On the second day of the French Open, fans gradually shifted their focus back to tennis after the emotional farewell of Rafael Nadal. While several top players cruised to easy victories in both the men’s and women’s singles on Monday, a few big names made surprise early exits.
In the men’s draw, second seed Carlos Alcaraz of Spain defeated Italy’s Giulio Zeppieri in straight sets (6–3, 6–4, 6–2). Despite the comfortable win, Alcaraz showed some inconsistency in his service game, recording four double faults and struggling with his first serve.
On the women’s side, defending champion Iga Świątek of Poland started her campaign strongly, beating Slovakia’s Rebecca Šramková 6–3, 6–3. Although she’s seeded fifth this year due to a dip in form over the past year, Świątek looked sharp in her opening match.
However, the tournament also saw several major upsets in the first round. In the women’s draw, Japan’s Naomi Osaka was knocked out by 10th seed Paula Badosa in a tight three-set battle (6–7, 6–1, 6–4). In the men’s bracket, British player Jacob Fearnley stunned veteran Stan Wawrinka with a straight-sets victory (7–6, 6–3, 6–2).
Fourth seed Taylor Fritz also bowed out early, losing in four sets to Germany’s Daniel Altmaier.
Other players advancing to the second round include Casper Ruud, Holger Rune, Sebastian Korda, Alexei Popyrin, Ben Shelton, and Nuno Borges. In the women’s draw, Emma Raducanu, Elena Rybakina, Danielle Collins, and Ajla Tomljanovic all secured wins.
Despite the ongoing action, the atmosphere at Roland Garros remains deeply emotional following Nadal’s farewell. A plaque featuring the imprint of his foot has been installed on Court Philippe-Chatrier in his honor. Nadal himself admitted he was overwhelmed by the gesture, saying he couldn’t hold back his emotions upon learning it would be a permanent tribute. Novak Djokovic remarked, “With Rafa’s farewell, it feels like half of my career has ended.”
After a remarkable 20-year journey at the French Open, Nadal’s departure continues to cast a sentimental shadow over this year’s tournament.
