World number one Ashleigh Barty survived a French Open scare on Tuesday as the fallout from Naomi Osaka's withdrawal and revelations over depression and anxiety sent shockwaves through Roland Garros.
Top seed Barty marked her return to Paris for the first time since her 2019 title triumph by beating American left-hander Bernarda Pera 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.
Barty, 25, skipped the defence of her title in 2020 due to the pandemic but this year has won trophies at the Yarra Valley Classic, Miami and on clay in Stuttgart in the run-up to Roland Garros.
After easing through the first set on Court Philippe Chatrier, Barty went off the boil in the second and called for the trainer at the changeover.
The Australian had arrived on court with a heavy strapping on her leg having also suffered a tournament-ending abdomen injury in Rome two weeks ago.
However, she broke the 70th-ranked Pera for a 4-2 lead in the decider and never looked back.
Meanwhile, the fallout from Osaka's withdrawal continued to be felt.
The 23-year-old world number two, and four-time major winner, pulled out on Monday after she was fined $15,000 and threatened with disqualification for refusing to attend press conferences.
Osaka claims traditional post-match media conferences are akin to "kicking people when they're down" and were having a detrimental effect on her mental health.
She revealed she had been suffering bouts of depression since her 2018 US Open title breakthrough as well as anxiety attacks.
Her decision attracted widespread sympathy and accusations over the role of the media in the affair.
"There's a sense of voyeurism around how it presently works," wrote Peter Terry, a professor of psychology at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia on theconversation.com.
"Perhaps some want to see athletes crumble and break down into tears, having put them on a pedestal.
"Osaka is a young, introverted, anxious person. We should by now understand that sports stars are not super human, that they have the same doubts and mental health issues as everyone else."
Ironically, another Roland Garros press conference led Tuesday to the injury-enforced withdrawal of two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.
The Czech 11th seed, a Roland Garros semi-finalist in 2012 and 2020, had saved a match point in her first-round win over Belgian qualifier Greet Minnen on Sunday.
"It is with great disappointment that I announce my withdrawal from Roland Garros," said the 31-year-old.
"During my post-match press requirements on Sunday I fell and hurt my ankle. Unfortunately, after an MRI and much discussion with my team, I have made the tough decision that it would be unwise to play on it."
Fifth seed Elina Svitolina recovered from a 2-5 second set deficit to beat French teenager Oceane Babel 6-2, 7-5.
Svitolina, a three-time quarter-finalist in Paris, will face world number 75 Ann Li of the United States for a place in the last 32.
Li marked her French Open debut with a 45-minute 6-0, 6-1 demolition of Margarita Gasparyan.
Svitolina said she hoped to see Osaka back on tour.
"She made her decision, and I wish her a speedy recovery because it seems like it really damaged her mentally," said the Ukrainian.
Seventh seed Andrey Rublev was knocked out in the first round of the French Open on Tuesday, as the in-form Russian lost a five-set thriller to Jan-Lennard Struff.
Rublev, who beat Rafael Nadal en route to the Monte Carlo Masters final earlier this season, fought back from two sets down before succumbing 6-3, 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 3-6, 6-4 in three hours and 46 minutes.
The 23-year-old, who had reached the quarter-finals in each of his previous three Grand Slam tournaments, was the third-highest seeded player in his half of the draw, behind Novak Djokovic and Nadal.
Big-hitting German Struff will face Argentinian Facundo Bagnis in the second round.
Later Tuesday, 13-time champion Rafael Nadal begins his bid for a record-setting 21st major against Australia's Alexei Popyrin.
World number one Novak Djokovic, chasing a second French Open title and 19th Grand Slam, faces Tennys Sandgren of the United States in an evening session match-up.
French Open results on Tuesday, the third day of the 2021 tournament at Roland Garros (x denotes seeding):
Men
1st round
James Duckworth (AUS) bt Salvatore Caruso (ITA) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2
Ricardas Berankis (LTU) bt Ugo Humbert (FRA x29) 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
Alex De Minaur (AUS x21) bt Stefano Travaglia (ITA) 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4)
Marco Cecchinato (ITA) bt Yasutaka Uchiyama (JPN) 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4
Mikael Ymer (SWE) bt Roberto Carballes Baena (ESP) 6-4, 0-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
Gael Monfils (FRA x14) bt Albert Ramos Vinolas (ESP) 1-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-4, 6-4
Aljaz Bedene (SLO) bt Adrian Mannarino (FRA) 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 6-2
Aslan Karatsev (RUS x24) bt Jenson Brooksby (USA) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
Facundo Bagnis (ARG) bt Benjamin Bonzi (FRA) 7-5, 6-3, 6-4
Women
1st round
Ashleigh Barty (AUS x1) bt Bernarda Pera (USA) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
Astra Sharma (AUS) bt Irina Maria Bara (ROM) 7-6 (7/5), 6-2
Ons Jabeur (TUN x25) bt Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) 7-5, 6-2
Fiona Ferro (FRA) bt Liang En-shuo (TPE) 6-1, 1-6, 6-4
Jennifer Brady (USA x13) bt Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) 6-3, 6-3
Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) bt Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) 5-7, 6-4, 6-2
Ann Li (USA) bt Margarita Gasparyan (RUS) 6-0, 6-1
Elina Svitolina (UKR x5) bt Oceane Babel (FRA) 6-2, 7-5
Maria Sakkari (GRE x17) bt Katarina Zavatska (UKR) 6-4, 6-1
Jasmine Paolini (ITA) bt Stefanie Voegele (SUI) 7-5, 6-1
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) bt Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK) 6-4, 6-0