Paris, May 25 (UNI) World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka launched her French Open campaign in ruthless fashion on Sunday, dispatching Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova 6-1, 6-0 in just 60 minutes on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Seeded at the top in Paris for the first time, Sabalenka signalled her intentions with a commanding display of aggressive, precise tennis that left her 23-year-old opponent with no answers. The Belarusian, a three-time Grand Slam champion, fired 30 winners — 17 of them off the forehand — and won 66 percent of her first-serve return points in a near-flawless performance.

Sabalenka, 27, broke Rakhimova’s serve five times and never faced a break herself, saving the only two chances the Russian had midway through the second set. The opening set lasted just 26 minutes, with Sabalenka sealing it with her third ace down the T.

The match was played under the closed roof of Chatrier due to intermittent rain, a condition that arguably benefited Sabalenka’s powerful and controlled ball-striking.

With the win, Sabalenka improved her Roland-Garros record to 17-7 overall and 10-2 since 2024. She has reached at least the quarter-finals in her last nine Grand Slam appearances and is aiming to go all the way in Paris for the first time.

Her victory marked the most dominant start by a top seed in the French Open women’s draw since Serena Williams dropped just one game against Anna Tatishvili in the first round in 2013. Williams went on to win the title that year.

Rakhimova, meanwhile, remains winless against top-10 opponents, falling to 0-7, and has yet to take a set off Sabalenka in three meetings. UNI BDN SSP