Bethanie Mattek-Sands has come a long, long way, and she's just getting started in Paris. On Tuesday, she won her first singles main-draw match since injuring her right knee at Wimbledon.

She wasn't dealt any easy draw, facing recent Nuremburg champion Johanna Larsson and winning in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3. At the time of her horrific injury last July, Mattek-Sands was ranked just outside the Top 100 in singles and No. 1 in doubles.

Advertising

Learning to trust her body has been the biggest obstacle for the 33-year-old on her comeback tour.

"My movement has really improved over the past few weeks," she said. "Actually I feel really comfortable on the clay.

"Physically getting better is actually the easy part, it's mentally trusting your body again."

Advertising

She may have a few tricks up her sleeve. During the interview, Mattek-Sands confessed to something a little unusual—she talks to her knee.

"I wake up in the morning and I ask it how its doing," she said. "I give it a lot of compliments, give it a lot of love."

Mattek-Sands will next take on Andrea Petkovic. She also happens to be the defending doubles champion at Roland Garros (with Lucie Safarova). The American is playing with Yung-jan Chan instead of Safarova, who is on her own comeback from an illness.

Advertising

WATCH: Mattek-Sands'
knee gets
interviewed in Paris

WATCH: Mattek-Sands' knee gets interviewed in Paris

—Tennis Channel Plus features up to 10 courts of live action from Roland Garros beginning Sunday, May 27 at 5:00am ET.

—Catch up and watch all your favorite stars anytime on-demand with Tennis Channel Plus.