The opening day of the French Open (May 24) delivered everything we love about clay-court tennis – five-set marathons, massive upsets, and a night spectacle on Court Philippe-Chatrier that tested the nerves of the defending champion’s fans.
While Novak Djokovic managed to escape a tricky situation, it was a shockingly difficult day for the American contingent, highlighted by early and unexpected exits.
Djokovic “Ignites the Engines” After a Dropped Set
The night session under the lights in Paris brought a true spectacle. The towering local prospect, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, entered the match without fear, carried by the fanatic support of the French crowd. Perricard managed to stun Novak Djokovic and snatch the first set 7-5.
However, the Serbian ace showed for the umpteenth time in his career why he is a mental giant. Djokovic stabilized his game, turned the tide, and after a tightly contested second set (7-5), completely broke the young Frenchman’s resistance in the next two (6-1, 6-4) for a final 3-1 victory in sets.
The Shock of the Day: Taylor Fritz Packs His Bags!
The biggest surprise of the opening day was delivered by young American Nishesh Basavareddy, who eliminated his much more experienced compatriot and heavy favorite, Taylor Fritz. In a match packed with tie-breaks, Basavareddy triumphed 3-1 (7-6, 7-6, 6-7, 6-1), capitalizing on Fritz’s physical drop in the fourth set.
A similar fate befell the American giant Reilly Opelka, who was knocked out by Italy’s F. Cina after an unbelievable five-set thriller (3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 6-4). Furthermore, American M. Zheng fell in straight sets to Croatian rising star Dino Prizmic.
Zverev Cruises and Other Notable Matches
Among the other tournament favorites, Alexander Zverev advanced without much trouble, smoothly defeating local player B. Bonzi in straight sets (3-0).
Elsewhere, Tomas Martin Etcheverry suffered an unexpected straight-sets defeat to Nuno Borges, while Alejandro Davidovich Fokina survived a grueling five-set clay-court marathon against Damir Dzumhur (3-2).
All Completed Results (ATP Singles – May 24)
Here is the overview of all completed men’s singles matches on the first day of competition:
- J. Duckworth – G. Diallo 6-3, 4-1 (Ret.)
- M. Kecmanovic – F. Marozsan 3-0 (7-6, 6-0, 6-4)
- P. Llamas Ruiz – T. A. Tirante 1-3
- A. Davidovich Fokina – D. Dzumhur 3-2 (6-7, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3)
- K. Khachanov – A. Gea 3-0 (6-3, 7-6, 6-0)
- K. Jacquet – M. Trungelliti 0-3 (4-6, 2-6, 2-6)
- T. Machac – Z. Bergs 3-0 (6-4, 6-4, 6-3)
- B. Bonzi – A. Zverev 0-3 (3-6, 4-6, 2-6)
- T. Droguet – J. Mensik 0-3 (3-6, 2-6, 4-6)
- F. Cina – R. Opelka 3-2 (3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 6-4)
- T. M. Etcheverry – N. Borges 0-3 (3-6, 4-6, 2-6)
- M. Zheng – D. Prizmic 0-3 (1-6, 1-6, 3-6)
- J. Fonseca – L. Pavlovic 3-0 (7-6, 6-4, 6-2)
- T. Fritz – N. Basavareddy 1-3 (6-7, 6-7, 7-6, 1-6)
- Q. Halys – M. Bellucci 3-0 (6-3, 7-6, 6-3)
- A. Blockx – C. Wong 3-0 (6-3, 6-4, 6-2)
- H. Medjedovic – Y. Hanfmann 3-1 (6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4)
- H. Dellien – V. Royer 0-3 (4-6, 2-6, 2-6)
- G. Mpetshi Perricard – N. Djokovic 1-3 (7-5, 5-7, 1-6, 4-6)
Get ready for more tennis battles as the first round continues tomorrow! Follow all the latest analysis and results on our Roland Garros 2026 Ultimate Guide
