A finale that felt more like a street-fight than a tennis match
Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev slugged it out in the men’s final for more than four hours, and, honestly, it never felt safe for either guy. Zverev muscled his way into a two-sets-to-one lead, but Alcaraz kept digging, sprinting after drop shots and ripping forehands until Zverev’s legs finally said “enough.” The Spaniard stormed through the last two sets 6-1, 6-2 to defend his title and prove that 2024 was no fluke. Twenty-four hours earlier Iga Świątek did what she usually does in Paris: she walked out, took a quick look around, then flattened Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-1 for her fourth trophy in a row. Świątek’s run now sits at 24 straight wins on Court Philippe-Chatrier, and the vibe in the press room is that she might hang around long enough to chase Nadal’s record some day.
Big seeds who packed their bags early
The first week was brutal if you were a high seed or a bookmaker. Daniil Medvedev lost to Cameron Norrie in round one and left the court shaking his head. Novak Djokovic made it to the third round but never looked comfortable; after dropping a set to qualifier Filip Misolic he quietly told reporters his knee was barking again and pulled out before his next match. Casper Ruud, Taylor Fritz and Stefanos Tsitsipas all vanished before the second Monday, which blew the draw wide open for newcomers like Ben Shelton and Jakub Menšík to sneak into the later rounds. You could almost feel the shift inside Chatrier—every time another top-ten name disappeared, the crowd buzzed a little louder, wondering who might crash the party next.
Quick Look: Key Moments from Roland-Garros 2025
| Category | Player(s) | Highlight / Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Men’s Final | Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Zverev | Alcaraz wins in 5 sets after huge comeback |
| Women’s Final | Iga Świątek vs Jasmine Paolini | Świątek dominates, wins 6-2, 6-1 |
| Early Exit (Men) | Novak Djokovic | Withdrew before 4th round (knee issue) |
| Early Exit (Women) | Aryna Sabalenka | Knocked out before the semis |
| Doubles Surprise | Yuki Bhambri & Robert Galloway | Upset No. 7 seeds in early round |
| Breakout Star | Jakub Menšík | Reached later rounds as a surprise name |
Breakout stories the TV cameras couldn’t stop replaying
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Holger Rune vs. Quentin Halys — a five-set epic that started at dinner time and finished close to midnight. Rune’s roar after match point echoed through the grounds and sent half the media scrambling back to update their copy.
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Yuki Bhambri & Robert Galloway — the unseeded Indo-American duo who knocked out the No. 7 seeds in doubles. Their courtside chest-bump was pure joy and pulled a surge of Indian fans onto the livestream.
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Aryna Sabalenka — still chasing her first clay major, but the raw power she showed in straight-set wins over Olga Danilovic and Amanda Anisimova had everyone leaning forward. If she keeps the unforced errors down, she’s on a collision course with Świątek.
These little side plots are what made week one feel alive. Even if you’re only half-watching, you could sense that something unexpected was always around the next corner.
What comes next — and why you should clear your July calendar
Roland-Garros is done, but the tour never sleeps. Players fly straight to grass events in Stuttgart and ‘s-Hertogenbosch, chasing points and a little confidence before Wimbledon starts on 1 July. Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic are the early betting favorites on the men’s side, while bookmakers can’t separate Świątek, Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina for the women’s crown. With Świątek riding a 24-match win streak on clay and Sabalenka hungry for payback on grass, the next few weeks could get spicy. In other words: don’t delete your tennis streaming apps just yet; the season’s only warming up.
