Lauren Davis wins first Roland Garros main draw match in seven years

Lauren Davis won her first French Open main draw match in seven years on Monday, dismissing Kristyna Pliskova 6-2, 6-4 in Paris. The American was impressive all-around, hitting 22 winners to 13 unforced errors, and faced just one break point in the 66-minute victory.

“I’m extremely happy. It’s so good to be back,” Davis told Tennis Channel’s Jon Wertheim. “I love the French Open, I love competing here and on the red clay. I really worked hard for that wild card.”

Davis, the winner of the 2019 USTA Roland Garros Wild Card Challenge, was competing in her first major main draw since the 2018 Australian Open third round, when she went down to then world No. 1 Simona Halep in a memorable 15-13 final set after holding three match points against the Romanian.

For the former world No. 26, it’s been a difficult journey back to the Grand Slam stage. Davis skipped the entire European clay-court season in 2018, citing fatigue—saw her ranking plummet to No. 264 in October—and bowed out in the first round of qualifying at three consecutive majors. The 25-year-old earned the USTA’s French Open wild card by capturing the ITF World Tennis Tour W100 title in Bonita Springs, Fla. two weeks ago—a run she needed to leapfrog to the top of the final standings.

“It’s been monumental for me. I’ve come a long way as a person, as a player," said Davis. "I’ve learned a lot and grown a lot. I’m super appreciative to be where I am today.”

Davis has since climbed back to No. 111 and with Monday’s win over Pliskova, could find herself back in the Top 100 depending on how the rest of the first round shakes out. Davis will take on 26th seed and Rome finalist Johanna Konta for a place in the third round. Konta defeated qualifier Antonia Lottner 6-4, 6-4.