And what of tomorrow? Well, we’ve got Paolini v Tomljanovic, Ruud v Borges, Gigante v Tsitsipas, Raducanu v Swiatek, and absolutely loads more, including Sabalenka, Alcaraz, Svitolina, Mpetshi Perricard, Musetti, Zheng, and Tabilo v Popyri. Katy and I will see you then and Tumaini’s report of Draper will be here imminently, but otherwise … á demain.
Moving around the grounds, this is the current state of play:
Moutet 6-3 7-6(6) Tabur
Hurkacz 2-5 Fonseca
Arnaldi 5-7 2-6 6-3 0-1 Auger-Aliassime
Volynets 3-5 Garland
Sierra 4-6 6-6 Putintseva
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Lois Boisson beats Elise Mertens (24) 6-4 4-6 6-3
A fantastic performance from home-girl Boisson, who looks to have serious game; she has power, touch and temperament. Next for her: Avanesyan or Kalinina and I can’t wait to see her again.
Righto, that’s almost us, but afore we go, a little look back, around and forward.
There were wins today for Mirra Andreeva, Sofia Kenin, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, Alex De Minaur and an impressive Novak Djokovic; Cam Norrie won a thriller against Daniil Medvedev, taking a two-set lead before coming from behind to take the fifth; Magdalena Frech saw off a sorry Ons Jabeur; Sonay Kartal walloped Erika Andreeva; and Jack Draper came from a set down to rinse past Mattia Bellucci.
BUT EXCUSE ME WHILE I INTERRUPT MYSELF!
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Having donned his sponsored rugger shirt, Draper thanks the crowd for supporting both players and creating a great atmosphere, also noting the impact of the closed roof. He exudes menschlichkeit, he really does, praising how well his opponent started and played overall, adding that he’s proud of himself too.
Indoors, it’s a little more humid so you can’t get as much speed on the ball, but he adapted and it’s not about how you start but how you finish.
Otherwise, staying fit, working hard and having good people around him are the biggest reasons for his improvement; he can go deep here, though he’s drawn to play Jannik Sinner in the last eight.
Jack Draper (5) beats Mattia Bellucci 3-6 6-1 6-4 6-2
A tremendous performance from Draper, who rode out Bellucci’s first-set purple patch, got himself acclimatised, then stormed to his first win at Roland Garros. It will not be his last, and next for him is Monfils or Dellien. He is a player.
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Boisson breaks Mertens for 3-1 in the third and whatever happens from here, she’s made a statement today: this is her level. Draper quickly makes 40-0…
Draper makes 15-40, and if he can win one of the next two points, he’ll serve for the match thereafter. And though he then nets a backhand, a terrifying forehand sets up the overhead, and after a little sit-down he’ll serve for the match. This has been a brilliant display, actually elevated by the fact he lost set one.
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Draper consolidates for 4-2 while, back on 14, the youngster Boisson is giving Mertens all she can handle, 2-1 in front in the third, on serve. Otherwise, Moutet is serving for 2-0 against Tabur, Arnaldi trails Auger-Aliassime 1-2 5-2, and Cobolli has despatched Cilic 2, 1 and 3.
…and when Bellucci nets a forehand, he’ll be fearing the worst. But surely he won’t have expected the sensational winner that screeches by him, down the line from way out of court. Draper has hit a level, not just here but in his career, capable of going deep in Slams as a matter of course. He leads 3-2 in the fourth.
Draper is such an impressive individual, focused without being dour and sensible without losing his flair. He holds for 2-1 2-2, nails an an overhead for 0-15, and he seems to have an answer for everything Bellucci is trying. It’s soon 0-30, and this could be the beginning of the end…
At 1-1 in the fourth, Draper does really well from the back, his forehand allowing him in, but Bellucci finds a decent angle with the attempted pass, such that controlling the volley proves impossible, and from there he secures the hold. Bellucci 6-3 1-6 4-6 2-1 Draper.
On 14, Mertens has taken the second set against Boisson 6-4; the decider has just begun. And on 6, Arnaldi is saluting the crowd having won a point with a tweener, then gone on to break Auger-Aliassime to trail 0-2 3-1.
Next on Court 7: Hubert Hurkacz (30) v Joao Fonseca.
Andrey Rublev (17) beats Lloyd Harris 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-1
Harris gave a decent account of himself, but once Rublev settled there was only going to be one winner and, perhaps more importantly, he was able to maintain equilibrium, as least according to what I saw, even when things were going against him. Next for him: Adam Walton.
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Time’s up: Rublev has broken Harris a second time in set four to lead 4-1, he consolidates to love, and is a game away from round two.
Bellucci does make 0-15, but Draper just detonates a succession of forehands to resolve the situation. Another mahoosive ace, his eighth, then raises two set points, and though the next return is a goodun, Draper spanks a forehand on to the baseline and he now leads 3-6 6-1 6-4. This is extremely impressive gear, especially for a man who’s never won a match at Roland Garros.
Yes he can. I’ve been impressed with Bellucci today, who played a beautifully creative first set, and even now, when class and power have taken over, he’s still playing brave, gritty tennis. Draper will now serve for 2-1 at 5-4 in the third.
…who thunks an ace down the T with a hollering flourish. Well done him, but can he make Draper serve for it?
Draper holds for 5-2 in the third and I’d not be surprised if he broke for the set. Shonuff, he makes 0-15, then dominates the next point from the back for 0-30 and Bellucci is running out of ideas. He is not, though, running out of fight, quickly making 30-all, only to waft a forehand long when he really didn’t need to. Scary hours for the Italian…
Cobolli, a player I really like, now leads Cilic 6-2 6-1 1-1. He meets the winner of Arnaldi-Auger-Aliassime next – that’s a match I’ll not miss – with the winner of that likely to meet Zverev in round three.
oops, forgot the last one pic.twitter.com/ajqcgFg6mn
— Coco Gauff (@CocoGauff) May 27, 2025
Aha, Rublev breaks Harris – oh, Cuz – for 2-1 1-0, while Bellucci has forced 30-40 … so Draper unleashes a wickedly swerving ace down the T. He is in such great control of his game now, AND HAVE A LOOK! Bellucci sends him nashing off to the forehand corner … whereupon he monsters a gorgeous forehand winner down the line, a further ace follows, and that’s 1-1 4-2. This is very serious stuff from the British no 1, who has matured and is maturing into a helluva player.
I’ve only been watching out of the corner of my eye, but Rublev has just broken Harris to win set three 6-3; he leads 2-1 and from here, should progress. Also winning a set is Auger-Aliassime, who leads Arnaldi 7-2 6-2, an impressive show against a talented player. And Draper has consolidated his break; he’s now serving at 1-1 3-2.
And there it is! A hooked forehand that Bellucci frames, a 1-1 2-1 lead, and the Italian has no answers; he can barely fathom the questions.
We’ve a potential shock brewing on Court 2, where Lois Boisson, a French qualifier, leads Elise Mertens, seeded 24, 6-4 – though, as I type, Mertens breaks for 1-0 in set two. Draper, meanwhile, makes advantage at the end of an 18-stroke rally, and I’d be shocked if he didn’t win this match now; he’s by far the better player.
Draper earns himself break point, the sense is that if it isn’t now, it’ll be soon. But after a lot of backhand-to-backhand action, he runs around it to paint an inside-out drop … into the net. No matter: Bellucci then nets himself, bringing us to deuce, and he’s fighting just to stay level…
Auger-Aliassime, now seeded as low as 29, has broken Arnaldi twice at the start of set two to lead 7-5 4-0, while Rublev and Harris are 1-1 2-2 and Moutet leads Tabur 5-3.
This next service-game is massive for Bellucci: if he loses it, I fear he’ll be gawn quicksmart, and his reticence to go line on the forehand gives Draper 30-all. From there, he closes out, but the sense remains that the match is not on his racket.
Superb behaviour from Draper, who serves out a 6-1 set to love, and you can taste his confidence through the screen; Bellucci has a lot of thinking to do, though the match is level at 1-1.
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Draper is so solid these days. He didn’t panic when well behind nor did he tank the first set; rather, he played his way into form such that by the time Bellucci clinched it, he was second-best, and he still is. Down 15-40, he slices into the net and Draper, hrtting so freely now, leads 5-1.
Oh, and a third set is over: Cobolli leads Cilic 6-2 and should have way too much for the 36-year-old 2014 US Open champ; I bet the thought of losing to Nishikori, who he beat in the final, still knocks Andy Murray sick.
Draper endorses the break for 3-0 and I’d not be shocked if he won handily from here. Bellucci played pretty much as well as he can in the first set – he’s an artist and so much of what he tried came off, but over the stretch it feels unsustainable. Of course, as I type, he comes in behind his second serve, but that kind of thing won’t sustain him through a best-of-five though, for now, he leads 6-3 1-3.
Elsewhere, two sets have just finished: Auger-Aliassime leads Arnaldi 7-5 and Harris is now level with Rublev at 4-6 6-4.
Cousiiiin!
Yeah, Draper’s into this now. I nip to the facilities, return to find he’s got a break point, and a pair of venomous forehands convert the opportunity. He’s up 2-0 in the second set and looks in decent control now.
Rublev, though, has been broken again by Harris – gwan, Cuz – who will shortly serve for set two at 4-6 5-4.
Losing that first set will have stung Draper – first he lost it badly, then he lost it well, not what anyone wants. But he keeps his focus, holding for 1-0 in the second, while Cobolli is up 4-2 on Cilic, one of those players I can’t believe has won a Slam.
Back with Rublev, he’s redeemed the break he ceded early in set two and now leads Harris 6-4 3-3; Arnaldi and Auger-Aliassime are 4-4 in the first.
It takes a while, but he gets there in the end. Bellucci whips a forehand to the corner, Draper can’t get it back, and that’s a 6-3 set to the Italian, who hit 19 winners versus six for his opponent. Draper, though, played much better once two breaks down, and came close to retrieving the situation, so he’s not out of this by any means.
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Now then. Bellucci tries a drop, nets, and at 0-30 he looks tentative. Gosh, then he slices into the net, grinning to himself but not with any kind of joy. He fights back really well, though, dominating the next three points for deuce … then another for advantage. But big, swinging, lefty forehands restore Draper to deuce … only for Bellucci to punish a leaping, lefty, backhand winner … before netting a forehand with the court open. Even if he wins this set, the next should be far harder for him.
Is Draper into this now? He holds, forcing Bellucci to serve for the set a second time, and that might get the Italian thinking: he’s played expansive stuff so far, but pressure does funny things to a person. Apparently. Bellucci 5-3 Draper.
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Draper hasn’t given up this first set and he breaks Bellucci for 2-5. I’m afraid, though, that he’s wearing that nonsense Nike stash with the hoops, that looks like a football training top.
Back on Lenglen, Draper is, so far, getting something of a clay-court lesson from Bellucci, who’s serving for the first set at 5-1; Rublev leads Harris 6-4 1-1 and I’ve also got that match on; Jacquemot, a wild card, beat Sakkari 3 and 6; and i need to decide between Arnaldi 2-2 Auger-Aliassime and Cilic 1-0 Cobolli. I guess I’m taking the former.
Djokovic tells the crowd he’s happy to be back among friends and has good memories of Roland Garros following the Olympics. He’s working hard on his French, he says – speaking French – and applause follows.
Otherwise, he says it was great to have his wife and family in Geneva with him – he won there last week – but he doesn’t have his gold medal with him. That and all the trophies are with his old fella.
Jakub Mensik (19) beats Alexandre Muller 7-5 (5)6-7 7-5 6-3
A very impressive win for Mensik, who was pushed hard and still had more than enough. He’s a very, very good player, never mind prospect, and faces Basilashvili or rocha next – they’re currently level at a set apiece.
Sonay Kartal beats Erika Andreeva 6-0 6-2
A fantastic win for the surging Brit, and on her Roland-Garros debut too. Next for her, a much harder task: Kalinskaya or Bouzkova.
Novak Djokovic (5) beats Mackenzie McDonald 6-3 6-3 6-3
An impressive win for the champ; next for him, Moutet or Tabeur.
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Magdalena Frech (25) beats Ons Jabeur 7-6(4) 6-0
Oh dear. Frech was an unpleasant draw, but I fear Ons’ decline may be irreversible. She meets Selekhmeteva or Vondrousova next.
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Thanks again and salut again. When I left you, Muller was a break up in set three; now he’s match-point down at 5-2 in in set four … and he nets for deuce. Oor Ons was also up a break; she now trails Frech 7-6 5-0.
Daniel is back to take you through the rest of Draper, Djokovic, Kartal and much more. A demain!
Draper is broken. Not that I saw much of it, because I was watching Djokovic. But I did catch a glimpse of a brilliant Bellucci forehand, a fortuitous return winner and a Draper double fault. Draper is 3-1 down.
Djokovic is close to striking a potentially fatal blow against McDonald, leading 6-3, 6-3, 3-2 and 15-40 on the American’s serve. But both break points come and go, the second when Djokovic prods a lame backhand into the net. Djokovic’s drop shot prompts a wonderful angled effort from McDonald, but it’s not enough and Djokovic emerges victorious for a third break point. Which he fails to take too. Here’s a fourth … and McDonald saves it with a stinging serve down the T. And a fifth … and Djokovic has one clay-covered foot in the second round when McDonald makes the error. Djokovic leads 6-3, 6-3, 4-2.
Bellucci holds to 30 in his opening service game, as does Draper. It’s 1-1.
Kartal can do no wrong at the moment, and has two break points for a double break in the second set, already leading 6-0, 2-0 against Erika Andreeva. Andreeva whacks away a winner for 30-40, a brief moment of celebration for the Russian, and Kartal then loops a weak backhand return into the tramlines. Deuce. The Brit then completely mis-hits a drop shot; it was a metre or so short from even reaching the net. Gah, I cursed her by saying she could do no wrong. Andreeva is finally on the board.
Djokovic wins the second set against McDonald 6-3
Djokovic makes amends for dropping serve when serving for the second set, immediately breaking McDonald to 15 to take it 6-3. This feels like a fairly routine win for Djokovic, despite his four first-round exits so far this year.
Novak with the two set lead 👊#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/U1zOVEkZjB
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 27, 2025
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A see-sawing first set has gone the way of Frech, 7-4 in the breaker against Jabeur, who somehow managed to hit 31 winners and 41 unforced errors in that set.
No such serving jitters for Sonay Kartal, who’s raced through her first ever set at the French Open, taking it 6-0 inside 30 minutes against Erika Andreeva.
As for Djokovic, he’s now got the double break against McDonald in the second set, setting it up with a superb smash, and it’s 5-2. But the three-times champion, perhaps feeling too comfortable, then loses focus, dropping serve for the first time when serving for the set.
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A sudden shift in momentum on Simonne Mathieu, where Jabeur, having had a set point at 5-3 against Frech, is serving to stay in the opener at 5-6. That the Tunisian does, and they’re going to a tie-break.
Pegula’s victory ensures that Draper will be stepping on to Suzanne Lenglen next. Draper’s feats on clay this season, reaching the Madrid Open final and the Rome quarter-finals, mean he’s playing as a top-five player at a grand slam for the first time, and this afternoon he plays the Italian left-hander and fellow 23-year-old Mattia Bellucci, who’s ranked No 68. Draper’s got a kind draw, well, until the quarter-finals, where he could face Jannik Sinner.
Pegula defeats Todoni 6-2, 6-4
Pegula, the third seed, has advanced after that early second-set resistance from Todoni, winning 6-2, 6-4. The American is such a solid player, but is that enough to win a slam? Let’s see. Clay seems less likely.
Over on Court 9, Sonay Kartal, the British No 3, is under way against the 20-year-old Erika Andreeva, the older sister of Mirra. Kartal, Emma Raducanu’s childhood rival, is chasing Raducanu down in the rankings, and is currently at 56 despite managing an unspecified health condition over the past year, so much credit to her. Kartal already has a break, leading 2-0.
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Todoni is putting up a fight in the second set against Pegula, and leads last year’s US Open runner-up 4-3 on serve, having lost the first 6-2, while Jabeur is playing like it’s 2022 again, and is 5-3 ahead in the opening set against Frech, the 25th seed. The days of the 30-year-old Jabeur reaching slam finals may be behind her, but she’s still so, so fun to watch, and is pushing on Frech’s serve at deuce.
There’s a bit more talk about Djokovic’s title chances since he won in Geneva at the weekend, but winning an ATP 250 event and a grand slam are two very different tasks, and the 38-year-old will be all too mindful that he hasn’t claimed a major now since 2023. Here’s Tim Joyce’s good read on how 36 has proved something of a block when it comes to the Big Three and grand slam titles.
Thanks Daniel. The roof is now fully closed on Chatrier, despite the defiance of a couple of pigeons who didn’t want to move, and the perfect wind-less conditions are likely to favour Djokovic, not that he needs any more assistance as he glides to 2-0 in the second set with a love hold.
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Righto, I’m nipping off to perform school-run duties; Katy is back to coax you through the next hour, and I’ll see you after that.
Back on Mathieu, Jabeur has broken Frech – the no 25 seed must be cursing the luck of so nasty a first-round draw – for 3-2 in the first while, on 14, Muller has done likewise to Mensik, up 1-1 4-3.
A serve down the T – McDonald can only impart frame to ball – gives Djokovic 40-15, but at 40-30, he can’t respond to a drop, flicking it back wide; to deuce we go. An ace follows, then a shanked return, and Djokovic leads 6-3. He’s not playing all that well, but he’s warming up – closing out like that was pure him.
Ah, they’re now closing the Chatrier roof, and while that happens, Djokovic will serve for the first set. Meantime, on Lenglen, Pegula has taken the first set off Todoni 6-1 and trails 1-2, on serve, in the second.
Kartal and Andreevsa will soon be under way, the match before them over; I’m going to stick with Ons, though, at least for a bit. Otherwise, Djokovic now leads McDonald 5-3, but now it’s the latter asking for the roof to be shut; Mensik leads Muller 3-2 in the third; while Frech and Jabeur are level at 2-2.
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I should, while we’re here, set up what’s coming. Andrey Rublev meets Lloyd Harris – they shouldn’t be too long as the match prior is in its final set. And we’ve also got Corentin Moutet, tenniser and rapper; another of our faves, Karolina Muchová; what looks like a jazzer, between Hubie Hurkacz and Joao Fonseca; Marin Cilic v Flavio Cobolli; Sonay Kartal v Erika Andreeva; and the match of the day, Mattia Bellucci v Jack Draper. It’s not a bad old life.
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I was sad to see another blog fave depart earlier today. Bia Haddad Maia has lots of talent and ridiculous power, but at this point – she’s 28 – it seems unlikely she’ll grow into anything more than an occasional second-week presence. I’m pleased for Hailey Baptiste, of course, but she’s not what we might consider a blue-chip prospect.
It does look minging out there – I’m glad two girls in the crowd have found a use for a disgraceful maroon leather jacket, now draped over the heads – but in typical Djokovic style he follows bellicosity with a break and leads McDonald 4-2.
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Frech makes Jabeur toil for her first hold, but she gets there in the end and we’re level at 1-1 in the first. I really, really hope Oor Ons, a long-time favourite of this blog, gets her Jana Novotna moment; I can’t imagine how poorly she must feel every time her itinerant subconscious reminds that she lost a Wimbledon final to Marketa Vondroussva, and it’s not easy to see in what circumstance she might get that close again. But we can hope.
Whoever had 19 minutes in the “How long will it take Djokovic to gripe at the umpire” sweepstake is a winner. He wants the roof closed, not without good reason – it’s cold. windy and drizzly – but this is an outdoor tournament, so every effort should be made to keep it thus.
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While I’m doing that, Muller and Mensik reach 5-5, then a gorgeous backhand into the corner hands the former set point … and at the end of a long rally, he flips a terrific top-spin forehand winner! We’re level at a set apiece, and this has the feel of an epic.
Djokovic leads McDonald 2-1 on serve, while Mensik lashes a forehand that earns him an immediate mini-break. But a long backhand followed by a hold means we’re back level at 2-2, it’s soon 3-3, and these two are very well matched. Mensik, though, is only 18 and is, according to better judges than me, going to the top.
Back on Lenglen, Pegula breaks again to lead Todoni 4-1, and I’m going to switch that match off to watch Frech 1-0 Jabeur.
A brilliant point from Muller, booming backhand then forehand, gives him 30-40 and set point; what does Mensik have under pressure? Er, enough, a brutal serve out wide that’s too good. Oh, and then another, then an ace; not bad, and we’ll now get to enjoy a breaker..
On Court 14, Mensik is serving at 7-5 5-6, and Calvin Betton, our resident coach, messages on this match as follows: “You’d have to imagine Mensik comes through that. Muller is solid but Mensik has got the weapons, serve and forehand – he’s gonna be a top-10 player before long. Oh, and Muller is sponsored by Only Fans, which I find funny.”
Maybe he likes the articles.
Righto, Djokovic and McDonald have begun, while Pegula has broken Todoni in game one. She’s a funny one, really, in that way worse players than her have won Slams, but it’s hard to see her taking one herself, partly because Swiatek, Gauff and Sabalenka are around now but partly because she lacks a major weapon. She’ll stick at it, though.
And we’ve got so, so much to come it’s faintly ridiculous. On Chatrier, Mackenzie McDonald and Novak Djokovic will soon get going; Anca Todoni and Jessica Pegula have just begun; and Magdalena Frech and Ons Jabeur soon will.
I’m going to watch the first two matches, because I wonder if Todoni can give Pegula grief, along with Alexandre Muller 5-7 5-4 Jakub Mensik.
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Thanks Katy and bon après-midi tout le monde. What a morning dig!
Right, after nearly four hours of that, I’m off to lie down. Here’s Daniel Harris to take you through the next hour of play …
“It was a crazy match,” says Norrie as he’s asked on court about his improbable victory. “Unreal. I deserve a diploma for beating Medvedev after losing to him four times.” Norrie adds that playing Djokovic in Geneva last week helped him to prepare for this. “Merci beaucoup,” he says as he waves to the crowd and walks off court. And next he has a very winnable match against the lucky loser Federico Gomez.
Norrie beats Medvedev 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 1-6, 7-5
What a huge point at 30-all on Medvedev’s serve. Will it be game point Medvedev or match point Norrie? Game point Medvedev, as he pulls off a gutsy winner for 40-30. But Norrie, seemingly out of court, comes straight back at him for deuce! And here’s a match point! A sentence I never thought I’d be typing a few games ago. An absorbing rally plays out, which Norrie eventually wins when Medvedev hoiks long! Somehow Norrie has come from 5-3 down in the final set to take it 7-5 and take out the 11th seed, who suffers a sixth first-round exit at Roland Garros.
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Zverev beats Tien 6-3, 6-3, 6-4
Norrie holds to edge in front in this deciding set, for the first time since the opening game. It’s 6-5. “If Norrie pulls this off against a flood tide of momentum it could be the making of him,” emails Dean Kinsella. Just as Zverev, with his neon yellow highlighter look, completes a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Tien. A convincing opening win from last year’s runner-up.
Alexander Zverev avenges Acapulco loss to Learner Tien 🙌#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/CAWsUu1Lfl
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) May 27, 2025
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“I think I played as good as I could in the conditions,” Gauff says. “I’m from Florida, so I’m used to the wind, but it was tough. Honestly it felt like two different matches depending on the side of the court.”
She’s then asked about her rackets. “As long as I’ve been on tour my coaches put my rackets in my bag. I go on the court and realise I have no rackets. I’m blaming it on my coach!”
Gauff defeats Gadecki 6-2, 6-2
Gauff, though, has got the job done, with an efficient, business-like 6-2, 6-2 victory over Australia’s Gadecki. The former finalist dealt with the windy conditions well; the biggest mis-step was her forgetting her rackets at the start of the match.
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Plenty of ooohs and aaahs and Norrie is waving his arms in the air after a game of cat and mouse on the first point, with Medvedev serving for a place in round two at 5-7, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, 5-4. 0-15 becomes 0-30 and here’s a glimmer for Norrie. Which becomes a huge opportunity at 0-40! And Norrie breaks back on the second break point!
Zverev and Gauff are close to finishing too, with Gauff 6-2, 5-1 up on Gadecki and Zverev 6-3, 6-3, 5-4 ahead, with the break, against Tien. Norrie, meanwhile, decides now is the time to throw in his second underarm serve of the match, but again it doesn’t come off. He does, at least, hold though, forcing Medvedev to serve this out.
This is the end game for Norrie, with Medvedev 4-3 and 30-0 up in the decider. Which is soon 40-0 after another winner. Though the Russian does throw in an awful first serve that nearly landed on the baseline. It doesn’t matter, though, he holds to love from the second serve and it’s 5-3. Norrie must serve to stay in the match.
James Duckworth is out, beaten 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 by Alexander Bublik, so there won’t be an all-Aussie battle with Alex de Minaur in round two.
Tomorrow’s order of play is out. Emma Raducanu v Iga Swiatek is third on Philippe Chatrier.
We kick off round 2 tomorrow, check out the full order of play 👉 https://t.co/fPNnvFqXo2#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/fbOocY7BKv
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 27, 2025
#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/bkWtNb7cUO
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 27, 2025
After that 11-minute hold for Norrie, Medvedev puts the pressure straight back on the Brit with a hold to love in 80 seconds. And then breaks to 30 with a passing winner after a lengthy rally. Another ridiculous winner from Medvedev and it’s 3-1. This looks like the beginning of the end for Norrie.
Sad news on Court 6, where Dimitrov has been forced to retire with a leg injury when leading Quinn, the young American qualifier, 6-2, 6-3, 2-6. It’s the 34-year-old’s fourth mid-match retirement already this year, but for Quinn he now has a great chance of reaching round three on his debut, because up next is the lucky loser Alexander Shevchenko.
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Meanwhile on Philippe Chatrier, Gauff takes the first set 6-2 against Gadecki in what feels like the time it took Norrie to win just that one game. The second seed was delayed at the start though when she somehow managed to forget her rackets. Maybe Kenin’s speedy victory in the match before caught her off guard.
When you forget your rackets 😅 @CocoGauff pic.twitter.com/bG3hbaTuWW
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) May 27, 2025
As the clock ticks over eight minutes for the first game of the fifth set, Medvedev fires groundstroke after groundstroke at Norrie, before changing it up with a deft drop shot that has Norrie scrambling in vain on the red clay. Break point Medvedev. Norrie saves it. Another break point Medvedev, his fourth of the game, and this time Norrie gets in on the drop shot act too. Deuce No 7. And Norrie holds after an 11-minute war of attrition! I wonder how crucial that could prove to be.
Make that 6-3, 6-3 to Zverev, as the third seed finishes off an 11-shot rally on set point with a booming forehand.
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As for Zverev and Gauff: Zverev, who was a set away from winning the title last year and is regaining confidence after also falling short in the Australian Open final this year, leads Tien 6-3, 5-3, while Gauff, a former finalist at Roland Garros too, has grabbed an early break against Gadecki and is 4-2 ahead in the opening set.
Medvedev wins the fourth set against Norrie 6-1
Norrie, serving to stay in the fourth set at 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 0-5, does at least stop the rot by holding from deuce. But it’s probably only delaying the inevitable. A few British fans in the crowd are using their flags as blankets given how chilly it is in Paris. Wise, given they haven’t got much reason to wave them. Medvedev gets away with a dodgy drop shot for 30-all, then brings up set point, and Norrie can’t get the serve on set point back into play. They’re going to five.
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Ouch. Norrie is broken to love. And Medvedev holds again to love. That’s 13 points in a row for the Russian. This is getting away from Norrie horribly quickly. Medvedev leads 5-0 in the fourth set.
Make that 3-0 to Medvedev, with his second successive hold to love. Norrie has never beaten Medvedev, and I wonder if that’s on his mind right now. Does the Brit have the belief to pull this off? Both have been in their own slumps – Medvedev, the former US Open champion, hasn’t won a tournament in more than two years, while Norrie has dropped down the rankings from a high of world No 8 to a current position of No 81. Losing from two sets to love up here would be another big blow to the Brit’s brittle confidence.
An inauspicious start from Norrie in the fourth set, as he double faults and is soon broken. It’s Norrie 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 0-2 Medvedev.
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De Minaur defeats Djere 6-3, 6-4, 7-6; Medvedev wins third set against Norrie 6-4
De Minaur, leading 6-3, 6-4, is trying to wrap up victory against Djere in a third-set tie-break. But here are two set points for Djere at 6-4 in the breaker after the Serb chases down the drop shot! And here’s a set point for Medvedev as Norrie fluffs his serving lines at 4-5 … where to look? … and Norrie’s shot whistles wide! Medvedev takes the third set 6-4 having lost the first two, just as De Minaur does what De Minaur does, battling, scrapping, and from 6-4 down he wins the breaker 8-6 and the match 6-3, 6-4, 7-6.
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Baptiste stuns No 23 seed Haddad Maia 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
While Quinn is on the ropes, the US has an unexpected winner in Hailey Baptiste. The 23-year-old world No 70 has beaten Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia, a semi-finalist here two years ago, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. So a surprise victory for the Americans after Taylor Fritz’s and Emma Navarro’s shock losses yesterday.
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The lucky loser Alexander Shevchenko has won, 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 against Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic, and he’ll face most likely Grigor Dimitrov, who’s nearly two sets to the good against Quinn, leading 6-2, 5-2.
Medvedev magic incoming ➡️#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/IRW9KrX89b
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 27, 2025
Look here, Medvedev has two break points at 3-2 in the third set. The umpire is out of his chair after the second – the French Open is now the only slam that doesn’t use electronic line calling – and confirms Norrie’s shot did land on the line, so it’s deuce. From there Norrie holds for 7-5, 6-3, 3-3. The umpire is again called to court to check a call at the beginning of the next game – he’s getting as much of a workout as Medvedev, who’s pulled all over the place as Norrie grabs two break points of his own – but Medvedev holds firm and it’s 4-4.
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Kenin, the 2020 runner-up, is taking the applause of the smattering of spectators on Philippe Chatrier, as she wraps up a convincing 6-3, 6-1 victory over Gracheva. Next up there is Coco Gauff v Australia’s Olivia Gadecki.
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A brief pause in Medvedev’s chattering and chuntering as he takes a medical timeout to get his finger bandaged up. It’s 2-2 in the third set, which the Russian must win to avoid a sixth first-round exit at Roland Garros.
Could Azarenka be a contender here? The 35-year-old is now down at No 75 in the world, and hasn’t reached a slam final since 2020, but can still be dangerous on the right day. She’ll likely next face Kenin, who’s now 6-3, 4-1 ahead, but then it could be Madison Keys, the Australian Open champion, in round three. Keys plays Britain’s Katie Boulter in round two, who is still very much finding her feet on clay.
Fun fact: Azarenka’s 6-0, 6-0 walloping of Wickmayer earlier means she’s the first player to secure a double bagel win at a grand slam in three different decades this century (2000s, 2010s, 2020s).
Norrie is hot to trot 💨
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 27, 2025
The world No.81 leads Medvedev 7-5, 6-3. #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/mFQIQ0ubAQ
Another American up-and-comer, Ethan Quinn, is also on court. But the 21-year-old qualifier, who was the NCAA champion in 2023, is currently being given a lesson by the 34-year-old Grigor Dimitrov, who leads 6-2, 1-1.
Andreeva’s victory means that Alexander Zverev is up next on Suzanne Lenglen against Learner Tien, the 19-year-old American who made a name for himself at this year’s Australian Open, becoming the youngest man since Rafael Nadal in 2005 to reach the fourth round. Tien, who’s making his Roland Garros debut, won’t be as fazed for this meeting against last year’s runner-up as you might think, because he did beat Zverev in straight sets at the Mexican Open in February. Ah, the fearlessness of youth. Tien saves a break point in the opening game and leads 1-0.
Norrie wins the second set 6-3 against Medvedev
A gruelling rally at 15-all eventually goes Norrie’s way. And then Medvedev’s backhand flies long, giving Norrie two set points at 40-15. The British No 2 nets his first serve, land his second, a looping return from Medvedev … a drop shot from Norrie … and Medvedev picks him off with the pass! But Norrie wrong-foots Medvedev on the second set point, going back behind the Russian, and Norrie, having never previously taken a set off Medvedev in their four previous matches, now leads by two sets to love!
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Kenin has claimed the first set 6-3 against Gracheva. This is how the American did it:
Backhand winner to seal the first set for Kenin 🇺🇸#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/s6hrgGlTz4
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 27, 2025
De Minaur has given himself a two sets to love lead against Djere, just as Norrie attempts to do the same against Medvedev, leading 7-5, 5-2 with Medvedev serving. Medvedev holds to 30, shaking off some of his frustration with a darting backhand winner down the line. 5-3. So Norrie will now get the chance to serve this second set out.
Also through: Marketa Vondrousova, who’s ended the run of the qualifier Oksana Selekhmeteva with a 6-4, 6-4 win, but another qualifier, Nao Hibino, has reached round two after coming out on top in her all-Japanese battle with Moyuka Uchijima, 6-1, 7-5.
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“She played amazing, especially in the begining,” Andreeva says of slumping 3-0 down in the first set. “I just told myself to keep playing, fight for every point, and step by step I found my rhythm.” The Russian’s asked what time she had to get up to play at 11am. “I wasn’t happy getting up so early at 6.40am,” she says. Which I think is exactly how Medvedev feels today, though he is now on the board in the second set and has one of the breaks back, trailing 7-5, 4-2.
Andreeva advances 6-4, 6-3
Kenin, having whizzed into a 3-0 lead, is now 4-3 ahead with the break, while Andreeva has a match point against Bucsa at 6-4, 5-3, which the tremendously talented teenager takes to wrap up the match in just over one hour and 20 minutes. Last year’s semi-finalist is up and running in Paris.
Last year's semi-finalist off to a solid start 💪#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/irCu42aJAe
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 27, 2025
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Medvedev is cursing his coach between every point, but does regain enough focus to fire down an ace and a forehand winner for 40-15. But he balances that out with a double fault and a netted forehand. Deuce. Norrie is jumping up and down on the baseline ready to receive; he’d quite like a double break. And he gets it when Medvedev can only send Norrie’s attempted pass into the stands! Norrie leads 7-5, 4-0.
The self-combustible Medvedev is ranting and raving as Norrie breaks for 7-5, 2-0; Andreeva is going along nicely at 6-4, 4-2; De Minaur is 6-3, 2-2 up on Djere; and Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon champion, is a game away from round two, leading Selekhmeteva, the qualifier, 6-4, 5-2.
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Azarenka will face the winner of the Sofia Kenin v Varvara Gracheva match, which is just getting started on Philippe Chatrier. Kenin is a former French Open runner-up, having lost to Iga Swiatek in the 2020 final, so can’t entirely be ruled out of the conversation despite some wildly inconsistent results of late. Gracheva was born in Russia but has been representing France since 2023, so will have the crowd on her side, even though most of them haven’t bothered to turn up yet.
Norrie wins the first set 7-5 against Medvedev
Norrie holds for 6-5 and then gives himself a set point after an absorbing rally at 30-all ends with a winning volley for the British No 2! Medvedev’s face is glowering like the grey Parisian sky. And the Russian is even more furious when Norrie takes the set with a brilliant backhand! He walks off court to try to regain his composure. That was typical Norrie, hanging in there and relishing the hard work when 5-3 down and when Medvedev served for the set at 5-3.
Already in the locker room is Victoria Azarenka, who’s served up a Parisian bagel to poor Yanina Wickmayer, the 35-year-old Belgian, who’s playing her last Roland Garros.
The quiet and unassuming Cameron Norrie suddenly decides he quite fancies being Nick Kyrgios and goes for the underarm serve in an attempt to catch out Medvedev, who is stood well beyond the baseline, but it hits the net. The Brit still manages to hold though for 4-5 – and Medvedev does seem distracted, because it’s 0-30, 15-40 and then game Norrie! They’re back on serve at 5-5.
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Set points for Andreeva too, at 5-4, 15-40 on Bucsa’s serve. Having gone 3-0 down, Andreeva has won five of the past six games. A couple of errors from the 18-year-old and it’s deuce, but Bucsa blinks with an errant backhand and Andreeva’s rasping return secures the set 6-4.
A couple more sets on the board: the lucky loser from Kazakhstan Alexander Shevchenko leads another Serb, Dusan Lajovic, 6-2, while Moyuka Uchijima is 6-1 up in her all-Japanese affair with Nao Hibino.
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Andreeva is level in her match for the first time, at 4-4 against Bucsa, while Alex de Minaur, who is always up for the battle, even on a cold, possibly rainy day in Paris, has started strongly against Serbia’s Laslo Djere, leading 4-1.
Ach. Medvedev teaches Norrie a lesson in taking your chances as he breaks with his first break points of the match for 3-2, and backs it up for 4-2. The 2021 US Open champion has well and truly woken up now, and whacks away a huge forehand winner, but Norrie catches his breath to hold for 4-3.
Elsewhere Mirra Andreeva, the 18-year-old Russian prodigy who reached the semi-finals last year and is having an even better 2025 after winning in Indian Wells and Dubai, has recovered from 3-0 down to 3-2 against Spain’s Cristina Bucsa. And the first set of the day goes to Victoria Azarenka, who’s shut out Yanina Wickmayer in the battle of the 35-year-olds with a 6-0 rout.
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Norrie, leading 2-1 on serve, has two more break points against Medvedev on Simonne Matheiu, to add to the one he had in the second game. But these come and go too, the second when Medvedev draws Norrie in with a drop shot before pulling off the pass. After a few deuces Medvedev holds, but he’s not looking too comfortable.
Naomi Osaka has a tendency to be hard on herself and yesterday was no different after her absorbing 6-7 (1), 6-1, 6-4 defeat against the 1oth seed, Paula Badosa. The four-times grand slam champion has struggled to rediscover her best form since returning to tennis last January after the birth of her daughter, and said yesterday: “I think as time goes on, I feel like I should be doing better. But also I hate disappointing people. So, like, even with Patrick [Mouratoglou], I was thinking this just now, but he goes from working with the greatest player ever [Serena Williams] to, like, what the fuck this is. You know what I mean?”
Osaka’s never been the most comfortable on grass, but hopefully she can gather some momentum during the US hard-court swing. Women’s tennis is all the better for her being in it.
… and Medvedev suddenly springs into life with three quick points to hold. It’s 1-1.
Norrie has held to 30 in the opening game against Medvedev. This is a tough match-up for the Brit, who trails their head-to-head 4-0, including a straight-sets defeat in Rome this month. In fact Norrie has never managed to take a set off the Russian. But Medvedev notoriously hates early matches, and he seems as if he’d still rather be in bed as he slides 15-30 down on serve. Norrie thinks he’s pulled off a winner but it’s called out, but then finishes a well-constructed point with a backhand volley. Break point …
The players have weaved and wound their way to the courts, where most of the spectators look as if they’re dressed for winter. It’s cold, blustery and overcast in Paris today, so it’s not going to be easy for the players. Conditions will be heavy. And there could be some rain.
Just getting under way: Cameron Norrie v Daniil Medvedev, Alex de Minaur v Laslo Djere, Mirra Andreeva v Cristina Bucsa, Marketa Vondrousova v Oksana Selekhmeteva, Victoria Azarenka v Yanina Wickmayer, Beatriz Haddad Maia v Hailey Baptiste and A Shevchenko (not that one – instead it’s the lucky loser Alexander Shevchenko from Kazakhstan) v Dusan Lajovic. Though it has got me thinking about Diego Forlan making his pro tennis debut at the age of 45 last year …
Some more reading:
Djokovic, with a little spring in his 38-year-old step after winning the Geneva Open on Saturday, his first title since the Olympics last summer, will begin his latest bid for grand slam No 25 in the third match on Philippe Chatrier. He’s playing at Roland Garros minus Andy Murray, of course, after the pair ended their coaching relationship a couple of weeks ago, and he spoke about that yesterday in his pre-tournament press conference, including Murray’s quip about how Djokovic had won in Geneva because he now has “a proper coach”.
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Andre Agassi and Chrissie Evert are talking on TNT Sports. I could listen to them all day. Agassi is reflecting on when he decided to retire and how Novak Djokovic, whenever the moment comes, must retire on his own terms. He also talks about how strange it was for him to carry on playing when Pete Sampras retired and wonders how Djokovic now, in the absence of Federer, Nadal and Murray, feels being “the last one at the dance”. Evert, meanwhile, says “obsession” must be driving Djokovic to carry on playing because her body “couldn’t even face getting out of bed” by the time she was 31.
Today’s order of play on the main courts
Court Philippe Chatrier (12pm start/11am BST)
Varvara Gracheva (France) v 31-Sofia Kenin (US)
Olivia Gadecki (Australia) v 2-Coco Gauff (US)
Mackenzie McDonald (US) v Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
Gael Monfils (France) v Hugo Dellien (Bolivia)
Court Suzanne Lenglen (11am/10am BST)
6-Mirra Andreeva (Russia) v Cristina Bucsa (Spain)
3-Alexander Zverev (Germany) v Learner Tien (US)
Anca Todoni (Romania) v 3-Jessica Pegula (US)
Mattia Bellucci (Italy) v 5-Jack Draper (Great Britain)
Court Simonne Mathieu (11am/10am BST)
11-Daniil Medvedev (Russia) v Cameron Norrie (Great Britain)
25-Magdalena Frech (Poland) v Ons Jabeur (Tunisia)
Corentin Moutet (France) v Clement Tabur (France)
14-Karolina Muchova (Czech Republic) v Alycia Parks (US)
Preamble
Bonjour le monde! Et bienvenue au jour trois de notre couverture de Roland Garros 2025!
Despite the first round stretching over three days, there’s still plenty of names beginning their campaigns today. Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Coco Gauff? Oui. British trio Jack Draper, Cameron Norrie (v Daniil Medvedev) and Sonay Kartal? Bien sûr. Alex de Minaur, Andrey Rublev, Jessica Pegula, Mirra Andreeva, Ons Jabeur, Victoria Azarenka, Gael Monfils, Grigor Dimitrov and former runners-up Karolina Muchova and Marketa Vondrousova? C’est ça. And the much-talked about Roland Garros debutants Joao Fonseca, Jakub Mensik and Ethan Quinn? On y va!
L’action commence: 11h à Paris/10am BST.
