Roland Garros ATP Recap 1: Day 1 - 3

Day 1: Late Nights and Early Drama in Paris

One of the night's standout moments came from 13th seed Ben Shelton. The American showed remarkable grit, clawing back from two sets to one down past midnight to defeat Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego in five sets (6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3). Shelton’s flair and resilience suggest he could be a player to watch deep into the tournament.

Portuguese No.1 Nuno Borges also staged a remarkable comeback, overturning a two-set deficit to beat French qualifier Kyrian Jacquet in a tense five-setter on Court 6. His win silenced the passionate home crowd and underscored the unpredictable nature of the early rounds.

However, not all seeded players had it their way. No.32 Alex Michelsen was ousted in straight sets by Argentine qualifier Juan Manuel Cerundolo, while fellow Argentine Mariano Navone upset 28th seed Brandon Nakashima in four.

Frances Tiafoe (15) enjoyed a smoother path, with him winning in straight sets. American Reilly Opelka notched his first Roland Garros victory since 2021, beating Rinky Hijikata, and compatriot Tommy Paul bounced back after a shaky start to win in four sets.

Local hope Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard gave the French crowd a brief cheer, securing his second tour-level win since February by defeating Zizou Bergs.

With thrilling matches, surprise exits, and late-night battles, Day 1 set the tone for an exciting Roland Garros, reminding us why the French Open is one of tennis's most captivating events. Stay tuned as the drama unfolds!

Day 2: Sinner Survives, Fritz Falls on Dramatic Day 2

Day 2 at Roland Garros brought a rollercoaster of emotions: tight escapes, breakthrough wins, and the tournament’s biggest upset so far.

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner had to dig deep against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech. Although the scoreline reads 6-4, 6-3, 7-5, the final set was a nail-biter with Sinner rallying from 2-5 down to win five straight games and seal victory. Next up for Sinner is a captivating second-round clash against French veteran Richard Gasquet.

Speaking of Gasquet, the beloved Parisian legend thrilled the Chatrier crowd in what’s likely his final Roland Garros appearance. At 37, he showed flashes of his classic flair to beat Terence Atmane in four sets (6-2, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0), setting up a mouthwatering meeting with the top seed.

French fans also had reason to cheer as their top-ranked man, Arthur Fils, notched his first home Slam win by beating Chile’s Nicolas Jarry in four sets. The local support was palpable on Court Lenglen.

Canada’s Gabriel Diallo made waves too, stunning 18th seed Francisco Cerundolo in straight sets with a confident 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 victory, showcasing his growing clay-court prowess.

But the headline shock came on Court Simonne-Mathieu, where Germany’s Daniel Altmaier ousted No.4 seed Taylor Fritz. Altmaier, a fearless competitor and 2020 fourth-rounder here, capitalized on Fritz’s recent injury struggles to claim a 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 win, marking one of the biggest surprises so far.

Meanwhile, top seeds like Stefanos Tsitsipas, Holger Rune, Karen Khachanov, Sebastian Korda, and Casper Ruud all advanced with relative ease. Ruud, in particular, continued his strong run by ending Albert Ramos-Vinolas’ Roland Garros journey in straight sets.

With two days in, Roland Garros is already living up to its reputation — packed with drama, surprises, and thrilling clay-court tennis. Stay tuned as the excitement builds!

Day 3: Norrie Shocks Medvedev, Monfils Rolls Back the Years

Day 3 at Roland Garros delivered all the drama fans crave—upsets, comebacks, retirements, and a midnight magic show by Gael Monfils.

The biggest shock was 11th seed Daniil Medvedev’s exit. British No.1 Cameron Norrie edged out the former world No.1 in a gripping five-set thriller on Court Simonne-Mathieu. Medvedev even served for the match at 5-4 in the final set, but Norrie’s relentless fight saw him prevail 7-5 in the decider. This marked Norrie’s first Grand Slam win over a major champion and could be a real momentum boost.

Grigor Dimitrov faced disappointment again, retiring mid-match for the fourth Slam in a row. Though leading two sets to one against American qualifier Ethan Quinn, Dimitrov’s physical struggles forced him to bow out. Quinn now meets lucky loser Alexander Shevchenko in Round 2.

On a brighter note, defending champion Novak Djokovic looked composed under the roof on Chatrier, dispatching Mackenzie McDonald in straight sets (6-3, 6-3, 6-3) in tricky conditions.

Ben Shelton advanced without lifting a racquet thanks to a late withdrawal by Frenchman Hugo Gaston, while Alexander Zverev cruised past Learner Tien in straight sets.

One of the day’s standout stories was Brazil’s 18-year-old Joao Fonseca, who stunned 28th seed Hubert Hurkacz with a commanding 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 victory. Fonseca’s fearless shot-making left the Polish star flat.

Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime suffered a tough five-set loss to Matteo Arnaldi after blowing a two-set lead, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the clay.

And then, just past midnight, Gael Monfils reminded everyone why he’s a French favorite. Down two sets to love against Hugo Dellien, the 38-year-old fought back to claim his 40th Roland Garros win in a five-set thriller. His next test? A high-profile clash with Jack Draper.

With surprises and thrilling battles, Day 3 proved Roland Garros is far from predictable. More excitement awaits as the tournament unfolds!

Key Results:

• No. 3 Alexander Zverev def. Learner Tien, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4
• No. 5 Jack Draper def. Mattia Bellucci, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2
• No. 6 Novak Djokovic def. Mackenzie McDonald, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3
• No. 9 Alex De Minaur def. Laslo Djere, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(6)
• Cameron Norrie def. No. 11 Daniil Medvedev, 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 1-6, 7-5
• Ethan Quinn def. No. 16 Grigor Dimitrov, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2 (retired)
• No. 17 Andrey Rublev def. Lloyd Harris, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
• No. 19 Jakub Mensik def. Alexandre Muller, 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-3
• Matteo Arnaldi def. No. 29 Felix Auger-Aliassime, 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
• Joao Fonseca def. No. 30 Hubert Hurkacz, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2
• Alexander Bublik def. James Duckworth, 6-2, 6-4, 6-4
• Alexander Shevchenko def. Dusan Lajovic, 6-2, 6-4, 7-6(4)
• Federico Agustin Gomez def. Aleksandar Kovacevic, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-1
• Jesper De Jong def. Francesco Passaro, 3-6, 6-7(7), 6-4, 7-6(1), 6-1
• Flavio Cobolli def. Marin Cilic, 6-2, 6-1, 6-3
• Henrique Rocha def. Nikoloz Basilashvili, 7-6(0), 2-6, 7-6(9), 2-6, 6-2
• Pierre-Hugues Herbert def. Benjamin Bonzi, 7-5, 3-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2
• Adam Walton def. Maximilian Marterer, 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2
• Corentin Moutet def. Clement Tabur, 6-3, 7-6(6), 6-3
• Gael Monfils def. Hugo Dellien, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(4), 6-1