Roland Garros, Men's French Open 2026 - Grand Slam

[the AntiPusher]

AP,
If you are still around,
The concerning issue I have at present, these players who are under 25, Alcaraz, Fils, Draper, Musetti that have withdrawn from RG this year with injury

Yes Maam, it is very concerning and high number. I havent seen so many players injured that I can recall

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Yes Maam, it is very concerning and high number. I havent seen so many players injured that I can recall

Either have I, the players I mentioned have all different injuries that have forced them to withdraw sad to say all under 25 years of age
I forgot to add Frenchman Arthur Cazaux who is 23 yo and also Rune.
I dont think there is an official historical statistic or single tournament record tracking, with the overall highest numbers of withdrawals

 

[britbox]

Sad and Breaking News
Arthur Fils has withdrawn from Roland Garros, just getting more details,
Persistent pain in his lower back and hip sad to say
Fils said he wasnt prepaid to take further risk of injury after being off the tour with a lower back injury, wise decision, he is young better to heal than to make injury worse.
Fils was in Zverev's half btw
LL Jesper De Jong will now face Stan Wawrinka on Monday

Yes, bad news on Fils withdrawing.

Here is his presser:



LeoAi Transcript Summary

• Withdrawal Announcement: Fils announced he will not be able to play in the current year's tournament due to a persistent injury.
• Nature of the Injury: He is experiencing significant pain in the hip and lower back area that started around the Rome tournament. Despite medical exams appearing "fine," the pain prevents him from practicing or competing at 100%.
• Decision Logic: Unlike the previous year when he took a risk and played through injury, he decided to withdraw to avoid long-term damage. He emphasized his desire to play for another 10 to 15 years rather than making the same "stupid" mistake again.
• Uncertainty on Diagnosis: While he knows the pain is in the hip/lower back region, he and his doctors have not pinpointed the exact cause, and he is unsure if it is related to his back injury from the previous year. He noted that this is a different issue from last year's injury.

 

[don_fabio]

Some fun on Fokina Dzumhur match. Dzumhur served for the match in the 4th and failed. Then lost several games in the row and Fokina leveled the match. Both players go to sit and rest for a while and just before they are about to start playing Dzumhur takes a toilet break, an obvious stalling tactic to break opponent's rhytm. Fokina just sits and rest, no complains. Then Dzumhur comes back, but then Fokina calls an MTO. Dzumhur goes crazy of course. An eye for an eye.

Apart from that, it's a boring match. UEs galore from Fokina.

edit: Foki wins in 5

 

[the AntiPusher]

Yes, bad news on Fils withdrawing.

Here is his presser:



LeoAi Transcript Summary

• Withdrawal Announcement: Fils announced he will not be able to play in the current year's tournament due to a persistent injury.
• Nature of the Injury: He is experiencing significant pain in the hip and lower back area that started around the Rome tournament. Despite medical exams appearing "fine," the pain prevents him from practicing or competing at 100%.
• Decision Logic: Unlike the previous year when he took a risk and played through injury, he decided to withdraw to avoid long-term damage. He emphasized his desire to play for another 10 to 15 years rather than making the same "stupid" mistake again.
• Uncertainty on Diagnosis: While he knows the pain is in the hip/lower back region, he and his doctors have not pinpointed the exact cause, and he is unsure if it is related to his back injury from the previous year. He noted that this is a different issue from last year's injury.

I doubt he would try to play the dampness of SW19 next month.. Cooler temps are no friends to nagging injuries even though he is young.. I hope that I am incorrect.

 

[El Dude]

Youngster report: Fonzie, Mensik, and Prizmic all through to R64. Also, Federico Cina - a 19-year old I notice a year or so ago, but hasn't progressed much. He had a nice five-set win over Reilly Opelka. Another Italian to keep an eye on.

 

[the AntiPusher]

did Moïse Kouamé make it into the draw

 

[El Dude]

did Moïse Kouamé make it into the draw

Yes, as a wildcard (he's French). He's playing Marin Cilic on Tuesday. There's almost a 21-year difference in their age, Cilic born in Sept of 1988, Kouame in March of 2009. Yes, 2009.

Fun fact: Cilic had won three titles by the time Kouame was born.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Fritz in a battle royale I know he hasnt played much on clay due to his knee, is down a break in the 4th set to W Basavareddy
Basavareddy now has a double break in the 4th sets, leads Fritz( 7) 5-0
The No 7 seed Fritz bites the dust ( mind the pun) to W Basavareddy 76(5) 76(5) 67 (11) 61

 

[the AntiPusher]

Yes, as a wildcard (he's French). He's playing Marin Cilic on Tuesday. There's almost a 21-year difference in their age, Cilic born in Sept of 1988, Kouame in March of 2009. Yes, 2009.

Fun fact: Cilic had won three titles by the time Kouame was born.

He can beat cough drop if he can extend the points.... Is Cilic a hall of Famer? Its a shame Monfils, Richie G and JoWillieTs are not going to be in the hall of Fame.

 

[El Dude]

Novak loses first set to poor man's Isner, Mpetshi Perricard.

 

[El Dude]

He can beat cough drop if he can extend the points..

I hope so. No offense to Cilic, but fingers crossed that the early quasi-hype on Kouame is legit.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Novak loses first set to poor man's Isner, Mpetshi Perricard.

big Frenchie is what I call him.. he is a nightmare.. Novak will break him down eventually

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Goodness me Perricard's hand starting cramping, he can't let go of the racquet
Novak won the 2nd set 75
In the changeover physio worked on thumb/wrist area of Perricard, cant see Perricard challenging now in this match, just what Perricard needed a wrist injury to deal with.

 

[El Dude]

big Frenchie is what I call him.. he is a nightmare.. Novak will break him down eventually

Ha, big Frenchie - I like it. Looks like a typical progression...Novak loses the 1st set as he adjusts the player across the net, wins the next, then starts the steamroll.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Ha, big Frenchie - I like it. Looks like a typical progression...Novak loses the 1st set as he adjusts the player across the net, wins the next, then starts the steamroll.

To be fair to Perricard his hand started cramping, he appears to have a wrist injury, had the physio out in the change over, he cant play 100% now.
Of course Novak is now in control of the match he is playing against a compromised player with an injured wrist!

 

[PhiEaglesfan712]

He can beat cough drop if he can extend the points.... Is Cilic a hall of Famer? Its a shame Monfils, Richie G and JoWillieTs are not going to be in the hall of Fame.

I think the doping issue earlier in his career keeps him out. If not for it, I think Cilic eventually gets in, like Goran Ivanisevic. Cilic has more match wins than Ivanisevic.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

My Italian Sonego should be winning his match against Frenchman Herbert down a break in the 4th set, he gave me some hope when he won the 3rd set 62
Oh well Sonego will have to 'lift' this match is going 5 sets, as Herbert won the 4th set 61

 

[the AntiPusher]

Goodness me Perricard's hand starting cramping, he can't let go of the racquet
Novak won the 2nd set 75
In the changeover physio worked on thumb/wrist area of Perricard, cant see Perricard challenging now in this match, just what Perricard needed a wrist injury to deal with.

I would think he would look into changing his grip size.. he probably has hands the size of a catcher's mitt ..like Jordan or Dr. J s hand sizes

BTW.. I dont want you folks to think ole AP is strange or going loco about grip sizes.. I have experience this prior and here's what AI says

• A tight grip can lead to muscle tension in the forearm and hand.
• Excessive grip pressure may restrict blood flow to the muscles.
• Poor grip technique can result in overuse injuries, contributing to cramping.
• Inadequate hydration and electrolyte balance can exacerbate cramping issues.
• Regular stretching and strengthening of grip muscles can help prevent cramps.
• Monitoring grip pressure during play can help maintain comfort and reduce cramping risk.

 

[mrzz]

Youngster report: Fonzie, Mensik, and Prizmic all through to R64. Also, Federico Cina - a 19-year old I notice a year or so ago, but hasn't progressed much. He had a nice five-set win over Reilly Opelka. Another Italian to keep an eye on.

I saw the first set of Fonseca's match and, despite some good highlights reel points, a very poor set of tennis (for his ranking and his hype). This whole year I am kind of expecting him to have a big slump, drop out of the top 100 maybe, and then come back. Maybe it is those small injuries, maybe it is part of the plan. I still think he will eventually do great things, but I guess he will need to overcome an early slump.

On the other hand, I saw Prizmic first set as well. Firing on all cylinders. I expect him to roll over Fonseca in three. If Fonseca can raise his level to the occasion, I will be impressed and pleasantly surprised.