Andy Roddick was a four-set loser to Nicolas Mahut of France in the first round of the French Open on Sunday in Paris. (David Vincent / Associated Press)

First and foremost, the footing is tricky The soft courts take his booming serves and forehands down a notch, too. Put simply, his game is built for hard or grass courts. As if that wasn't enough, he arrived at this French Open having played only 16 matches in a season interrupted by injuries to his right hamstring and right ankle.

If Roddick was tempted to sit out Roland Garros altogether - or tempted to use his health or rust as an excuse for playing poorly - he did not. The 26th-seeded American, once ranked No. 1 and once a Grand Slam champion, exited a major tournament's opening round for the first time since 2007, and at the same venue.

His 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 loss to 88th-ranked Nicolas Mahut at the French Open on Sunday dropped Roddick's record to 7-10 this season, 0-4 on clay. Of the seven previous major title winners in action on day one in Paris, including Venus Williams in her first Grand Slam match since revealing in August she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, only Roddick was beaten.

"Wasn't playing really well. I move just horrendously out here. My first step is just so bad on this stuff," Roddick said. "I feel like I'm always shuffling or hopping or not stopping or something."

Williams also is not nearly as comfortable on clay as faster surfaces.

She's also dealing with the difficult process of learning to

"A lot of it, I have to figure it out. It's physical and emotional and all kinds of different things. Mental," Williams said of her medical condition. "It's a big accomplishment for me to be here right now."

The other past major champions who won Sunday were Juan Martin del Potro, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Sam Stosur, Ana Ivanovic and Svetlana Kuznetsova. Monday's schedule includes Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Victoria Azarenka and Li Na.

Mahut hit more aces than Roddick, 13-8, and broke him seven times, including in the last game on Court Suzanne Lenglen, an arena the American is not fond of.

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TENNIS: Roddick heads for the exit