Roland Garros Begins: Favorites' Debut Matches in Paris
Today, May 25, the first round matches of the French Open are underway on the clay courts of Paris. The spotlight is on the opening games of Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev, and Ben Shelton.
Main Event
Parisian clay comes alive: first round matches kick off at Roland Garros — Ruud, Rublev, and Shelton enter the fray!
Today, May 25, 2026, the second day of play at the French Open — the only Grand Slam tournament held on clay — is taking place on the legendary courts of the Roland Garros complex in Paris. The tournament, which runs until June 7, has brought together all the world's top tennis players, and the opening weekend has already delivered drama, records, and unexpected twists.
Today's play centers on the opening matches of three prominent members of the world elite: two-time Roland Garros finalist Casper Ruud of Norway (16th seed), 11th-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev, and world No. 5 Ben Shelton of the United States.
The dramatic first day of the tournament is already history: defending champion Novak Djokovic, on his 39th birthday (May 22), staged a comeback against French "giant" Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, losing the first set 5-7 but then turning the match around and achieving a unique milestone — his 82nd Grand Slam main draw appearance, an absolute record in men's tennis.
Details and Statistics
Schedule of today's key matches on May 25:
- Casper Ruud (Norway, 16) vs. Roman Safiullin (Russia): The match is scheduled on Court Simonne Mathieu no earlier than 3:00 PM Moscow time. For the 27-year-old Norwegian, who reached the Roland Garros final twice (2022 and 2023), this tournament is a chance to return to the top after a disappointing last year when he exited in the second round. Safiullin (world No. 141) comes into the match in excellent form on clay: in 2026, his record on this surface is an impressive 20 wins against just 3 losses. However, bookmakers give the Russian little chance: odds for Ruud's victory are 1.069, while for Safiullin they are 8.4. Expert prediction — a confident win for the Norwegian in three sets.
- Andrey Rublev (Russia, 11) vs. Ignacio Buse (Peru): The match will also take place on May 25. Rublev arrives at Roland Garros after a successful clay swing: a final in Barcelona (loss to Arthur Fils) and a quarterfinal in Rome (exit to Jannik Sinner). For the Russian, this is his tenth attempt to break the quarterfinal barrier at Grand Slams — he has lost all ten previous times at this stage. Peruvian Buse is a clear underdog, and Rublev must advance without dropping a set.
- Ben Shelton (USA, 5) vs. Daniel Mérida Aguilar (Spain): The American hope, who has broken into the world top 5, will take to Court Suzanne Lenglen around 6:00 PM. In 2026, Shelton has already won two tournaments (Dallas and Munich) and is at the peak of his career. His opponent, the world No. 86 from Spain, is playing in the Roland Garros main draw for the first time. Odds for the American's victory are 1.26, and he is expected to advance in four sets.
Results of the first day of play (May 24):
The tournament's opening featured several notable results:
- Alexander Zverev (Germany, 2) confidently defeated Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi in three sets — 6:3, 6:4, 6:2.
- Karen Khachanov (Russia) also started with a win over Frenchman Arthur Gea in three sets.
- Barbora Krejčíková (Czech Republic), former Roland Garros champion, was the biggest upset of the first day, losing to American Hailey Baptiste in three sets.
- Novak Djokovic (Serbia, 3) overcame Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in a three-hour match — 5:7, 6:4, 6:2, 6:4 — while setting a record for most Grand Slam appearances (82) and earning his 102nd win on Parisian courts.
Context and Significance
Roland Garros 2026 is a special tournament if only because it takes place without the injured Carlos Alcaraz, who is missing the event due to injury. This opens a window of opportunity for other favorites. The main title contender is world No. 1 Jannik Sinner (Italy), who is seeded first and is in the opposite half of the draw from Djokovic.
The tournament's prize fund in 2026 is an impressive €61,723,000. The men's singles winner will receive approximately €2.4 million and 2,000 ranking points.
For the Russian contingent, numbering 14 representatives (4 men and 10 women), Roland Garros has always been a special tournament. Russian tennis players have won here five times in singles: Yevgeny Kafelnikov (1996), Anastasia Myskina (2004), Svetlana Kuznetsova (2009), and Maria Sharapova (2012, 2014).
Of particular interest is the duel between Ruud and Safiullin. The Norwegian, despite dropping to 16th in the rankings, remains one of the world's best clay-court players, and this tournament is his chance to remind everyone. For the 27-year-old Safiullin, a match against a favorite is an opportunity to cause a sensation and repeat last year's Wimbledon success, where he reached the fourth round.
What's Next
Today's matches will determine the first second-round participants. If Ruud wins, his next opponent will be the winner of the pair Valentin Royer (France) vs. a qualifier. If Safiullin pulls off a surprise, he will likely face a French representative.
If Rublev beats Buse, he will likely meet the winner of the match between Luciano Darderi (Italy) and a qualifier in the second round. For Andrey, who is defending points from a fourth-round appearance at this tournament, it is crucial to get through the early rounds without losses.
The main second-round matches begin on Wednesday, May 27, and a potential Djokovic-Ruud meeting could occur in the fourth round if both continue winning.
Editorial Prediction
The event has already started, but we can predict the outcomes of today's matches. The favorites are clear: Ruud, Rublev, and Shelton should get through the first round without major issues. The only intrigue is whether Safiullin can challenge Ruud. The Russian has looked excellent on clay this season, but the gap in class and Grand Slam experience is too wide. The most likely score is 3-0 in favor of the Norwegian. Rublev and Shelton should also avoid dragging out their matches: in the Parisian heat (+30°C, as yesterday), every extra set risks losing physical condition before tougher opponents. The main prediction for the tournament is a Sinner-Djokovic final, which would be a generational battle and perhaps the Serb's last chance for a 25th Grand Slam title.
— Editorial Team
