Third seed Alexander Zverev had to chase down dozens of drop shots from sprightly Dutchman Jesper de Jong before earning a 3-6 6-1 6-2 6-3 victory on Thursday to advance to the French Open third round.
The 28-year-old Zverev, a finalist in Paris last year and looking for his first Grand Slam title, found himself a break down with De Jong, ranked 88th in the world, initially matching the German’s baseline power punch for punch.
De Jong, bidding to become the first Dutch player to record a win over a top-three player on any clay tournament in 25 years, quickly added drop shots to his arsenal to land the first set.
At least a semi-finalist in the past four French Opens, Zverev remained composed and twice broke his opponent to bag the second set.
De Jong, however, increased his drop shot rate dramatically — even hitting three on consecutive points in the first game of the third set — to force the tall Zverev out of his comfort zone at the baseline.
Zverev will next play the winner of the all-Italian clash between Matteo Arnaldi and Flavio Cobolli.
Pegula storms into 3rd round with straight sets win
Jessica Pegula led the American charge at Roland Garros on Thursday with a hard-fought 6-3, 7-6(3) win over compatriot Ann Li, marking her 30th match victory of the season. It was a determined performance from the world No. 3, who held her nerve in a tense second set to reach the third round of the French Open for the third time in her career.
The 31-year-old broke Li three times and saved six of seven break points in a contest that began with Li racing to a 2-0 lead in the first set. But Pegula quickly wrestled back control, showcasing her trademark baseline consistency and mental resilience. After levelling the score, she dictated terms from the back of the court and stormed through six of the next seven games to seal the set.
The second set was a different battle altogether. There were no breaks of serve through the first eight games, and Li, ranked 55th in the world, had two golden opportunities to break at 4-4. But Pegula responded like a seasoned champion—first with a breathtaking running forehand down the line, and then with a powerful serve that set up a clear winner.
In the tiebreak, Pegula’s composure was evident. A wide backhand from Li gave her the early advantage, and she closed the match with a smooth backhand volley at the net.
Pegula’s win is part of a broader resurgence for American women at Roland Garros. With Coco Gauff seeded No. 2 and Madison Keys also advancing, it marks the first time since the era of Venus and Serena Williams in 2009 that the U.S. has three women in the top 10 seeds.
Notably, nine American women featured in the second-round matches from the bottom half of the draw—a rare and significant presence on the Parisian clay. Up next, Pegula faces former Roland Garros finalist and 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, who edged past No. 25 Magdalena Frech in three sets.
Andreeva turns tables on Krueger with gritty win
Ten months after Ashlyn Krueger had knocked her out of the US Open in straight sets, the 18-year-old Russian, Mirra Andreeva, found her moment of redemption on the clay courts of Roland Garros. Andreeva overcame a slow start to outplay Krueger 6-3, 6-4 in the second round on Thursday, advancing to the third round in Paris for the third consecutive year.
Andreeva once again showcased her resilience in a match that mirrored her gritty opening-round comeback. Down 3-1 in the opening set, she turned the tide against the hard-hitting Krueger with smart shot selection and unshakable nerves. From 3-1 down, Andreeva reeled off six consecutive games to take the set and the momentum.
Krueger, who had bested Andreeva 6-1, 6-4 in New York and reached her first WTA 500 final in Abu Dhabi earlier this year, started strongly. Her depth and accuracy troubled Andreeva early, and she seemed in control through the first five games. But a lapse in concentration while serving at 3-2, including three unforced errors and a double fault, opened the door, and Andreeva marched right through.
The match turned once the teenager found her rhythm, especially off her backhand wing and with crafty drop shots. Her run of six straight games flipped the script and put her a set and a break ahead.
She closed the match confidently, sealing a straight-sets win that underlined just how far she has come in 2025. Now ranked inside the Top 10 after claiming her first two WTA 1000 titles in Dubai and Indian Wells, Andreeva is maturing fast — mentally and tactically.
Awaiting her in the third round is either No. 32 seed Yulia Putintseva or qualifier Joanna Garland, as the former Roland Garros semifinalist continues her quest to reach the second week of a major for the fifth time in just her ninth Grand Slam main-draw appearance.
Italian qualifier stuns Tsitsipas
Italian qualifier Matteo Gigante caused an upset at the French Open on Wednesday, stunning former finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 to reach the third round at a major for the first time.
This was also a maiden Top 20 scalp captured by Gigante and will result in the Greek star slipping out of the Top 20 for the first time since August 2018 when the latest rankings are updated after the French Open.
Tsitsipas entered the clash holding a 27-8 record at the clay-court Slam. He was a set away from winning the title in Paris four years ago and advanced to the quarterfinals in 2023 and 2024.
The 23-year-old Italian pushed Tsitsipas off balance with his heavy forehand and array of backhand angles, while he crucially saved all eight break points he faced in the fourth set to seal victory in the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.
Into the third round of a major for the first time, Gigante is up 37 spots to No. 130 in the ATP Live Rankings and will next play American Ben Shelton.
Meanwhile, Tsitsipas has fallen to No. 25 in the Live Rankings and is set to drop out of the Top 20 for the first time since August 2018. The 26-year-old’s latest defeat further highlights his struggles in the past 18 months.
Tsitsipas fell out of the Top 10 in February 2024 and has failed to advance beyond the fourth round in seven of the past eight majors he has played. The former ATP Finals champion lifted the trophy at the ATP 500 event in Dubai earlier this year but is 17th in the ATP Live Race To Turin.
Bopanna, Balaji shine to make it three Indians in men’s doubles second round
Rohan Bopanna and N Sriram Balaji advanced to their respective men’s doubles second round at Roland Garros with contrasting wins, making it three Indians in the round of 32 at the French Open.
Bopanna and Czech partner Adam Pavlasek battled past Americans Robert Cash and JJ Tracy 7-6(8), 5-7, 6-1 to advance to the next round late on Wednesday.
The duo converted four break points and won 68% of their first-serve points in the hard-fought encounter that lasted two-hour and 11 minutes.
Later, Balaji and his Mexican partner Miguel Reyes-Varela cruised past China’s Yunchaokete Bu and Argentina’s Camilo Ugo Carabelli 6-2, 6-1 in just 51 minutes.
The Indo-Mexican duo dominated from start to finish, firing four aces, winning 81 percent of first-serve points and converting four of 10 break-point opportunities.
Their aggressive return also earned them nearly half (49%) of receiving points.
With Balaji’s win, three Indians have now made the round of 32 in the men’s doubles at the Roland-Garros.
Earlier, Yuki Bhambri and American Robert Galloway had edged past Robin Haase and Hendrik Jebens 6-3, 6-7(8), 6-3.