Sloane Stephens Advances in French Open Qualifying; Andreescu, Pliskova Fall

Why this matters: Stephens's journey highlights the challenges players face when returning from injuries and the mental fortitude required to compete at the highest level. The early losses of Andreescu and Pliskova indicate the unpredictable nature of tournament play and the depth of competition in women's tennis.

Sloane Stephens, now 33, is back in the qualifying rounds of the French Open for the first time in 15 years. After overcoming a recent foot injury, she defeated Lisa Pigato 6-4, 6-1 and will now face Leyre Romero Gormaz for a spot in the main draw. Her experience and comfort on the Parisian clay are expected to be advantages as she aims to prove she "still got it."?

Bianca Andreescu, seeded No. 25, lost to Viktoria Hruncakova 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, while Karolina Pliskova, seeded No. 20, was defeated by Marina Bassols Ribera 6-3, 6-2.

Several other seeded players also faced unexpected losses in the qualifying rounds, underscoring the competitive nature of the tournament.

Stephens is using a protected ranking to compete after recovering from a foot injury.

She reached the final in 2018 and has made the second week in nine of her 13 main draw appearances.

Andreescu lost to Viktoria Hruncakova, and Pliskova lost to Marina Bassols Ribera.

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