A postcard from Paris II
Heat, upsets, and a Roland Garros tournament that's harder than ever to predict.
In her second dispatch from Paris, Australian Tennis Magazine managing editor Vivienne Christie recaps what’s been an extraordinary edition of Roland Garros so far…
Two-and-a-half rounds in at Roland Garros and one topic is dominating.
And it’s not the champagne, the fashion – although more of that later – or even the famous clay courts.
It’s the soleil brutal that’s sent temperatures soaring in early summer in Paris.
MORE: A postcard from Paris I
As Perrier flows in the rare heat wave, taps and waters fountains have become a prized location. Court staff are not only watering the clay between sets, but sometimes the fans too.
Players are inevitably impacted. Casper Ruud complained he was “walking like a zombie” as he scraped through a four-hour first-round battle with Roman Safiullin. Jakub Mensik was crippled by cramp after a similar marathon against Mariano Navone.
“The conditions are brutal. We can see what’s going on,” noted Australia’s Daria Kasatkina. “Some guys are just falling on the court. They cannot stand up after that.”
And a seismic upset unfolded as the mercury crept above 30 degrees for a sixth consecutive day on Thursday. World No.1 Jannik Sinner, who was riding a 30-match winning streak after titles in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome, fell in five sets to world No.56 Juan Manuel Cerundolo having earlier served for the second-round victory.
But in a tournament known for its charm and nuances, it’s not the only talking point at Porte d’Auteuil. After a dramatic few days at Roland Garros, there were a string of pertinent plot points.
French farewells: After 19 main-draw campaigns, Gael Monfils delivered one last show as he bid au revoir to his home Grand Slam. “It’s a mixed feeling between happiness, sadness,” said the beloved ‘Le Monf’ after taking fellow French wildcard Hugo Gaston to five sets on Court Philippe Chatrier. “It’s a lot of feelings, a lot of emotion.” There was similar sentiment as the soon-to-retire Stan Wawrinka, the 2015 men’s champion, competed in Paris for a 21st – and final – time.
Generational change: As one Frenchman departed at age 39, another made a stunning arrival. Moise Kouame, at just 17 and the youngest competitor in the men’s draw, has competed with stunning maturity in two momentous matches. After his victory over former US Open champion Marin Cilic in his debut at a major, the celebrations were heard throughout Roland Garros as he stunned Adolfo Daniel Vallejero before an electric Court Suzanne-Lenglen crowd to reach the third round.
Fashion, naturally: It was French fashion icon Coco Chanel, who famously coined the phrase that before one leaves the house they should “look in the mirror and take something off”. Naomi Osaka, apparently, wasn’t taking note. Building on her trademark of turning Grand Slams settings into her personal runway, the former world No.1 has sported sequins, a corset and a detachable skirt in her first two Roland Garros 2026 matches. Can’t wait to see what the third round brings…
READ MORE: Osaka leads unofficial Paris Fashion Week at Roland Garros
Luck plays a part: Jesper de Jong can skip the day trip to Disneyland Paris – the 25-year-old Dutch player has already ridden quite the rollercoaster already in the city. After exiting in the final qualifying round, the world No.106 initially missed out on the first lucky loser spot created by Sebastian Korda’s withdrawal. But when Arthur Fils was forced to withdraw with a hip injury, De Jong gained his main-draw ticket – and how he’s capitalised. After eliminating Stan Wawrinka and qualifier Frederico Cina, he subsequently stunned No.13 seed Karen Khachanov.
Drama galore: With high stakes comes high emotion at a Grand Slam – and with the absence of electronic line calling, inevitable drama too. It peaked in the second-round women’s match between Wang Xinyu and Tamara Korpatsch, when Wang stepped over to the other side of the court to argue a line call. After an upset victory over the No.32 seed, Korpatsch denied a handshake. “I didn’t offer her my hand because that’s not fair for me,” said the Austrian. “She was unfair to come on my side, and I’m not an unfair player.”
Records will break: And no, we don’t mean the heatwave, which our weather apps assure us will end on Sunday. With Sinner’s shock second-round exit and Novak Djokovic eliminated by Joao Fonseca in five thrilling sets, a new men’s major champion will be crowned in Paris this year. If the first two rounds are a guide, we sense it’s not the only one that will unfold before the end of a fabulous French fortnight.
Tamara Korpatasch not Austrian. I believe she's from Hamburg, so she's as German as it gets..