Paris (France) (AFP) - Key quotes from the first day of the French Open at Roland Garros on Sunday:

“I didn’t speak with (my family) on the phone yet, but I obviously texted, and most of my friends and most of the people who have – because the majority of Kyiv suffered from something like this this morning, and a lot of my friends are just trying to sleep longer, just trying to recover, because it was half of the night, it was happening throughout, like, four hours.

“They are just resting, and, you know, just trying to recover… It’s good that it’s Sunday today so everyone can just stay home and spend the time with their loved ones.”

– Marta Kostyuk on the massive bombardment carried out by Russia on the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv that killed four people.

“Well, sometimes I look at Sandra (Zaniewska, her coach), and she shows me that I should go underarm because it’s a good moment to do it, and I agree it was a good moment to do it. I think if you can do it, why not use it?”

– Kostyuk on choosing when to attempt an underarm serve.

“That’s why Europeans are probably better on clay than Americans or Australians, because that’s what we grew up on. It’s the more natural move for us. That’s how we move on a tennis court. We move through sliding. We move through the slippery surface better, because we’re used to it. As a kid, you know, nobody can really teach you how to slide. You do it instinctively at some point and naturally at some point.”

– Alexander Zverev on what sets European players apart from others when it comes to moving around a clay court.

“I think my case is a little bit different because I’m reaching my peak at 36, which I don’t think is the case of the other guys. They were at their peak before, but even though the level that they are showing on court is simply unbelievable. Also, we had some examples before from the women’s side that they were getting back after pregnancy and stuff, which everybody knows that it is extremely hard to do that.”

– Marco Trungelliti on being part of a group of older players enjoying success in 2026.

“I’m super excited to play with her. I think we can do really well. She’s obviously an incredible player, and we’ve played doubles once before. She’s unbelievable at the net and super solid from the back, great serve, great return. So I think that we can do well, and I’m excited.”

– Hailey Baptiste on looking forward to playing in the doubles alongside 45-year-old tennis legend Venus Williams.