The grass-court season officially kicked off on Monday with first-round action at Queen's Club in London, the Libéma Open in 's-Hertogenbosch, and the BOSS Open in Stuttgart. Here is everything that happened on day one.
In London, Emma Raducanu stole the show with a commanding 6-0, 6-3 victory over Anna Blinkova in just over an hour. The Briton, who had been winless for weeks, looked impressive on the Queen's Club grass. Her first set, completed in twenty minutes while conceding only six points, was one of the standout performances of opening day.
The day was far less kind to Zheng Qinwen. The Chinese star, a former world No.4 now ranked 159th, fell to Jaqueline Cristian 6-4, 7-6(4). It was the Olympic champion's third first-round exit in seven tournaments this season.
Katie Boulter had to fight hard to get past Leylah Fernandez, coming back from a set down to win 3-6, 7-6(4), 7-5 in nearly three hours. A gutsy performance that earned her a spot in the second round.
In the Netherlands, the Libéma Open delivered early surprises. China's Zhang Zhizhen defeated Jenson Brooksby 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-1, while Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska dispatched sixth seed Sara Bejlek 6-1, 6-2. Eighth seed Barbora Krejcikova safely advanced with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Renata Zarazua.
In Stuttgart, the BOSS Open began its main draw. Top seeds including Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton received first-round byes and will enter the tournament on Tuesday. Alexander Zverev, fresh from his Roland-Garros triumph on Sunday, withdrew from the event along with Flavio Cobolli and Jakub Menšík, all exhausted from the Paris fortnight.
The grass-court season is only just beginning. With Wimbledon less than a month away, every match matters as players adjust to the fastest surface on tour.
