Double bagel in 48 minutes: Azarenka swift in her Roland-Garros opener

Fallen to the 75th in the world rankings, Victoria Azarenka is struggling in this 2025 season. The Belarusian, a two-time Grand Slam winner, hasn't strung together two consecutive wins in a single tournament since January.

On clay, she’s only won a single match this year, against Camila Osorio in Rome (6-2, 6-3). The former world number 1 began her 2025 Roland-Garros campaign against 35-year-old Yanina Wickmayer, who recently announced she would retire after Wimbledon next month.

Perhaps an ideal match on paper for Azarenka to bounce back. Far more agile than in recent weeks, the 35-year-old player delivered her best match of the season, hitting 15 winners with only 6 unforced errors.

Without conceding any break points, she suffocated the Belgian, who had no answers and couldn't win a single game. In the end, Azarenka triumphed 6-0, 6-0 in 48 minutes, advancing to the second round at Porte d'Auteuil for the 12th time in her career.

She will face Varvara Gracheva or Sofia Kenin for a place in the third round next Thursday. Last year, she also reached the second round but lost to Mirra Andreeva.