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Vallejo nets a putaway he ought to have monstered, and you can’t be handing Kouame gifts like that – a terrific backhand cross-court raises both a break-back point and the pressure. Back on 16, Jovic stops the rot, holding for 6-0 4-3, while Osaka breaks Vekic to 15 for a 7-6 2-2 lead … and Vallejo saves another break-back with a booming backhand cross, but must still pass through deuce to retain his advantage.
It takes him a while, but Vallejo eventually endorses his break for 3-6 2-0, Kouame still at it, and, on Mathieu, Vekic needs some time to secure her hold in the first game of set two; she trails Osaka 6-7 1-0. Oh, and on 14, Navarro makes it three games on the bounce, holding, just, to trail Jovic 0-6 3-3
On Chatrier, Sinner breaks Cerundolo Jr immediately for 2-0. He’s my dark horse to make the final.
Now then! Navarro gets herself on the board at 0-6 1-3, then makes 30-40 … and is that a sign of stress? Jovic flaps a forehand way wide and, after winning the first nine games, she’s lost two on the spin and we’re back on serve in the second, the match still in the balance.
Yup, Vekic nets a backhand and Osaka leads 7-6 while, on Lenglen, Vallejo breaks Kouame at the start of set two to trail 3-6 1-0. Otherwise, moving around the courts, Cobolli now leads Wu 6-4 1-2; Tien leads Diaz Acosta 7-5 1-1; Faria leads Struff 7-5; and Svajda leads Walton 6-3 4-4.
Gosh, Osaka is all over Vekic now, rushing to a 6-0 breaker lead, and though a drop retrieves a point, this is a depressing way to lose a set – even if it’s been in the post for a few games now.
We’ll soon be underway on Chatrier, where Sinner faces Cerudolo – I guess I’ll join that match when Jovic has finished with Navarro, her lead 6-0 3-0. Her shot-selection is really excellent, especially given her commitment to attack – she rarely reaches for one that isn’t there, and there aren’t many who can play better than she is this morning.
Vekic has lost the run of herself, gifting two set points after Osaka holds for 6-5. So she marches on to a forehand and unloads, a winner making 30-40, then, sending down a second serve that sits up nicely, watches the overhit return fly long. That’s a big missed opportunity then, when she arranges another, a wide serve and line backhand restore deuce; excellent work from Vekic. An ace follows, and from there, she closes out the hold; a breaker will settle things.
Back with Kouame, he’s up advantage, takes control of the next rally, and a deep backhand incites Vallejo to net on the forehand! The 17-year-old takes the first set 6-3, with two breaks, and Lenglen is jumping!
Kouame holds for 5-3, then makes 30-40 and set point; Vallejo saves it well, serving out wide then putting away a shoulder-high volley. But he’s soon down advantage, Kouame missing his backhand down the line to restore deuce, but Vallejo shanks his forehand so back round we go. Meantime, Jovic outlasts Navarro in a protracted game on 14, taking her sixth break point to leads 6-0 2-0. She’s taking an experienced top-10 talent to the absolute cleaners.
Updated at 06.03 EDT
Osaka makes 0-15, then a double, the first of the match, gives her a serious sniff; this might be a turning point. So Vekic slams down an ace, her first of the match, a return goes long, and this is a decent response … but a fine return from Osaka raises break-back point then, out of nowhere, she ups the pace, an inside-out backhand to the corner the shot of the match so far. We’re level at 5-5, and this is brewing into a very acceptable contest.
Talking of Vekic and Osaka, the former is about to serve for set one at 5-4, still in charge but probably second-best in terms of play now. Otherwise, Cobolli leads Wu 6-4, Tien is about to serve for the set against Diaz Acosta at 5-4, and Svajda leads Walton 6-3 0-2.
On Mathieu, Jovic has bagelled Navarro, and might she be a threat to win this title, this year? What I enjoy about her in particular is her attitude – she looks to dominate and does, but if she’s behind in the rally, she’s certain she can work her way back into it. There’s not much she can’t do, really, and if she were to win today, then beat Vekic or Osaka, she’d probably face Sabalenka in round four. That could be quite a contest.
At 30-all, Kouame hooks a forehand wide, his first proper error … so he plays a gorgeous backhand drop to save break point …then punishes a backhand winner down the line for advantage … then seizes momentum in the next rally with a backhand … only to net the follow-up forehand. But you can see that at 17, his tennis brain is seriously precocious, and a ludicrous forehand, taken early and sent cross-court to the opposite corner, restores advantage. Again, he can’t see it out, but increasingly, I’m convinced we’re watching a superstar. As I type, he flings down an ace, then dashes in to sweep a forehand cross, and the break is thusly endorsed, Kouame up 4-2.
Given how much tennis I watch, and it’s a fair bit, I’ve not seen loads of Jovic, but I’m certain that’ll be addressed over the next decade or two. She’s started beautifully here, up 4-0 on Navarro – still feeling her way back after taking a career break to refresh:
double quotation markI think it should be normalised. The circuit is very tough, long, and exhausting. Fans see us on TV for an hour and a half every few days, and that’s pretty much all they see of many things we do on and off the court. So yes, there is a lot involved in trying to be at the top level in your sport, and it requires constant care of the body and mind. It takes a toll, without a doubt.
It’s important to normalise it and take a break if necessary. I tried to step back from the circuit and didn’t follow the results or watch any tennis matches when I wasn’t playing. I just wanted to feel like a normal person, a person who wasn’t playing tennis, rather than a tennis player. I spent a lot of time with my family and friends at home and, well, yes, I managed to feel quite normal. That was really nice. Yes, it made me appreciate many things when returning to the circuit.”
These are important words. Of course there are worse things to do for a living than travel the world playing tennis, but that doesn’t mean it should be an endurance test with domestic consequences.
Elsewhere, Cobolli leads Wu 3-2 with a break; Tien leads Diaz Acosta 3-2 with a break; and Svajda leads Walton 5-2.
Righto, I’m watching Vekic 3-1 Osaka; Jovic 3-0 Navarro; and Kouame 3-2 Vallejo – and the younger of the two youngsters has just broken.
Perhaps in response to the heat, Naomi Osaka opted for a smaller white coloured bottom for her on court arrival outfit today. Photograph: Yoan Valat/EPAShare
Updated at 06.06 EDT
Preamble
Salut à tout le monde et bienvenue à Roland-Garros 2026 – cinquième jour! Et oh là là, quel tennis nous attend!
We begin today with a raft of compelling contests. Naomi Osaka takes on Donna Vekic and Iva Jovic meets Emma Navrro, with Flavio Cobolli, Learner Tien and Zach Svajda also in action. But the most exciting among the exciting is to be found on Lenglen, where Moise Kouame, the 17-year-old local boy whose destruction of Marin Cilic made him the hero of round one, addresses Adolfo Daniel Vallejo in what looks an exceedingly winnable matchup.
Soon after, Jannik Sinner takes to the clay against Juan Manuel Cerúndolo – whose seeded older brother faces Hugo Gaston later in the day. But while that’s going on, we might easily be distracted, given the appearances of Amanda Anisimova, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Madison Keys and Felix Auger-Aliassime – whose battle with Jorge Burruchaga’s son will engage football fans of a certain medieval.
Then, as the day continues, we’ve got the first appearance of Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara, former men’s doubles champions at Wimbledon and in Melbourne; Victoria Mboko against Katarina Siniakova; with Ben Shelton, Anna Kalinskaya and Katie Boulter also in action. Or, in other words, quelqu’un aurait-il des yeux de rechange?
Chauette! On y va!