🎾 Tennis Weekly

On May 24, the opening day of the 2026 French Open, the most explosive moment came in the match between Taylor Fritz (USA, No. 7 seed, world No. 7) and Nishesh Basavareddy (USA, world No. 148). The little-known youngster sent Fritz packing 7-6(5), 7-6(5), 4-6, 1-6, 6-1, delivering the first major shock of this year's Roland Garros.

Few had taken notice of Basavareddy's name before the match: this was his first career win over a top-10 player and his first time on such a stage at a Grand Slam. The first two sets both went to tiebreaks, with the scales tilting toward Fritz throughout, but Basavareddy showed remarkable composure, closing out the fifth set with a 6:1 sweep. Afterwards he said he had never imagined beating a seed at Roland Garros, dropping to his knees in celebration as the crowd roared its approval.

For Fritz, it is a bitter pill to swallow — his form has been shaky this season, and he had hoped a strong run in Paris would prove he belongs in the Grand Slam title conversation. A first-round exit instead leaves his ranking under sudden pressure.

On May 24, Novak Djokovic (world No. 4, the No. 4 seed here) took to the court in the night session and ground out a 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 win over French wild card Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard to advance past the first round.

Djokovic was error-prone early, surrendering the opening set, but he regrouped quickly, showing the calm and resilience that define him in big moments. At 35, with 24 Grand Slam titles already to his name, this Roland Garros is a prime opportunity in his pursuit of No. 25 — particularly with Carlos Alcaraz, Lorenzo Musetti, Jack Draper and others all absent, leaving the draw wide open.

Afterwards, Djokovic said the first-set lapse did not concern him: "I know my level on clay is still there — I just needed more time to find my rhythm today." Roland Garros has long been one of his most beloved majors, where he has lifted the trophy three times (2016, 2021, 2023). Fans and media alike are fixed on the legendary veteran: can title No. 25 finally arrive this year?

Fresh off the Rome Masters, Jannik Sinner arrived in Paris riding a 34-match winning streak, entering the 2026 French Open as the No. 1 seed. With Alcaraz sidelined by a wrist injury, Sinner has, on paper, virtually no peer in the field.

This season Sinner has swept 5 Masters 1000 titles (Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid, Rome), and in Rome he completed just the second "Career Golden Masters" in history. Now only a Roland Garros crown stands between him and total dominance on clay.

The draw places Djokovic in the opposite half, while Zverev sits in Sinner's half. The consensus is that as long as Sinner plays his normal game, the men's title in Paris is his to lose — only a matter of time. He is scheduled to open on Day 2 (May 25), when fans around the world will watch the 24-year-old Italian officially launch his bid for a first Roland Garros title.