De Groot suffers early exit at Roland Garros
Even for the world’s greatest athletes, returning to competitive play can be a challenging experience, as legendary Dutch tennis player Diede de Groot discovered in Paris on Tuesday.
The five-time Roland Garros title holder and defending champion was beaten 6-2 6-4 by Xiaohui Li on her return to the Grand Slam stage in an early upset in the wheelchair event.
The 28-year-old underwent hip surgery last year which forced her off the tour for eight months and is still in the infancy of a comeback in the sport she has dominated.
Li, who was the player who ended her record 145-match winning streak at the World Team Cup in Turkey in May last year, was always likely to present a challenge early in her return.
The 25-year-old clinched her first Grand Slam title when winning the Australian Open doubles in January after posting her best singles performance in the event when a semi-finalist.
Her triumph over De Groot was her first in singles at Roland Garros after she fell to the Dutch superstar in the opening round on her Grand Slam debut a year ago.
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While De Groot has set new standards in the sport, she said at Roland Garros in 2024 that the promising Chinese player had the capabilities to challenge her on the court.
“I always knew that Li could beat me. I know that every player can beat me. With Li’s strokes, her winners, you have to be so alert,” she said.
Xiaohau will play Ksenia Chasteau from France in a bid to reach her second straight Grand Slam semi-final after her great performances in Melbourne in January.
No. 1 seed Yui Kamiji faces Lizzy De Greef in her quarter-final, while No. 4 seed Ziying Wang will play local hopeful Kgothatso Montjane in a last eight match.
The last quarter-final features De Groot’s compatriot Aniek Van Koot, the No. 2 seed, and Japan’s Manami Tanaka.
De Groot will continue her comeback in the women’s doubles when she partners Chasteau in a quarter-final against Kamiji and Montjane on Court 14 on Wednesday.