World No. 83 Kimberly Birrell came from a set down to defeat No. 5 seed Jessica Pegula 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the first round of Roland Garros, snapping a five-match losing streak and reaching the second round in Paris for the first time, according to the Women's Tennis Association.
How did Birrell overcome a set deficit?
Birrell won fewer points on serve, on return, and overall than Pegula, yet found a way to take the second and third sets decisively. After dropping the opening set 1-6, Birrell won the next two frames 6-3 and 6-3 to advance.
What does this mean for Birrell's Grand Slam record?
The victory ends Birrell's streak of nine consecutive first-round losses at Grand Slams dating back to 2023. She is now one win away from reaching the third round of a Major for the first time since 2019.
How widespread were the upsets in Round 1?
Seven seeded players fell in the opening round. Beyond Pegula, the casualties included No. 12 Linda Noskova, No. 14 Ekaterina Alexandrova, No. 20 Liudmila Samsonova, No. 21 Clara Tauson, No. 24 Leylah Fernandez, and No. 31 Cristina Bucsa. Pegula was the only Top 10 player to suffer an upset loss.
Noskova's defeat to Maria Sakkari stood out among the seeded casualties, as Noskova had posted strong results on clay earlier in the season, including quarterfinal runs in Stuttgart and Madrid, and a win over Coco Gauff in the latter. Sakkari, a former Top 5 player who reached the Roland Garros final in 2021, won 7-5, 7-6(3).
For Pegula, the loss marks the second consecutive year she has exited a Grand Slam in the first round, following a Wimbledon opening-round loss in 2025.
Birrell will face her second-round opponent as the tournament progresses.
Sources
- Women's Tennis Association: Best of Round 1: The matches, moments and surprises to kick off Roland Garros. Published 2026-05-27.
Reported from public sources.