Defending Champion Ostapenko Bounced at Roland Garros

Defending French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko was ousted on the tournament’s opening day as Ukrainian Kateryna Kozlova shocked the No. 5 seed from Latvia 7-5, 6-3 in the first round at Roland Garros on Sunday.

“Obviously, it feels great,” said Kozlova. “I didn’t expect anything from the match. I just went to enjoy every moment on the court because I was not sure if I will be able to play in French Open.

I was just happy to be on court and competing. So it was very important for me and in the end, the result comes up and it’s just amazing.”

Ostapenko, who burst onto the scene after her torrid run here in Paris last year, fired 48 unforced errors and had 13 double faults on Sunday in what she called a “terrible day at the office today for me”.

“I mean in general, I played maybe like 20 percent of what I can play. Made like 50 unforced errors and so many double faults,” Ostapenko said. “[I] couldn’t serve today. Everything together just brought me a really bad result. I think in the beginning it was okay, but then it just got worse.”

Ostapenko is the first defending champion at the French Open to fall in the opening round the next year since 2004 champion Anastiasia Myskina lost to Maria Sanchez Lorenzo in 2005, per the WTA.

Kozlova hadn’t played since injuring her knee in Indian Wells, and didn’t even know if she would be ready to compete at Roland Garros, but is now into the French Open second round after dethroning the reigning champ. In the second round, she takes on the winner of Victoria Azarenka and Katerina Siniakova.

No. 9 seed Venus Williams was also a victim of a first round upset on Sunday. Qiang Wang of China knocked out the 2002 runner-up 6-4, 7-5, avenging a first-round defeat to Williams at the same stage of this tournament last year.

Wang will face off against Petra Martic of Croatia next. Martic defeated Yafan Wang 6-2, 6-3 in her opening round match on Sunday.

Other notable winners on Sunday included No. 4 seed Elina Svitolina and U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens who each won their respective Roland Garros openers in straight sets.