Leylah Fernandez’s French Open run ended in straight sets for the second straight year, falling 6-4, 6-4 to unseeded American Alycia Parks in Round 1 at Roland-Garros.
Monday afternoon at Roland-Garros looked like it might finally swing open for Leylah Fernandez. Instead, the familiar weight of an early exit returned for the second straight year.
Fernandez, the Montreal native and the No. 24 seed, was eliminated in Round 1 in straight sets, losing 6-4, 6-4 to American Alycia Parks. Parks entered the tournament unseeded and had won only one match at Roland-Garros before Monday, but she played with steadier control when it mattered most.
Parks won four break points to Fernandez’s two, a gap that turned the momentum in key moments. Fernandez did show crispness at the start of rallies—she landed her first serve consistently and averaged 154 k.p.h. on it. But the returns didn’t fully convert into pressure: Fernandez won 62% of her first-serve games, while Parks edged higher at 66%.
The serve battle told another part of the story. Parks recorded six aces to Fernandez’s one, giving her extra bite and taking away time from the Canadian’s patterns. In the end, the scoreline was decisive and quick enough to leave little room for a comeback.
With the win, Alycia Parks moved into Round 2, where she will take on Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland.
For Canada, the picture isn’t entirely dark in the women’s draw. Victoria Mboko is the only other Canadian competing. and she is set to begin her tournament run against Nikola Bartunkova of Czechia on Tuesday. Mboko advanced to the third round of the French Open in 2025 and enters this edition as the No. 9 seed.
Leylah Fernandez Alycia Parks French Open Roland-Garros Round 1 Victoria Mboko Nikola Bartunkova Viktorija Golubic tennis