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Second seed reached semi-finals at clay-court Grand Slam in 2021
There was a smooth start for Alexander Zverev’s Roland Garros campaign on Sunday in Paris as the third seed eased to a 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 first-round victory over Austrian qualifier Sebastian Ofner.

The third seed’s high-powered serving and forceful groundstrokes proved too much for the World No. 218, who was playing his first tour-level main draw match since the ATP 250 event in Los Cabos last July. Zverev put in a solid rather than spectacular display on Court Suzanne Lenglen, but it was enough to secure a one-hour, 49-minute win. The German improved his match record at the clay-court Grand Slam to 19-6.

“[I'm] very happy," said Zverev in his on-court interview. "Usually I start a Grand Slam tournament with a five-set match and a few hours on court, but Sergi (Zverev's coach Sergi Bruguera) told me today not to do that so I listened to him for once! I’m happy with the match, especially against Sebastian who already played three matches here. He’s playing very well, so I’m happy with the start here.”

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Zverev reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros for the first time in 2021, when he fell to Stefanos Tsitsipas in a five-set thriller. He arrives in Paris this year in fine form on the clay, having reached the final at the Mutua Madrid Open in between semi-final runs at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome.

“I had a very stable clay-court season," said Zverev. "Semis in Monte Carlo, final in Madrid, semis in Rome. But I didn’t win any tournaments. I’m always somebody that likes to win, rather than be stable.

"I’d rather lose first round, first round, first round and then win a tournament, so hopefully I can do that here. Hopefully I can play my best tennis here.”

It was Zverev's second meeting with Ofner at a Grand Slam and a second straight-sets victory for the 25-year-old, who also triumphed over the Austrian in the Wimbledon 2017 third round. The German, who has won five of his 19 tour-level titles on clay, is chasing his maiden Grand Slam crown in Paris.



The tone was set from the opening game in the first-round clash as Zverev immediately carved out two break points on the Ofner serve. Although the Austrian fended them off to hold, he could not repeat the trick in the third or seventh games as Zverev claimed the first set having lost just four points on his own serve.

A solitary break in the second set put Zverev in the driving seat as Ofner failed to make an impact on his opponent. Despite a tighter opening to the third set that saw Ofner strike a series of impressive winners, it was the German who made the first move again as he broke in the seventh game to wrap up the win.

Even when Zverev’s level periodically dropped, the five-time ATP Masters 1000 champion’s serving bailed him out of trouble. The World No. 3 fired 13 aces overall, including a pair to claim the final two points of the match, and did not face a break point.

His second-round opponent will be World No. 66 Dusan Lajovic or Estoril champion Sebastian Baez.

Tallon Griekspoor reached the second round on his Paris debut, upsetting 25th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 2-6, 6-0, 6-4, 6-3. The Dutchman, who advanced to the quarter-finals in Geneva, will face #NextGenATP American Brandon Nakashima or Pole Kamil Majchrzak in the second round.

Learn about the Pepperstone ATP Rankings storylines to watch in Paris
There is always a lot at stake at the majors. There is even more on the line at Roland Garros this year thanks to a three-way battle for the No. 1 spot in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev and World No. 3 Alexander Zverev can all emerge from Paris atop the men's tennis mountain, setting up for a thrilling fortnight in Paris.

In the immediate aftermath of the clay-court major, Djokovic holds his fate in his own hands in the battle for No. 1. If the Serbian wins the title, he will remain in top spot for a 373rd week on 6 June. If Djokovic does not reach the semi-finals, both Medvedev and Zverev have an opportunity to move to World No. 1.

Potential Pepperstone ATP Rankings Points (6 June) Based On RG Result

6 June 1R 2R 3R 4R QF SF F W
Novak Djokovic 8420 8455 8500 8590 8770 9130 9610 10410
Daniil Medvedev 7990 8025 8070 8160 8340 8700 9180 9980
Alexander Zverev 7085 7120 7165 7255 7435 7795 8275 9075
However, one week after Roland Garros concludes, the situation could dramatically change. Because the tournament was played one week later than normal last year, the trio will still count their 2021 Roland Garros points for the week of 6 June.

But on 13 June, Djokovic will drop his 2021 Roland Garros champion's points (2,000), opening the door for Medvedev or Zverev to replace him at the top of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. If Djokovic does not win Roland Garros this year, he will relinquish top spot that day.

If Medvedev reaches the Roland Garros final, he will return to World No. 1 on 13 June, even if Djokovic lifts the trophy. If Zverev wins the tournament and Medvedev does not reach the final, the German will become the 28th World No. 1. If Medvedev reaches the semi-finals in Paris and earns more than 15 points at the ATP 250 event in the week of 6 June at 's-Hertogenbosch, this would prevent Zverev from going to World No. 1 on 13 June even if he triumphs at Roland Garros.

Potential Pepperstone ATP Rankings Points (13 June) Based On RG Result

13 June 1R 2R 3R 4R QF SF F W
Novak Djokovic 6420 6455 6500 6590 6770 7130 7610 8410
Daniil Medvedev 7630 7665 7710 7800 7980 8340 8820 9620
Alexander Zverev 6365 6400 6445 6535 6715 7075 7555 8355
*Does not include potential points earned the week of 6 June
The only thing that could potentially affect these scenarios is if Djokovic or Zverev accept a wild card into an ATP 250 the week of 6 June, when Medvedev is already scheduled to compete.

While the focus will be on the battle for World No. 1, there will be continued attention on the rise of 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, who enters Roland Garros at a career-high No. 6. Should he win his maiden Grand Slam title, the Spaniard could move to as high as No. 4 on 6 June and No. 3 one week later on 13 June.