Only a few weeks ago the second Grand Slam of the year on the clay of Paris ended with German world number 3, Alexander Zverev, finally etching his name in history as a Grand Slam champion. This Slam, dubbed the most open in years, was filled with performances that were inspiring, surprising and even dramatic. In recent years, it has been Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner who have dominated the latter stages of the Slams, but on this occasion Zverev was finally able to come out on top after coming agonisingly close at almost all of the four majors in previous tournaments. In addition to this a host of new faces made deep runs on the clay making this a Grand Slam to remember.
1. Zverev’s breakthrough moment
Alexander Zverev has often been labelled as the best player in history to never win a Grand Slam. This was a title he had been trying to shake for some time, but a first Grand Slam title had eluded him up to this point. Zverev had previously been tipped to do big things in the men’s game and maybe even carry on the mantle of men’s tennis post the “Big Three” era. He along with the likes of Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas have together been part of the 1990s generation that was supposed to usurp the original Big Three of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.
This looked like it might just come to pass in 2020 when Zverev, having already won an Olympic Gold medal earlier in the year, went two sets to love up against Austrian former world number three Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open. However, Zverev couldn’t serve out the match in the third set and ended up losing the final in a 5th set 10-point tiebreaker. This was to be the first of four heartbreaking moments for the big German — three of them Grand Slam final defeats, and one a semifinal ended by injury. He once again challenged for a slam in 2022 at the French Open, where during an enthralling battle with the king of clay Rafa Nadal, having pushed Nadal to the limit in the first set, he stretched him to a second-set tiebreak. He appeared to be gaining some momentum before he took a nasty fall and ended up tearing three ligaments in his right ankle. This was the toughest moment in his career, as instead of French Open glory and the world number one ranking, he now faced the prospect of a long and gruelling recovery.
Zverev once again looked set for Slam success at the 2024 French Open. After Federer had retired, Nadal was injured and Djokovic was out, he faced Carlos Alcaraz in the final, who at this point was vying for his third Slam. Zverev was two sets to one up on Alcaraz and was only a set away from his childhood dream, but Alcaraz fought back to win in five sets. Another moment Zverev will feel he was within touching distance of glory.
Zverev again looked to be pushing his case for a maiden Grand Slam at the 2025 Australian Open, where after taking the first set against Djokovic in the semifinals, the Serb had to withdraw with an injury. This set up a final with Italian world number one Jannik Sinner, who arrived in Melbourne already a two-time major champion after winning the 2024 Australian Open and 2024 US Open. What followed, however, was a complete demolition job as Sinner took Zverev apart in one of the most one-sided Slam finals in recent times — a third major title for the Italian. At the trophy presentation after the final, Zverev looked a near broken man, close to tears, as Sinner wrapped his arm around him and told him he would win one day. His dream had been snatched away yet again. With Alcaraz and Sinner entering a period where they would trade the four Slams between them each year, Zverev’s chances of winning one looked less and less likely with each one that passed.
However, at this year’s Roland Garros, with Alcaraz sidelined with a wrist injury, Sinner going out to physical issues in the second round and Djokovic stunned by teen sensation Joao Fonseca in the third round, it seemed as if the stars had aligned for the German world number three to finally break his duck at the Slams. He had to deal with the added pressure of being the favourite, something he had never experienced before, and this was evident in his third-round match as he was somewhat tense against Frenchman Quentin Halys. Having worked his way through that, he quietly swept aside everyone in his path. This included impressive Next Gen stars Rafa Jodar and Jakub Mensik in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively.
Before meeting Italian 10th seed Flavio Cobolli in the final, had anyone told Zverev he would have the opportunity to play Cobolli for the title at the start of the fortnight, he would have snapped your arm off. In a nervy match that Zverev should have won well before it finished, he finally got over the line in the 5th set after an inspired Italian fightback in the 3rd and 4th sets. Zverev, having cramped late on in the 5th set — which arguably simplified his gameplan and allowed him to finish the match — fell on his back in pure relief, as well as many other emotions which only he will know.
Zverev was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 4, and as a youngster he was told that he would never be a professional athlete due to his diabetes. His sheer determination and grit serve as an inspiring story in both tennis and sport. Managing the physical demands of his condition as well as the demands of one of the most physical sports has demonstrated that even the most seemingly impossible challenges can be overcome. There is no doubt that he deserved to finally lift the French Open trophy, finally realising his childhood dream. Could this be a springboard to greater heights, as he still has his sights set on one day ascending to the pinnacle of the ATP rankings?
2. A pause in Alcaraz-Sinner dominance
In recent years Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have dominated the four Grand Slams (majors), as illustrated by the fact that before this Roland Garros, they had shared the last 9 majors between them. This streak has spanned 2024 and 2025 as well as the Australian Open earlier in January 2026, where Alcaraz became the youngest man in history to complete the Career Grand Slam (winning all four Grand Slams). In fact you have to go back to the US Open at the backend of 2023 to find a Grand Slam winner not named Alcaraz or Sinner, and this was the ever-present Novak Djokovic at the top of the men’s game. After this, Djokovic looked set to pull clear of Margaret Court’s Grand Slam record (24), but the duo of Alcaraz and Sinner, nicknamed the “New Two,” have thwarted him at every turn.
Leading into this year’s tournament there was an air of disappointment as Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion at Roland Garros, pulled out a month before the tournament was set to get underway. This came as a huge disappointment for the tennis world, as tennis fans everywhere would undoubtedly miss the magic and entertainment that Alcaraz brings to the court. This includes his unmissable game style, which features feather-like dropshots, brutal haymaker groundstrokes and unparalleled athleticism around the court — all done with an infectious smile that often will be echoed on the faces of almost everyone in the crowd. However, this was not a big shock to those keeping an eye on the clay tournaments leading up to Roland Garros. Alcaraz missed three key tournaments on the clay, including Monte Carlo and Rome, where he won last year, as well as his home tournament in Madrid.
For Sinner, after losing to Alcaraz in last year’s enthralling five-and-a-half-hour final, the stage was set for the Italian and world number one to complete his own Career Grand Slam by winning the title in Paris. Leading into the tournament this looked like a formality, as Sinner had won the first 5 Masters 1000 titles of the year (tournaments one step down from the four Grand Slams). This included titles on the hard courts of Indian Wells and Miami as well as clay court titles in Monte Carlo, Madrid and at home in Rome. This set the stage for Sinner to be the biggest favourite at a Slam since Rafa Nadal at the 2009 Roland Garros. After a commanding straight-sets win in the first round against Frenchman Clement Tabur, Sinner looked on course for the almost inevitable run to the title, but what followed was the shock of the tournament.
A second-round encounter with Argentine Juan Manuel Cerundolo appeared on paper to be a formality, with Cerundolo — ranked a respectable 56th in the world with a game style built mainly on grit, determination and the ability to wear opponents down and outlast them. After the first two and a half sets, Sinner’s power and consistency appeared too much for Cerundolo, as he led the Argentine 6-3 6-2 5-1 and looked set to round out a relatively comfortable straight-sets win. But what followed was a complete dropoff in the energy levels of the Italian, as he appeared both mentally and physically fatigued on court. This led to Cerundolo staging an inspired fightback in the third set as he won six games in a row to win the set 7-5. At this point, as the Parisian sun was beating down at temperatures in excess of 30°C, the doctor was called for Sinner, and in spite of leaving the court for a brief period, he returned in no better shape.
This led to him upping the speed on all his groundstrokes to try to finish points quickly and conserve energy. However, the scrappy Argentine made life difficult for Sinner as he improved his consistency and elongated the rallies. Sinner continued to wane in the hot sun, as he was barely able to reach shots just feet away from him. In the end Cerundolo secured the win of his life in 5 physical sets, as Sinner bowed out at the earliest round in a Slam since 2023. He later told the press he had been feeling unwell all morning, with his “head spinning” and having “no energy.” A very unfortunate end to Sinner’s Career Grand Slam dreams for another year. All we can hope is that he gets well soon before he defends his title at Wimbledon.
3. Out of action stars
Unfortunately, the French Open this year was missing some of the finest young talents in the game. Apart from Carlos Alcaraz, others who were out of action included Holger Rune, Lorenzo Musetti, Arthur Fils and Jack Draper. These players were a huge miss for the tournament, as they can all bring so much to it.
Holger Rune is still recovering from a ruptured (fully torn) left Achilles tendon, one of the most serious injuries in sport, and has been out since late October last year. The “Great Dane,” as he is affectionately known by his Danish fans, is a former world number four and Roland Garros quarterfinalist. Rune possesses one of the most powerful games in men’s tennis, and this is coupled with brilliant athleticism and delightful dropshots. A clay aficionado, he was the only player to defeat Alcaraz on clay in 2025, in the Barcelona final.
Italian number three Musetti missed Roland Garros with a thigh injury. A natural on clay, having grown up on the surface, in 2025 he made the final of the Monte Carlo Masters and the semifinals of Roland Garros, losing out on both occasions to Alcaraz. Musetti’s game is full of finesse and grace, with elegant shot-making and the now-rare one-handed backhand that often draws gasps from the crowd.
Arthur Fils missed his home Slam with an ongoing hip injury. The Frenchman missed the start of the year with a stress fracture in his lower back but returned to the tour in swashbuckling style, with superb results including the final in Qatar, quarterfinals in Indian Wells, semifinals in Miami, the title in Barcelona and the semifinals of Rome. He has one of the biggest forehands in men’s tennis in terms of both spin and speed, and is also electric around the court.
Jack Draper missed Roland Garros due to an aggravated knee tendon injury. The Brit has attempted comebacks throughout the year but hasn’t quite been able to transition fully back into tour life just yet. Despite clay being a relatively unfamiliar surface, Draper took huge strides on the clay in 2025, with a final in Madrid and a quarterfinal in Rome, before losing in the 4th round of Roland Garros. The former world number four has at his disposal a disruptive lefty serve, a heavy topspin forehand and — as a natural right-hander (similar to Rafa Nadal) — one of the best backhands on tour.
All these stars missing from the tournament was heartbreaking for tennis fans, given that these players have all gone deep in previous Slams and all bring unique but enthralling playing styles to the court. If all were fit and firing at the French Open, then who knows — we might be looking at one of their names on the coveted Roland Garros trophy.
4. New Generation emerges
One of the most exciting elements of this year’s French Open was the emergence of Next Gen stars. This includes players such as 21-year-old Jakub Mensik and 19-year-old Joao Fonseca. This Slam was filled with surprises, and the deep runs of some of the Next Gen stars was exciting to see for many.
21-year-old Czech-born Jakub Mensik burst onto the scene with a Masters 1000 title in Miami in early 2025, in which he knocked out the likes of promising Brit Jack Draper, powerful and explosive Frenchman Arthur Fils and former world number 4 Taylor Fritz before putting the icing on the cake by taking down Novak Djokovic in two closely fought tiebreakers in the final. He has since progressed through the rankings nicely, fuelled by a game based on a huge serve and a laser-like backhand. After this first title there was a slight lull in terms of deep runs at big tournaments, but the potential was ever present.
Mensik started Roland Garros in strong fashion with a straight-sets win in round one but then had to breach his physical limits in round two against Argentine Mariano Navone. A match that went five sets in the searing Paris heat finally culminated with Mensik having to be helped off court after suffering full-body cramps following the conclusion of the match. He then battled past the resilient 11th seed and ever-present threat Andrey Rublev. Then 8th seed Australian Alex De Minaur took the first set 6-0 against Mensik, and his Roland Garros campaign was looking all but over, but he responded by dominating the next three sets. He then took out a man he lost to at the Next Gen ATP Finals 2024, Joao Fonseca, before his run was finally ended in the semifinals by eventual champion Alexander Zverev.
Fan favourite Joao Fonseca made a deep run to the quarters before falling to Mensik. He set the world alight in 2024 when he dismantled the then-9th-seeded Andrey Rublev. With a lethal forehand, Fonseca is able to go toe-to-toe with the best in the world. He stole the headlines by taking out title contender and three-time Roland Garros champion Novak Djokovic. This win was all the more impressive, as Fonseca became only the second man in history to fight back from two sets to love down against Djokovic, and the first teenager to beat him at a Slam. This win was off the back of another impressive fightback from two sets down against Dino Prizmic. He established his pedigree even further in the fourth round, taking out experienced clay-courter and two-time Roland Garros finalist Casper Ruud in four sets. The resilience, flair and pure brutality Fonseca showed during the tournament sent a message to the rest of the tour that this kid is here to play, and here to stay. These deep runs weren’t the only ones, as other players such as 19-year-old Spaniard Rafa Jodar, 21-year-old Alex Michelsen and eventual runner-up Flavio Cobolli all impressed on the Parisian clay. Ultimately, however, it is evident that these young stars are narrowing the gap between them and the top of the game, and some of them certainly have Slam-winning potential. They are coming for the biggest titles in the game, and we’ll have to see if the rest of the tour can keep up.
5. Why unpredictability made Roland Garros special
This year’s Roland Garros was unlike any of the Slams seen in recent years. Twists and turns everywhere you look. Some heartwarming and inspired stories, as well as some heartbreaking ones. This Slam truly was unforgettable for so many reasons.
Before it started there was already an air of frustration and disappointment at the number of stars having to pull out with injuries. Once it started, it seemed as if Sinner was almost a shoo-in for the title, having been the overwhelming favourite at the start of the fortnight. In the end it was the Next Generation who took the spotlight in the absence of some of the bigger stars, and it definitely told us that tennis is in very safe hands with these young guys shining on one of tennis’s biggest stages.
Djokovic, after Sinner went out, may have perhaps entertained the idea of a record-breaking 25th major title, but his wait for the elusive 25 will go on. The “Sinncaraz” dominance at the Slams and all tournaments finally cracked. It is scarcely believable that since the Madrid Open in 2024, when both men have entered the same tournament, one of them has won it. Even with Alcaraz out, it appeared as if Sinner would maintain their streak at the Slams, but it wasn’t to be.
Several dark horses emerged across the draw, with new names making their presence felt late into the tournament. This includes impressive Italians Matteo Arnaldi and Flavio Cobolli, who were scheduled to meet in what should have been both their maiden Grand Slam semifinal, and it was disappointing for both men — who are also good friends — that Arnaldi had to withdraw due to a virus he had picked up, giving Cobolli his first shot at Grand Slam glory.
Before the tournament started, Sinner was undoubtedly the heavy favourite, and Zverev would most likely have expected a tough battle against the Italian. In an unlikely turn of events, however, Zverev instead faced a draw clear of every seeded contender who might have stopped him, and in winning, he became one of very few men in the modern era to lift a major without facing a genuinely top-ranked opponent along the way. Regardless of the pre-tournament expectations, Zverev lifted the trophy, and it was hard-fought and well deserved.
The unpredictability of this year’s Roland Garros will mean it lives long in the memory of those who followed it — not just for who won, but for all the many stories that were written before, during and after it. We now head to the grass court season culminating in the perfectly prepared courts of Wimbledon — although Draper and Fils will feature at SW19, many will still be absent.
Who knows what will happen, but one thing is for sure: we can’t wait to find out.
Beyond the Score 
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