In the first round of the 2026 French Open, Elina Svitolina demonstrated the kind of character that is most valued in tennis. She faced Anna Bondar — an opponent with whom the Ukrainian has a real history of personal scores. The match, which began as a test of strength, ended with a convincing victory for Svitolina with a score of 3:6, 6:1, 7:6.
A principled confrontation
This contest was more than just a sporting clash. Bondar, known for her participation in tournaments on the territory of the Russian Federation in 2022, provoked an ambiguous reaction in the Ukrainian tennis community. For Svitolina, playing against Bondar was a matter of principle, especially considering that last year the tennis players split their victories evenly — 2 to 2. Moreover, their last match in Madrid ended in defeat for the Ukrainian, making the Paris meeting an opportunity for revenge.
Drama on the court
The start of the match did not promise anything good for Svitolina. Losing the first two games, she quickly evened the game, but in the eighth game she made a mistake on her serve again, letting the opponent take the lead. Bondar confidently led the first set to victory — 6:3. However, in the second set, the Ukrainian completely seized the initiative. After the opening game, she won five in a row, crushing her opponent with a score of 6:1 and leveling the match score.
A victory on nerves
The third set became a real battle. The players were even, and the fate of the contest was decided by a tie-break. It was here that Svitolina's nerves proved stronger: she left Bondar no chance, winning the decisive set with a score of 10:3. This victory became the Ukrainian's 30th of the season and allowed her to continue her winning streak after the title in Rome.
Ukrainian success at Roland Garros
Svitolina made it to the second round of a clay "major" for the 13th time in a row. Now she became the fourth Ukrainian to advance to the next stage of the tournament, joining Marta Kostyuk, Yulia Starodubtseva and Daria Snigur. In the next round, she will have to wait for the winner of the pair Katelyn Kevado and Leolia Jeanjan.