Four-time champion Iga Swiatek opened her 2026 French Open campaign with a dominant 2026 French Open Day 2 win on Monday, while the men’s draw delivered several upsets, a dramatic escape from a severely cramping Casper Ruud, and a heartbreaking late-night collapse from French favorite Gael Monfils.
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Swiatek, Shelton Roll in Openers
Swiatek wasted little time in her opening-round match, defeating Emerson Jones 6-1, 6-2 on Court Philippe-Chatrier as she began her chase for another title in Paris. Elena Rybakina, Amanda Anisimova, and Jasmine Paolini also advanced comfortably on the women’s side.
The biggest women’s upset came when Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska stunned Zheng Qinwen 6-4, 6-0 in one of the most surprising scorelines of the tournament so far.
Camila Osorio also knocked out No. 14 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, while Jil Teichmann eliminated No. 20 seed Liudmila Samsonova in straight sets.
On the men’s side, Ben Shelton, Alex de Minaur, Andrey Rublev, and Frances Tiafoe all advanced to the second round.
Ruud nearly became the latest seeded casualty after blowing a two-set lead against Roman Safiullin. The two-time French Open finalist lost the fourth set 6-0 before recovering to win the fifth and survive a grueling five-set battle in the Paris heat.
Former finalist Stan Wawrinka officially played the final French Open match of his career, falling to Jesper de Jong in four sets. The 2015 champion received a standing ovation from the crowd after the match.
Monfils Bageled in 5th
The night session produced one of the wildest matches of the tournament so far. Monfils rallied from two sets down against fellow Frenchman Hugo Gaston to force a deciding fifth set, sending the Paris crowd into a frenzy. But after all the momentum shifted his way, Monfils completely ran out of energy and lost the final set 6-0. Gaston escaped with a 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-0 victory.
Monday also featured a breakout performance from 19-year-old Spaniard Rafael Jodar, who crushed Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-1, 6-0, 6-4 in his Roland Garros debut.
French Open Day 3 Schedule: Sinner, Sabalenka, Gauff, Osaka Headline Final Day of First Round
The first round concludes Tuesday at the 2026 French Open, and the schedule is packed with top stars, dangerous matchups, and several players already facing pressure before the tournament fully settles in.
Sinner Headlines Night Session
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner takes center stage in the night session on Court Philippe-Chatrier against French wildcard Clement Tabur.
Sinner enters the tournament as the massive favorite after Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the event earlier this week, dramatically shifting the outright title picture in Paris.
Big Men’s Matches to Watch
- Daniil Medvedev vs. Adam Walton
- Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Alexandre Muller
- Alexander Bublik vs. Jan-Lennard Struff
- Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. Daniel Altmaier
- Denis Shapovalov vs. Jaime Faria
- Learner Tien opens against Cristian Garin
- Cameron Norrie faces Adolfo Daniel Vallejo
- Daniil Medvedev begins another attempt to improve his inconsistent French Open record.
One of the most interesting early matches features Tallon Griekspoor against Matteo Arnaldi, which could easily turn into a long five-set battle.
Sabalenka and Gauff Lead Women’s Draw
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka opens against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro on Chatrier, while Coco Gauff faces fellow American Taylor Townsend later in the day.
Other major women’s matches include:
- Naomi Osaka vs. Laura Siegemund
- Iva Jovic vs Alexandra Eala
- Jessica Pegula vs. Kimberly Birrell
- Madison Keys vs. Hanne Vandewinkel
- Emma Navarro vs. Janice Tjen
- Maria Sakkari vs. Linda Noskova in one of the toughest women’s first-round matchups
- Victoria Mboko continues her breakout season against Nikola Bartunkova
Tuesday’s slate closes out what has already been a chaotic opening round filled with seeded upsets, marathon matches, and several breakout performances from younger players.
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Phil Naessens is a tennis betting analyst and former tennis coach with decades of experience in player development and match analysis. He is the founder of Crush Rush News and host of the Crush & Rush Tennis Podcast, focusing on price-first betting strategy, market efficiency, and transparency in sports wagering.
