Rafael Jodar is continuing his breakthrough season, advancing to the next round of the French Open after a merciless straight-sets victory over Aleksandar Kovacevic. The 19-year-old Spaniard, seeded 27th at Roland Garros, needed just over two hours to dispatch the American 6-1, 6-0, 6-4, breaking serve six times across the three sets and never allowing Kovacevic to build any momentum.
Jodar’s meteoric rise from obscurity
Jodar’s presence in the draw as a seed is the latest milestone in a rapid ascent that has astonished the tennis world. This time last year he was ranked around 700th in the world and playing college tennis in the United States. A stunning run at the Madrid Open this spring catapulted him up the rankings, earning him a seeding in his first Roland Garros appearance. According to tournament historians, Jodar is only the tenth player in the Open Era to compete in his second Grand Slam as a seeded entrant. His potential path through the draw could see him face higher-ranked opponents such as Alex de Minaur, Casper Ruud and even Novak Djokovic in the later rounds.
Other men’s singles
Matteo Berrettini secured a gruelling victory over Márton Fucsovics, winning 7-6 (2), 5-7, 1-6, 2-6 after three hours and nine minutes on court. The Italian dropped the opening set in a tie-break before seizing control midway through the second and never looking back. Eighth seed Alex de Minaur ended the run of British qualifier Toby Samuel, winning 6-4, 6-4, 6-2. Samuel, making his Grand Slam debut and facing the first top-100 player of his career, briefly threatened when he broke De Minaur’s serve to lead 2-0 in the second set, but the Australian rattled off five consecutive games to seal the match. Samuel, who grew up in Dorset and trains at the University of Bath, had the biggest ranking rise of any male player last year, leaping from 1,867 in the world to 266. He arrived in Paris at a career-high of 159, making him the British No. 8.
Spain’s Pablo Carreño Busta caused an early upset by defeating 12th seed Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 7-6 (3), 6-3, while Alex Michelsen beat Alexander Shevchenko 6-2, 6-4, 6-2. Frances Tiafoe took the first set 6-3 against fellow American Elliot Spizzirri. The 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka opened his 21st and likely final French Open by losing the opening set 6-3 to Dutch qualifier Jesper de Jong, who replaced the injured Arthur Fils. Wawrinka, now 41, is due to retire at the end of the season and has been honoured throughout the year on his farewell tour.
Women’s singles
Four-time champion Iga Swiatek began her quest for a fifth Roland Garros title with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 win over Australian wildcard Emerson Jones. The world No. 3, who needed a trainer to re-tape a finger after the first set due to an apparent blister, said: “I’m just really happy to play on this court; the first matches are for getting used to conditions, I’m happy the way I played today, tactically. Nothing comes easy. I feel with more titles it feels harder because everyone expects you to play perfectly, so you have to stay grounded and not take anything for granted.” Jones, ranked 136th, was playing her first professional clay-court match at any level. Swiatek will next face Czech teenager Sara Bejlek, who upset former US Open champion Sloane Stephens.
Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen suffered a shock first-round exit, losing 6-4, 6-0 to Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska. Zheng, who won gold on these courts at the Paris 2024 Games and reached the quarter-finals last year, has struggled with a chronic right elbow injury that required surgery last summer. She took a medical timeout for a foot problem midway through the second set before recording her first opening-round defeat at Roland Garros. Chwalinska, ranked 114th, came through three rounds of qualifying and dished out two bagels along the way. She will face either Tatjana Maria or 23rd seed Elise Mertens in the second round.
Second seed and reigning Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina took the first set 6-2 against Slovenia’s Veronika Erjavec. Austria’s Julia Grabher progressed to the second round with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Rebecca Sramkova. Elise Mertens won the first set 7-5 against Tatjana Maria. Jasmine Paolini, the 2024 finalist, defeated Dayana Yastremska 7-5, 6-3, while Daria Kasatkina beat Zeynep Sönmez 6-4, 6-4. Sweden’s Jil Teichmann knocked out 20th seed Liudmila Samsonova 6-4, 6-4, and Switzerland’s Susan Bandecchi defeated 31st seed Cristina Bucsa 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.
French players in focus
The highest-seeded Frenchman, Arthur Rinderknech, safely advanced to the second round with a 7-6 (5), 6-2, 6-3 win over Austrian qualifier Jurij Rodionov, his best result in six appearances at Roland Garros. Luca van Assche, ranked 63rd in the world, was leading Lithuania’s Vilius Gaubas 2-1 in sets. Gaubas replaced Patrick Kypson, who withdrew with abdominal pains. Terence Atmane, ranked 52nd, was locked in a tight first-set battle with Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis on court six.
Two all-French affairs are scheduled later on Court Philippe-Chatrier: Ugo Humbert takes on Adrian Mannarino, followed by Gael Monfils starting his final French Open against Hugo Gaston. Monfils, who reached the semi-finals in 2008 and is ranked 221st, received a wild card for his last appearance before retirement. On the women’s side, wildcard Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah, the Madagascar-born player ranked 153rd, will face sixth seed Amanda Anisimova on Suzanne-Lenglen.
The tournament is being played in sweltering conditions, with temperatures reaching 33°C in Paris and similar heat forecast until the weekend. Several high-profile players withdrew before the tournament, including Carlos Alcaraz, Jack Draper, Lorenzo Musetti, Holger Rune, Arthur Fils, Sebastian Korda and Arthur Cazaux. The French Open is also marking the 70th anniversary of Althea Gibson’s 1956 victory, when she became the first woman of colour to win a Grand Slam singles title, and total prize money has been increased to $72.1 million.
