The 2025 French Open kicks off with thrilling matches and early surprises

The French Open kicked off this Sunday, marking the start of two weeks filled with world-class tennis at Roland Garros.

As the opening matches got underway, one of the most anticipated encounters on the men’s side was the first-round clash between Ben Shelton and Lorenzo Sonego. Shelton, currently ranked No. 13 in the ATP rankings, has often struggled on clay courts, setting the stage for a tightly contested battle against Italian clay-court specialist Sonego. Ultimately, it was the No. 13 seed Shelton who prevailed in a grueling five-set battle lasting 3 hours and 30 minutes.

Other notable results included a dominant straight-sets win by Lorenzo Musetti, who looks poised to make a deep run in the tournament. In one of the day’s surprises, No. 32 seed Alex Michelsen was defeated by Argentine qualifier Juan Manuel Cerúndolo. Another American, Brandon Nakashima, also exited in the first round—further highlighting the ongoing struggles of American players on clay.

In contrast, French native Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard ended his six-match losing streak. Fueled by the support of the home crowd, the big-serving Perricard defeated Zizou Bergs in four sets, giving local fans plenty to cheer about.

Looking ahead to the coming days, more seeded players will be looking to start their campaigns on a strong note and begin their march toward the title. The French crowd is especially eager to see the first-round appearances of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who are widely regarded as two of the tournament’s top title contenders.