Jessica Pegula became the highest-ranked women’s player to ever quit the 2023 French Open after being soundly defeated by Elise Mertens.

American third seed Pegula, who reached the quarter-finals in Paris last year, was defeated 6-1, 6-3.

Mertens, the 28th seed from Belgium, will next face a Russian, either Anastasia Potapova or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Pegula’s tenure at Roland Garros is not done, as she has advanced to the second round of women’s doubles alongside Coco Gauff.

They reached the Australian Open semi-finals earlier this year and the final in 2022.

Pegula, whose French Open preparations were hampered by stomach poisoning, is the 21st seed to depart the women’s singles after only six days of competition.

Earlier in the day, ninth seed Daria Kasatkina breezed through her third-round match against American Peyton Stearns, winning 6-0 6-1.

The Russian will next face either her compatriot Anna Blinkova or Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina.