"It was bad," says Gracheva after her first-round defeat at Roland Garros

Varvara Gracheva was eliminated in her opening match at Roland Garros. On Court Philippe-Chatrier, the French player was dominated by Sofia Kenin, the 31st seed and 2020 finalist, in two quick sets (6-3, 6-1) on Tuesday afternoon.

A quarterfinalist last year, Gracheva, currently ranked 72nd in the WTA, will drop out of the top 100 after the tournament. Disappointed, she spoke at a press conference following her loss to the American.

"It was a huge experience to play on Court Philippe-Chatrier. The crowd was behind me from start to finish. It was nice. Unfortunately, it was bad.

"Today, nothing worked. I’ll have to work on the basics of my game. There’s no mystery—I couldn’t even do the simple things right. On the other hand, Sofia (Kenin) played well. It’s not about her, but I didn’t do my job today.

"The pressure of being the French No. 1 before the tournament? I felt pressure, but not because of the ranking. It’s all about confidence. Last year, I played matches on Court Suzanne-Lenglen and Court Simonne-Mathieu, and I managed to win some. For now, it means I still struggle with consistency. I need to improve my game style, and first of all, my endurance.

"When you start poorly against a player like Sofia Kenin, it’s hard to come back. I had a bad start, and once she had the momentum, it was tough because she’s very experienced—she’s a great player.

"I couldn’t convert some game points, and after that, it went quickly. I just have to work, that’s all. There’s nothing specific I’ll change—it’s just about putting in the work," she explained to Tennis Actu TV.