PARIS -- Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka sparkled in her first-round victory at the heat-soaked French Open on Tuesday, with her two thick diamond necklaces catching the sun during a 6-4, 6-2 win against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
"Diamonds, I don't really feel the heaviness, but I can imagine how it looks from the outside," said Sabalenka, the tournament runner-up last year to Coco Gauff. "So I feel pretty comfortable. For me, it's important to look good."
The four-time major winner was initially going to wear three necklaces but said she thought that might be too much.
"It probably sounds a bit crazy, but when I feel good about what I'm wearing, how I look on court, I tend to perform much better," Sabalenka said. "I like to bring a little bit of a fashion on the tennis court. I know the dress that I will wear on the Grand Slam, and I just try to come up with something to match the outfit."
Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka had little trouble in her first-round victory over Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro at the French Open, winning 6-4, 6-2. AP Photo/Christophe Ena Sabalenka said she wasn't worried about her jewelry away from Roland Garros.
"I have my fiancé. He's kind of like my security," Sabalenka said, smiling. "My physio does jujitsu, so I feel pretty secure walking around. If I go somewhere, I don't go alone."
Gauff began her title defense Tuesday with a 6-4, 6-0 victory over fellow American Taylor Townsend.