🗓️ First round played on May 26, 2025
The French Open 2025 first round kicked off with electric tennis, but before a single ball was struck, history took center stage. The spotlight wasn’t on the players warming up, it was on the King of Clay himself.
In one of the most emotional moments in tennis history, Rafael Nadal made his final appearance on Court Philippe-Chatrier, not as a player, but as an eternal champion.
The French crowd welcomed him with thunderous applause, and then came the surprise of the evening, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray all appeared on court to pay tribute.
As Rafa held back tears, the stadium unveiled a permanent plaque with his name and footprint, cementing his eternal legacy in Paris.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
After the emotional ceremony, the tournament got underway, and the first round delivered strong performances from the favorites. Here’s how the top names performed:
Also advancing comfortably:
Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Davidovich Fokina, Holger Rune, Alex de Minaur, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, Jakub Mensik, and Jack Draper.
Never truly comfortable on clay, Medvedev once again struggled and crashed out in the first round. His rhythm, footwork, and energy just weren’t there — and the surface didn’t help.
Seeded 4th and considered a serious contender, Fritz was stunned by Daniel Altmaier in four sets:
7:5, 3:6, 6:3, 6:1
This marks the biggest upset of the French Open 2025 first round, and raises questions about Fritz’s ability to adapt his aggressive game to slower surfaces.
While we may never again see the magic of Rafa, Federer, and Murray battling on clay, the baton has clearly been passed:
Together, they form a new dynamic, one that honors the past, but pushes tennis into a thrilling new future.
| 🟢 Through | ❌ Out |
|---|---|
| Djokovic, Alcaraz, Sinner | Medvedev, Fritz |
| Ruud, Tsitsipas, Rune | Dimitrov |
| Zverev, Rublev, Draper | Hurkacz |
The clay is red, but the stories are golden. With the opening round complete and emotions high, one thing is clear, this may be the most symbolic edition of Roland Garros yet.
The French Open 2025 women’s first round went mostly according to plan — the top seeds showed up with dominant performances, while only a couple of seeded players suffered early exits.
World No. 1 and tournament favorite Aryna Sabalenka made a clear statement. She crushed Kamilla Rakhimova in straight sets, 6–1, 6–0, finishing the match in under an hour. Sabalenka’s power game looked sharp and focused, a clear warning to the rest of the draw.
Most seeded players moved through without drama:
The most brutal scoreline came from the veterans’ duel:
Victoria Azarenka demolished Yanina Wickmayer with a double bagel – 6–0, 6–0. Total domination.
Two seeded players were knocked out:
Navarro’s defeat was especially one-sided and unexpected, she couldn’t find rhythm and was overpowered from start to finish.
| 🟢 Through | ❌ Out |
|---|---|
| Sabalenka, Swiatek, Gauff, Pegula, Keys | Navarro (9) |
| Rybakina, Svitolina, Zheng, Andreeva, Azarenka | Muchova (14) |
The French Open 2025 women’s first round reaffirmed that the top seeds are in strong form, especially Sabalenka, Swiatek, and Gauff, who all look like title contenders.
With Azarenka’s vintage performance, and a few early exits shaking up the bottom half of the draw, it’s clear we’re in for another thrilling chapter at Roland Garros.
👉 Follow more updates on our Tennis section for daily results and match previews.
👉 Official draws and schedule at the Roland Garros website
Dex is the founder of GoatBetZone and holds a degree in social psychology, which he uses to understand player behavior in gambling.
He writes from experience, both as a player and from years spent working around the gambling industry, with a focus on psychology, education, and how platforms actually operate, helping players better understand risk and how gambling really works.
Read more about Dex and GoatBetZone