3 in the opener there.

Well, that was unexpected.

Sinner hadn’t dropped a point on serve – but now he’s been broken!

Eubanks finally settles into a rhythm of sorts and scorches a magnificent backhand up the line to tee up two break points.

The American doesn’t have to do anything from there as Jannik double faults to gift one of the breaks right back.

This is running away from Chris all too quickly.

His big serve is misfiring and Sinner is reaping the rewards. The Italian throws in another drop shot on the first of two break points but this time it flops into the net. Never mind says Jannik as he reverts to raw power on the return to force the mistake and secure the double break.

Sinner remains flawless on serve, firing off a pair of winners and then drawing a backhand long following a zinger of his own off that flank to draw the error. He consolidates to love and so far there’s no sign of any rust following that hip injury.

Eubanks is very nervy out there and pretty much breaks himself. The American coughs up quickfire double faults and is then left bamboozled by a stunning Sinner dropper from deep.

Eubanks faces up to two break points but collapses on the first of them with a tight forehand into the net.

A pair of aces and a trademark winner are a winning hand for Jannik as he blitzes through a clean hold to get on the board with aplomb.

Eubanks shrugs off an untimely double fault that forces him to deuce, survives a raking Sinner backhand just long and then swats away a very tidy winner to avoid an early disaster.

Hello and welcome to LIVE updates of Day 2 at the 2024 French Open. We’ve got some big names in action today with 14-time Roland-Garros champion Rafael Nadal headlining in his first-round match against No.4 seed Alexander Zverev.

That mouthwatering contest is third up on Court Philippe-Chatrier with women’s World No.1 Iga Swiatek against qualifier Leolia Jeanjean and No.8 seed Ons Jabeur versus wild card Sachia Vickery preceding it.

Over on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, men’s No.2 Jannik Sinner begins his title bid against American Chris Eubanks with former finalists Stefanos Tsitsipas and Coco Gauff also featuring.

Elsewhere, GB’s Cam Norrie and Harriet Dart kick off their attempts for a decent run in Paris.

COURT PHILIPPE CHATRIER – FROM 11:00

• Sachia Vickery v Ons Jabeur (8)
• Iga Swiatek (1) v Leolia Jeanjean
• Alexander Zverev (4) Rafael Nadal

• Gael Monfils v Thiago Seyboth Wild

COURT SUZANNE LENGLEN – FROM 10:00

• Chris Eubanks v Jannik Sinner (2)
• Marton Fucsovics v Stefanos Tsitsipas (9)
• Coco Gauff (3) v Julia Avdeeva
• Elina Svitolina (15) v Karolina Pliskova