The first week of the 2026 French Open delivered everything tennis fans could ask for: shocking upsets, breakout performances, controversial moments, and a draw that looks dramatically different from when the 2026 French Open Week 1 first began.
Here are 10 things that stood out during a memorable 2026 French Open Week 1.
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1. The Heat Was the Story of Week 1
Before the upsets, before the breakthrough performances, and before the controversy, there was the heat.
Players battled soaring temperatures throughout the opening week, turning every match into a physical and mental test. Recovery became almost as important as tactics, and endurance often mattered as much as talent.
Everyone had to deal with it, but there is no question that the extreme conditions shaped the first week of this tournament.
2. Three of the Top Four Women’s Seeds Were Gone Before the Second Week
Nobody expected the women’s draw to look like this after seven days.
No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina was upset in the second round. No. 4 seed and defending champion Coco Gauff was eliminated in the third round. No. 3 seed and four-time Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek fell in the fourth round.
Three of the top four seeds were gone before the quarterfinals.
The result is a women’s tournament that will crown a first-time French Open champion and one that looks nothing like it did when play began.
3. Joao Fonseca Survived Everything
The Brazilian teenager didn’t just beat Novak Djokovic.
He had to survive to get there.
Joao Fonseca rallied from two sets down to defeat fellow Next Gen standout Dino Prizmic in the third round, then came back from two sets down again to defeat Djokovic in one of the most memorable matches of the tournament.
Two comeback victories from two sets down in the same Grand Slam are remarkable. Doing it against one of the sport’s brightest young prospects and one of its all-time greats is even more impressive.
By the end of the first week, Fonseca had become one of the biggest stories in Paris.
4. The Men’s Draw Was Blown Wide Open
The women’s draw wasn’t the only one hit by upsets.
Top seed Jannik Sinner is gone. Novak Djokovic is gone. Casper Ruud is gone. Ben Shelton is gone. Daniil Medvedev is gone.
Some of the biggest names in men’s tennis did not survive the first week, creating opportunities for players like Joao Fonseca, Rafael Jodar, Jakub Mensik, and Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
By the end of Week 1, the men’s draw looked nothing like it did when the tournament started.
5. Rafael Jodar Announced Himself
Every Grand Slam seems to produce a surprise name.
This year, that player might be Rafael Jodar.
The Spanish teenager has put together the best run of his young career and now finds himself in the quarterfinals of a major.
6. Five Players Aged 20 or Younger Made Noise in Paris
Joao Fonseca.
Rafael Jodar.
Jakub Mensik.
Learner Tien.
Martin Landaluce.
Three reached the quarterfinals. Two more reached the Round of 32.
For a sport always searching for its next generation of stars, the future looked pretty good during the first week in Paris.
7. Marta Kostyuk Blew Open the Women’s Draw
Marta Kostyuk’s victory over Iga Swiatek was one of the biggest results of the tournament.
Swiatek entered Paris as one of the favorites, and her departure immediately changed the championship picture.
8. Anastasia Potapova Ended Coco Gauff’s Title Defense
Defending champions rarely leave Grand Slams in the third round.
Anastasia Potapova made sure Gauff did.
Her comeback victory over the defending champion remains one of the defining upsets of the first week.
9. Juan Manuel Cerundolo Became One of the Stories of the Tournament
Few players have raised their profile more over the last week.
The Argentine stunned top seed Jannik Sinner and followed it with more impressive performances to reach the second week.
Every Grand Slam needs an unexpected story, and Cerundolo has been one of the best.
9. Roland Garros Needs Hawk-Eye. Period.
The controversial call against Casper Ruud changed the second set and shifted the momentum of the match.
Whether Ruud ultimately wins is beside the point.
This is 2026. Every other Grand Slam has embraced electronic line calling. Roland Garros hasn’t.
Tennis deserves better than having to stop a match so everyone can stare at a dirt mark and hope the umpire gets it right.
The trophies have not been handed out yet, but the first week of the 2026 French Open has already given tennis fans plenty to talk about.
2026 French Open Intelligence Hub
Draw breakdowns, betting guides, ATP and WTA entry lists, rankings, futures analysis, and live tournament coverage from Roland Garros.
Men’s Draw Women’s Draw Betting Guide
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.
