Kiki Bertens defeated Sara Errani 7–6, 3–6, 9–7 in the first round of Roland Garros on clay on 30 September 2020, confirming her status as pre-match favourite with odds of 1.39 to Errani's 3.23. The Dutch player navigated a competitive opening set that went to a tiebreak before Errani levelled the match by taking the second set convincingly. The decider proved equally tight, requiring a marathon third-set tiebreak that Bertens eventually won 9–7 to secure her place in the second round. The victory maintained Bertens's momentum on the Paris clay courts during a demanding Grand Slam campaign.