Aryna Sabalenka attracted as much attention for her diamond jewellery as her performance in reaching the second round of the French Open. The world number one, bidding for her first title in Paris, overcame hot conditions and a couple of wobbles to secure a 6-4 6-2 victory over Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
Jewellery and Prize Money Debate
Sabalenka is always a strong presence on court, but this year she is unmissable with her Material Good jewellery set, featuring diamond necklaces and earrings worth nearly $150,000 (approximately £110,000). On Friday, the 28-year-old was a leading figure in the player protest demanding higher prize money from grand slams. However, she dismissed suggestions of hypocrisy.
"I don't really see how it can be possible to cross these two completely different worlds," she said. "Prize money is not about me at all. It's just fighting for players, lower-ranked players who are struggling to survive in this tennis world. It has nothing to do with me that I'm fighting for prize money. Everyone knows I'm OK. We are fighting for a fair percentage of revenues and for lower-ranked players, those returning from injuries, and the next generation to be more comfortable entering the top 10."
Comfort and Performance
Sabalenka opted to wear only two of the three necklaces during the match, insisting the jewellery is a help rather than a hindrance. "I don't really feel the heaviness, but I can imagine how it looks from outside," she said. "It was supposed to be the third necklace, but I thought it was kind of too much, so I decided to keep just two. I feel comfortable. For me, it's important to look good. If I feel good looking-wise, I perform better and feel great."
Medvedev and Kouame Stories
In the men's event, another top-10 seed fell as Daniil Medvedev suffered a five-set defeat against Australian wild card Adam Walton. The sixth seed, despite good form, struggled at Roland Garros, losing 6-2 1-6 6-1 1-6 6-4. This marked his seventh first-round exit in Paris and the fourth time in the last six grand slams the former US Open champion failed to reach the second round. "I don't think I lost the ability to perform in grand slams," said the Russian. "It can come back any moment."
French teenager Moise Kouame became the youngest man to reach the second round at Roland Garros in 35 years, defeating another former US Open champion, Marin Cilic, 7-6 (4) 6-2 6-1. The 17-year-old, the first man born in 2008 or later to play in a slam main draw, won over the crowd with his entertaining style. The age gap of 20 years and five months between Kouame and 37-year-old Cilic is the second widest of any men's grand slam match this century.
