The victory was not unexpected. Top-seeded De Jong has become a steady force at ATP level over the last two years, beginning with his first Grand Slam main-draw win at the 2024 Australian Open. Later that year he qualified and reached the second round in Paris, taking a set off eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz before bowing out in four sets.
“It’s everyone’s dream to play Alcaraz on Chatrier, and then playing such a match and winning a set 6-2 is not something everyone does every day,” he said.
The Dutchman has gained invaluable experience at the majors over the last two years, including battles with Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev. At Masters 1000 level, he reached the third round for the first time last year in Rome, and repeated the feat in Shanghai.
“Playing against those guys and playing good matches has been a great experience,” he said. “Of course against Sinner I got smashed — I’m not the only one. Played against Medvedev this year in the first round in Australia. So those are not the greatest draws. Next time I would rather not have them in my section, but those are amazing players and those are the matches you play for.”