
Serena Williams hits a forehand in her first-round match at the French Open.

Williams lost the first set to Vitalia Diatchenko and was left frustrated with some of her errors.

But helped by her serve, Williams then cruised. She is bidding for a record-tying 24th grand slam title.

Rafael Nadal, the 11-time tournament winner, began his tournament by facing Germany's Yannick Hanfmann.

He slipped at one stage but picked himself up and looked in commanding form in the straight-set victory.

Nadal will next face another German in the second round, Yannick Maden.

Novak Djokovic stretched here but wasn't stretched in his opener, looking sharp in dispatching rising Pole Hubert Hurkacz.

Djokovic is attempting to win four straight majors for the second time in his career.

Injured ahead of the French Open, former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki fell to Russia's Veronika Kudermetova in three sets.

And Petra Kvitova, one of the contenders, had to pull out of the event due to a forearm injury.