Svitolina Overcomes Bondar in Three-Set Roland Garros Opener

Elina Svitolina defeated Anna Bondár 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 in the first round of Roland-Garros 2026 on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, recovering from a slow start to advance after two hours and 26 minutes.

The seventh-seeded Ukrainian dropped the opening set before dominating the second and winning a tense third-set tiebreak, 7-6(3). The match marked the 14th major appearance for Svitolina, who has reached the Roland-Garros quarterfinals twice.

Bondár, a 28-year-old Hungarian, entered the tournament on a late-career surge, having climbed back into the top 100. Svitolina acknowledged the difficulty of the draw despite her seeding.

"The support of you guys was unbelievable," Svitolina said after the match, addressing the crowd. She credited her resilience in the deciding set to the energy from the stands.

Svitolina now moves on to the second round, where she will face a yet-to-be-determined opponent. The victory keeps her bid for a first major title alive.