The opening day of main draw action at the 2025 French Open delivered a mix of dominant wins, shocking upsets and highly anticipated upcoming matches on Tuesday, as top seeds navigated soaring Paris temperatures and tricky first-round hurdles to kick off their fortnight at Roland Garros.
Women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka got her tournament campaign off to a flying start, wrapping up a straight-sets 6-4, 6-2 victory over Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, the world No. 50, in just 75 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier. The Belarusian 28-year-old, a four-time Grand Slam singles champion, only faced one minor scare when she failed to close out the match on her own serve, but responded immediately with a break in the next game to seal her spot in the second round.
The result marked a strong bounce-back for Sabalenka, who suffered a surprise early exit at the Italian Open earlier this month. Speaking after her win, the top seed acknowledged that first-round matches at major tournaments always carry extra pressure. “I’m super happy to be through. I feel like it was a tricky first-round opponent,” she said. “I’d say that for me the first rounds are always not easy. And then, as I get further in the tournament, as I get more comfortable, my level becomes better.”
Sabalenka will next face the winner of the opening-round match between French wildcard Elsa Jacquemot and Czech qualifier Linda Fruhvirtova in the round of 64. She also noted that the unseasonably hot conditions at this year’s tournament actually worked in her favor, a stark contrast to the cold, wet weather she faced in Rome and during her first week of practice in Paris. “I’d say that it was a bit warm,” she joked. “Especially compared to the first days when I first got here, it was like 14C, freezing. Now it’s boiling hot and balls are flying, everything is much faster. But physically I feel strong, so I feel like it can benefit me.”
As Sabalenka wraps up her opening match, all attention turned to the evening’s night session, where men’s world number one Jannik Sinner was set to make his 2025 French Open debut. The Italian 24-year-old is one win away from completing a career Grand Slam, with the Paris title the only major still missing from his trophy cabinet. With double defending champion Carlos Alcaraz sidelined through injury and Sinner bringing a 29-match winning streak into the tournament, he enters as the overwhelming favorite to lift the trophy. Still, six matches stand between him and the men’s final on June 8, and he will open against French wildcard Clement Tabur, who is expected to receive a rapturous welcome from the home crowd on Chatrier. Tuesday’s match marks almost exactly one year since Sinner’s heartbreaking five-set loss to Alcaraz in the 2024 final, where he held three championship points before being overturned.
Before Sinner takes the court, women’s defending champion Coco Gauff will face off against compatriot Taylor Townsend in the preceding match on Chatrier.
The opening day also brought a major upset when Russia’s sixth seed Daniil Medvedev suffered a five-set first-round exit at the hands of Australian wildcard Adam Walton. The result extends Medvedev’s poor run of form at Roland Garros: it is now the seventh time he has been knocked out in the opening round in 10 tournament appearances. Despite the disappointing loss, the former world number one insisted he remains committed to competing in Paris. “I know that I am in good shape and I can play well in Roland Garros. I can,” Medvedev said. “It’s just tougher for me, and first rounds are usually tougher for me, but I will always come here.”
Elsewhere in the draw, 18-year-old American rising star Iva Jovic continued to turn heads with a dominant 6-4, 6-2 win over Philippines’ Alexandra Eala, booking a second-round clash with compatriot Emma Navarro, the former world No. 8 who eased past Indonesia’s Janice Tjen in straight sets. 2021 French Open runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas also advanced after his opponent Alexandre Muller was forced to retire through injury early in the match. The Greek 27-year-old, who has plummeted to No. 79 in the ATP rankings after a poor run of results, could reach the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time in seven appearances when he faces Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi next. The day ended with a fairy-tale win for home crowd favorite Moise Kouame: the 17-year-old French wildcard notched his first ever Grand Slam match win with an impressive 7-6(4), 6-2, 6-1 victory over 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic of Croatia.