Key events
Tomorrow’s order of play is out. Emma Raducanu v Iga Swiatek is third on Philippe Chatrier.
After that 11-minute hold for Norrie, Medvedev puts the pressure straight back on the Brit with a hold to love in 80 seconds. And then breaks to 30 with a passing winner after a lengthy rally. Another ridiculous winner from Medvedev and it’s 3-1. This looks like the beginning of the end for Norrie.
Sad news on Court 6, where Dimitrov has been forced to retire with a leg injury when leading Quinn, the young American qualifier, 6-2, 6-3, 2-6. It’s the 34-year-old’s fourth mid-match retirement already this year, but for Quinn he now has a great chance of reaching round three on his debut, because up next is the lucky loser Alexander Shevchenko.
Meanwhile on Philippe Chatrier, Gauff takes the first set 6-2 against Gadecki in what feels like the time it took Norrie to win just that one game. The second seed was delayed at the start though when she somehow managed to forget her rackets. Maybe Kenin’s speedy victory in the match before caught her off guard.
As the clock ticks over eight minutes for the first game of the fifth set, Medvedev fires groundstroke after groundstroke at Norrie, before changing it up with a deft drop shot that has Norrie scrambling in vain on the red clay. Break point Medvedev. Norrie saves it. Another break point Medvedev, his fourth of the game, and this time Norrie gets in on the drop shot act too. Deuce No 7. And Norrie holds after an 11-minute war of attrition! I wonder how crucial that could prove to be.
Make that 6-3, 6-3 to Zverev, as the third seed finishes off an 11-shot rally on set point with a booming forehand.
As for Zverev and Gauff: Zverev, who was a set away from winning the title last year and is regaining confidence after also falling short in the Australian Open final this year, leads Tien 6-3, 5-3, while Gauff, a former finalist at Roland Garros too, has grabbed an early break against Gadecki and is 4-2 ahead in the opening set.
Medvedev wins the fourth set against Norrie 6-1
Norrie, serving to stay in the fourth set at 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 0-5, does at least stop the rot by holding from deuce. But it’s probably only delaying the inevitable. A few British fans in the crowd are using their flags as blankets given how chilly it is in Paris. Wise, given they haven’t got much reason to wave them. Medvedev gets away with a dodgy drop shot for 30-all, then brings up set point, and Norrie can’t get the serve on set point back into play. They’re going to five.
Ouch. Norrie is broken to love. And Medvedev holds again to love. That’s 13 points in a row for the Russian. This is getting away from Norrie horribly quickly. Medvedev leads 5-0 in the fourth set.
Make that 3-0 to Medvedev, with his second successive hold to love. Norrie has never beaten Medvedev, and I wonder if that’s on his mind right now. Does the Brit have the belief to pull this off? Both have been in their own slumps – Medvedev, the former US Open champion, hasn’t won a tournament in more than two years, while Norrie has dropped down the rankings from a high of world No 8 to a current position of No 81. Losing from two sets to love up here would be another big blow to the Brit’s brittle confidence.
An inauspicious start from Norrie in the fourth set, as he double faults and is soon broken. It’s Norrie 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 0-2 Medvedev.
De Minaur defeats Djere 6-3, 6-4, 7-6; Medvedev wins third set against Norrie 6-4
De Minaur, leading 6-3, 6-4, is trying to wrap up victory against Djere in a third-set tie-break. But here are two set points for Djere at 6-4 in the breaker after the Serb chases down the drop shot! And here’s a set point for Medvedev as Norrie fluffs his serving lines at 4-5 … where to look? … and Norrie’s shot whistles wide! Medvedev takes the third set 6-4 having lost the first two, just as De Minaur does what De Minaur does, battling, scrapping, and from 6-4 down he wins the breaker 8-6 and the match 6-3, 6-4, 7-6.
Baptiste stuns No 23 seed Haddad Maia 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
While Quinn is on the ropes, the US has an unexpected winner in Hailey Baptiste. The 23-year-old world No 70 has beaten Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia, a semi-finalist here two years ago, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. So a surprise victory for the Americans after Taylor Fritz’s and Emma Navarro’s shock losses yesterday.
The lucky loser Alexander Shevchenko has won, 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 against Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic, and he’ll face most likely Grigor Dimitrov, who’s nearly two sets to the good against Quinn, leading 6-2, 5-2.
Look here, Medvedev has two break points at 3-2 in the third set. The umpire is out of his chair after the second – the French Open is now the only slam that doesn’t use electronic line calling – and confirms Norrie’s shot did land on the line, so it’s deuce. From there Norrie holds for 7-5, 6-3, 3-3. The umpire is again called to court to check a call at the beginning of the next game – he’s getting as much of a workout as Medvedev, who’s pulled all over the place as Norrie grabs two break points of his own – but Medvedev holds firm and it’s 4-4.
Kenin, the 2020 runner-up, is taking the applause of the smattering of spectators on Philippe Chatrier, as she wraps up a convincing 6-3, 6-1 victory over Gracheva. Next up there is Coco Gauff v Australia’s Olivia Gadecki.
A brief pause in Medvedev’s chattering and chuntering as he takes a medical timeout to get his finger bandaged up. It’s 2-2 in the third set, which the Russian must win to avoid a sixth first-round exit at Roland Garros.
Could Azarenka be a contender here? The 35-year-old is now down at No 75 in the world, and hasn’t reached a slam final since 2020, but can still be dangerous on the right day. She’ll likely next face Kenin, who’s now 6-3, 4-1 ahead, but then it could be Madison Keys, the Australian Open champion, in round three. Keys plays Britain’s Katie Boulter in round two, who is still very much finding her feet on clay.
Fun fact: Azarenka’s 6-0, 6-0 walloping of Wickmayer earlier means she’s the first player to secure a double bagel win at a grand slam in three different decades this century (2000s, 2010s, 2020s).
Another American up-and-comer, Ethan Quinn, is also on court. But the 21-year-old qualifier, who was the NCAA champion in 2023, is currently being given a lesson by the 34-year-old Grigor Dimitrov, who leads 6-2, 1-1.
Andreeva’s victory means that Alexander Zverev is up next on Suzanne Lenglen against Learner Tien, the 19-year-old American who made a name for himself at this year’s Australian Open, becoming the youngest man since Rafael Nadal in 2005 to reach the fourth round. Tien, who’s making his Roland Garros debut, won’t be as fazed for this meeting against last year’s runner-up as you might think, because he did beat Zverev in straight sets at the Mexican Open in February. Ah, the fearlessness of youth. Tien saves a break point in the opening game and leads 1-0.
Norrie wins the second set 6-3 against Medvedev
A gruelling rally at 15-all eventually goes Norrie’s way. And then Medvedev’s backhand flies long, giving Norrie two set points at 40-15. The British No 2 nets his first serve, land his second, a looping return from Medvedev … a drop shot from Norrie … and Medvedev picks him off with the pass! But Norrie wrong-foots Medvedev on the second set point, going back behind the Russian, and Norrie, having never previously taken a set off Medvedev in their four previous matches, now leads by two sets to love!
Kenin has claimed the first set 6-3 against Gracheva. This is how the American did it:
De Minaur has given himself a two sets to love lead against Djere, just as Norrie attempts to do the same against Medvedev, leading 7-5, 5-2 with Medvedev serving. Medvedev holds to 30, shaking off some of his frustration with a darting backhand winner down the line. 5-3. So Norrie will now get the chance to serve this second set out.
Also through: Marketa Vondrousova, who’s ended the run of the qualifier Oksana Selekhmeteva with a 6-4, 6-4 win, but another qualifier, Nao Hibino, has reached round two after coming out on top in her all-Japanese battle with Moyuka Uchijima, 6-1, 7-5.
“She played amazing, especially in the begining,” Andreeva says of slumping 3-0 down in the first set. “I just told myself to keep playing, fight for every point, and step by step I found my rhythm.” The Russian’s asked what time she had to get up to play at 11am. “I wasn’t happy getting up so early at 6.40am,” she says. Which I think is exactly how Medvedev feels today, though he is now on the board in the second set and has one of the breaks back, trailing 7-5, 4-2.
Andreeva advances 6-4, 6-3
Kenin, having whizzed into a 3-0 lead, is now 4-3 ahead with the break, while Andreeva has a match point against Bucsa at 6-4, 5-3, which the tremendously talented teenager takes to wrap up the match in just over one hour and 20 minutes. Last year’s semi-finalist is up and running in Paris.
Medvedev is cursing his coach between every point, but does regain enough focus to fire down an ace and a forehand winner for 40-15. But he balances that out with a double fault and a netted forehand. Deuce. Norrie is jumping up and down on the baseline ready to receive; he’d quite like a double break. And he gets it when Medvedev can only send Norrie’s attempted pass into the stands! Norrie leads 7-5, 4-0.
The self-combustible Medvedev is ranting and raving as Norrie breaks for 7-5, 2-0; Andreeva is going along nicely at 6-4, 4-2; De Minaur is 6-3, 2-2 up on Djere; and Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon champion, is a game away from round two, leading Selekhmeteva, the qualifier, 6-4, 5-2.
Azarenka will face the winner of the Sofia Kenin v Varvara Gracheva match, which is just getting started on Philippe Chatrier. Kenin is a former French Open runner-up, having lost to Iga Swiatek in the 2020 final, so can’t entirely be ruled out of the conversation despite some wildly inconsistent results of late. Gracheva was born in Russia but has been representing France since 2023, so will have the crowd on her side, even though most of them haven’t bothered to turn up yet.
Norrie wins the first set 7-5 against Medvedev
Norrie holds for 6-5 and then gives himself a set point after an absorbing rally at 30-all ends with a winning volley for the British No 2! Medvedev’s face is glowering like the grey Parisian sky. And the Russian is even more furious when Norrie takes the set with a brilliant backhand! He walks off court to try to regain his composure. That was typical Norrie, hanging in there and relishing the hard work when 5-3 down and when Medvedev served for the set at 5-3.
Already in the locker room is Victoria Azarenka, who’s served up a Parisian bagel to poor Yanina Wickmayer, the 35-year-old Belgian, who’s playing her last Roland Garros.
The quiet and unassuming Cameron Norrie suddenly decides he quite fancies being Nick Kyrgios and goes for the underarm serve in an attempt to catch out Medvedev, who is stood well beyond the baseline, but it hits the net. The Brit still manages to hold though for 4-5 – and Medvedev does seem distracted, because it’s 0-30, 15-40 and then game Norrie! They’re back on serve at 5-5.
Set points for Andreeva too, at 5-4, 15-40 on Bucsa’s serve. Having gone 3-0 down, Andreeva has won five of the past six games. A couple of errors from the 18-year-old and it’s deuce, but Bucsa blinks with an errant backhand and Andreeva’s rasping return secures the set 6-4.
A couple more sets on the board: the lucky loser from Kazakhstan Alexander Shevchenko leads another Serb, Dusan Lajovic, 6-2, while Moyuka Uchijima is 6-1 up in her all-Japanese affair with Nao Hibino.
Andreeva is level in her match for the first time, at 4-4 against Bucsa, while Alex de Minaur, who is always up for the battle, even on a cold, possibly rainy day in Paris, has started strongly against Serbia’s Laslo Djere, leading 4-1.
Ach. Medvedev teaches Norrie a lesson in taking your chances as he breaks with his first break points of the match for 3-2, and backs it up for 4-2. The 2021 US Open champion has well and truly woken up now, and whacks away a huge forehand winner, but Norrie catches his breath to hold for 4-3.
Elsewhere Mirra Andreeva, the 18-year-old Russian prodigy who reached the semi-finals last year and is having an even better 2025 after winning in Indian Wells and Dubai, has recovered from 3-0 down to 3-2 against Spain’s Cristina Bucsa. And the first set of the day goes to Victoria Azarenka, who’s shut out Yanina Wickmayer in the battle of the 35-year-olds with a 6-0 rout.
Norrie, leading 2-1 on serve, has two more break points against Medvedev on Simonne Matheiu, to add to the one he had in the second game. But these come and go too, the second when Medvedev draws Norrie in with a drop shot before pulling off the pass. After a few deuces Medvedev holds, but he’s not looking too comfortable.
Naomi Osaka has a tendency to be hard on herself and yesterday was no different after her absorbing 6-7 (1), 6-1, 6-4 defeat against the 1oth seed, Paula Badosa. The four-times grand slam champion has struggled to rediscover her best form since returning to tennis last January after the birth of her daughter, and said yesterday: “I think as time goes on, I feel like I should be doing better. But also I hate disappointing people. So, like, even with Patrick [Mouratoglou], I was thinking this just now, but he goes from working with the greatest player ever [Serena Williams] to, like, what the fuck this is. You know what I mean?”
Osaka’s never been the most comfortable on grass, but hopefully she can gather some momentum during the US hard-court swing. Women’s tennis is all the better for her being in it.
… and Medvedev suddenly springs into life with three quick points to hold. It’s 1-1.
Norrie has held to 30 in the opening game against Medvedev. This is a tough match-up for the Brit, who trails their head-to-head 4-0, including a straight-sets defeat in Rome this month. In fact Norrie has never managed to take a set off the Russian. But Medvedev notoriously hates early matches, and he seems as if he’d still rather be in bed as he slides 15-30 down on serve. Norrie thinks he’s pulled off a winner but it’s called out, but then finishes a well-constructed point with a backhand volley. Break point …
The players have weaved and wound their way to the courts, where most of the spectators look as if they’re dressed for winter. It’s cold, blustery and overcast in Paris today, so it’s not going to be easy for the players. Conditions will be heavy. And there could be some rain.
Just getting under way: Cameron Norrie v Daniil Medvedev, Alex de Minaur v Laslo Djere, Mirra Andreeva v Cristina Bucsa, Marketa Vondrousova v Oksana Selekhmeteva, Victoria Azarenka v Yanina Wickmayer, Beatriz Haddad Maia v Hailey Baptiste and A Shevchenko (not that one – instead it’s the lucky loser Alexander Shevchenko from Kazakhstan) v Dusan Lajovic. Though it has got me thinking about Diego Forlan making his pro tennis debut at the age of 45 last year …
Some more reading:
Djokovic, with a little spring in his 38-year-old step after winning the Geneva Open on Saturday, his first title since the Olympics last summer, will begin his latest bid for grand slam No 25 in the third match on Philippe Chatrier. He’s playing at Roland Garros minus Andy Murray, of course, after the pair ended their coaching relationship a couple of weeks ago, and he spoke about that yesterday in his pre-tournament press conference, including Murray’s quip about how Djokovic had won in Geneva because he now has “a proper coach”.
Andre Agassi and Chrissie Evert are talking on TNT Sports. I could listen to them all day. Agassi is reflecting on when he decided to retire and how Novak Djokovic, whenever the moment comes, must retire on his own terms. He also talks about how strange it was for him to carry on playing when Pete Sampras retired and wonders how Djokovic now, in the absence of Federer, Nadal and Murray, feels being “the last one at the dance”. Evert, meanwhile, says “obsession” must be driving Djokovic to carry on playing because her body “couldn’t even face getting out of bed” by the time she was 31.
Today’s order of play on the main courts
Court Philippe Chatrier (12pm start/11am BST)
Varvara Gracheva (France) v 31-Sofia Kenin (US)
Olivia Gadecki (Australia) v 2-Coco Gauff (US)
Mackenzie McDonald (US) v Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
Gael Monfils (France) v Hugo Dellien (Bolivia)
Court Suzanne Lenglen (11am/10am BST)
6-Mirra Andreeva (Russia) v Cristina Bucsa (Spain)
3-Alexander Zverev (Germany) v Learner Tien (US)
Anca Todoni (Romania) v 3-Jessica Pegula (US)
Mattia Bellucci (Italy) v 5-Jack Draper (Great Britain)
Court Simonne Mathieu (11am/10am BST)
11-Daniil Medvedev (Russia) v Cameron Norrie (Great Britain)
25-Magdalena Frech (Poland) v Ons Jabeur (Tunisia)
Corentin Moutet (France) v Clement Tabur (France)
14-Karolina Muchova (Czech Republic) v Alycia Parks (US)
Preamble
Bonjour le monde! Et bienvenue au jour trois de notre couverture de Roland Garros 2025!
Despite the first round stretching over three days, there’s still plenty of names beginning their campaigns today. Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Coco Gauff? Oui. British trio Jack Draper, Cameron Norrie (v Daniil Medvedev) and Sonay Kartal? Bien sûr. Alex de Minaur, Andrey Rublev, Jessica Pegula, Mirra Andreeva, Ons Jabeur, Victoria Azarenka, Gael Monfils, Grigor Dimitrov and former runners-up Karolina Muchova and Marketa Vondrousova? C’est ça. And the much-talked about Roland Garros debutants Joao Fonseca, Jakub Mensik and Ethan Quinn? On y va!
L’action commence: 11h à Paris/10am BST.
