2nd June 2025
This past week in tennis has been all about the French Open, which kicked off on Sunday and has seen eight days of play already. There have been plenty of upsets and drama -on and off the court – so read on for a breakdown of everything you missed this week.
Click here to see a guide for the French Open and also some coverage by the Tennisnerd team that was visiting the Paris event for the first few days.
Second Forgotten Gen flop at Roland Garros
Week one of Roland Garros has seen some big names go home, and unfortunately the majority have been from the ‘second forgotten gen’.
Already, those expected to succeed the Big Three – the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev – have suffered some hits to their ranks.
Medvedev is out, as is Ruud—though the latter’s early exit is the bigger surprise, considering how well he can play on clay. He has also been in good form recently, having made two finals in Paris. Former finalist Tsitsipas has fallen too.
Rublev and Zverev remain, with the German looking sharp so far and likely to provide Novak Djokovic with his first real test in the bottom half of the draw.
Speaking of Djokovic, the 38-year-old has looked fantastic in Paris. Off the back of a title in Geneva, he has suddenly won seven matches in a row on clay and is looking a genuine dark horse contender.
Top seeds Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have been cruising – Sinner more so than Alcaraz, with the Italian blitzing Jiri Lehecka most recently while Alcaraz has dropped a few sets.
Rafael Nadal gets honored in Paris
Rafael Nadal has left a lasting impact both on the city of Paris and on the French Open as an event. The Spanish player is the most successful competitor in the tournament’s history, having won it 14 times.
That’s a record across all Grand Slams, as no player has ever come close to winning any other major as many times. Djokovic’s 10 titles at the Australian Open are almost equally iconic. Nadal’s overall achievement was honored this year with a commemorative plaque on the court, which will remain there forever.
The plaque features his name, his footprint, and the number 14, symbolizing his triumph. Rumors have circulated that the event organizers offered to rename the main Philippe Chatrier court in his honor, but Nadal refused.
The ceremony was also attended by Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray, making it all the more special.
Nadal’s kid meets three of the Big Four
Nadal has been a dad for a while now, and his child has grown quite a bit. Cameras captured a special moment behind the scenes of his Roland Garros ceremony, as his son met Nadal’s rivals.
Not only did he meet them, but he also gave them a high five, which made for a super cool moment. Most tennis fans remember these gladiators of the sport when they were young themselves, battling it out for hours. Now, they are all fathers with kids, and those kids are meeting the players their fathers once competed against. Soon enough, they’ll be rivals themselves.
It’s a full-circle moment for many tennis fans.
???? El entrañable momento entre el hijo de Rafa Nadal con Federer, Djokovic y Murray pic.twitter.com/JDpCwBxAwM
— ABC.es (@abc_es) May 26, 2025
Naomi Osaka breaks down in press conference
In another flashback to the past, Naomi Osaka had a minor breakdown in Paris. A few years ago, Osaka famously refused to hold press conferences at Roland Garros, which became the catalyst for what ultimately led to a mental health break for the Japanese player.
Years later, she had another minor breakdown after her loss, using a rather harsh tone to criticize her performance. Osaka had actually played decently before the French Open but suffered another early defeat, which clearly hit her hard.
Djokovic casually cycling in Paris
Djokovic famously considers himself a man of the people, and he certainly proved that recently in Paris when he was spotted casually biking through the capital city during the event.
The Serbian was seen riding amidst the famous Arc de Triomphe intersection, something he confessed he “probably won’t do again” given the crazy traffic.
Coming up this week
This coming week will obviously bring us the conclusion of the French Open. It’s the second and final week, so it’s a week of tennis that will have massive implications on the legacy of the sport.
Djokovic is still in the running to win that elusive 25th Grand Slam title. Alcaraz might win his fifth major trophy, which would be a big deal. Sinner is closing in on his fourth, so he could tighten the gap there. There are also some implications on the women’s side, most notably whether the era of Swiatek’s dominance is over.
Peeking beyond the French Open, the grass season is officially starting in a week’s time. As always, the second week of the French Open is not only a figurative end to the clay season but also a literal one, as grass events will begin next week. Soon enough, Wimbledon will be upon us.
This is the famous June swing, where everything happens almost in a blur. Stick with us to find out all about it next week.
