Your French Open midterm grades:<\/p>\n
A<\/p>\n
Opportunity zones: No Jannik Sinner. No Carlos Alcaraz. No Novak Djokovic. One remaining male player (we\u2019re looking at you, Alexander Zverev) can win big. And those who lose (we\u2019re looking at you, Alexander Zverev) will view this as an extraordinary miss.<\/p>\n
The kids: After Fonseca beat Djokovic in five sets<\/a>, the average age on the men\u2019s side dropped considerably. It was already low thanks to Kouam\u00e9, Fonseca, J\u00f3dar and Learner Tien. And on the women\u2019s side, teenagers Iva Jovic and Victoria Mboko impressed.<\/p>\n Sorana C\u00eerstea: The Romanian veteran announced her plans to retire at the end of this season, and now can\u2019t stop winning. A 2009 quarterfinalist, she is angling to get there again after a 6\u20130, 6\u20130 win.<\/p>\n Iga \u015awi\u0105tek: Amid all the drama and heat talk, she is quietly rounding into form, seeking a fifth title at Roland Garros.<\/p>\n Players\u2019 protest: Within days of the players\u2019 15-minute media protest<\/a>, which sent a potent message about revenue sharing, the French federation promised a counterproposal, and both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open scrambled to set up meetings with the dissident player group.<\/p>\n Howard Fendrich: A top-shelf journalist<\/a> (and better guy) passed away at 55.<\/p>\n Serena Williams: See you on grass.<\/p>\n A-<\/p>\n The Cer\u00fandolo family: Juan Manuel Cer\u00fandolo scored the biggest tennis upset in years, defeating an exhausted Sinner in the second round. Meanwhile, older brother Francisco charged to victory on a smaller court, wondering where his family was. But then\u2014as one of the remaining faves\u2014Francisco fell to American Zachary Svajda. Juan Manuel, however, is still alive, advancing to the fourth round after a thrilling five-set battle. <\/p>\n Aussies: Kimberly Birrell and Adam Walton both upset top seeds, and the deserving Thanasi Kokkinakis won a match. Alex de Minaur and Daria Kasatkina won their matches, and now no Australians remain in the draw.<\/p>\n Jo\u00e3o Fonseca took down Novak Djokovic in five sets at Roland Garros. | Susan Mullane-Imagn Images<\/p>\n B<\/p>\n Novak Djokovic: He dropped a 2\u20130 sets lead for only the second time in his career, done in by age (39), an unnecessarily long second-round match and the sparse match play coming in. But he\u2019s still competitive, and Wimbledon beckons.<\/p>\n Americans: Defending quarterfinal points, Frances Tiafoe stayed alive and equipped. Svajda is into the second week of a major for the first time in his career (on the birthday of his late father, no less). Akasha Urhobo announced herself as a player to watch. And yet, there were some brutal losses, including the top American men, Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz, and Tommy Paul. Coco Gauff won nine consecutive matches at Roland Garros before being knocked out by Anastasia Potapova in the third round in a shaky three-set match. And Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova also exited in Week 1.<\/p>\n Andrea Pellegrino: The 29-year-old Italian made the main draw at Roland Garros, qualifying for a major for the first time after 17 tries. Perhaps exhausted, he then failed to win a set in his first-round match.<\/p>\n The hosts: The French women are hurting, literally and metaphorically. (The lone French player in the top 50, Lo\u00efs Boisson, fell in the first round.) But allez Diane Parry, zinging her one-hander into the fourth round. The men have shown more signs of life. In the absence of Arthur Fils\u2014who must really be bummed to miss this event given the Sinner and Alcaraz absences\u2014Kouam\u00e9 emerged as one of the world\u2019s best teenage talents.<\/p>\n B-<\/p>\n The one-handed backhand: Lorenzo Musetti didn\u2019t post, and Stan Wawrinka played at Roland Garros for the last time. Lilli Tagger fell in the first round, and Grigor Dimitrov didn\u2019t qualify, but the heart still beats faintly.<\/p>\n C<\/p>\n Tennis\u2019 response to heat: It might be unfashionable to say in some precincts, but the planet is getting warmer and warmer. And tennis\u2019s indifference\u2014best-of-five matches, little shade on the grounds and overpriced water\u2014isn\u2019t helping. We are glimpsing the future, and it doesn\u2019t bode well.<\/p>\n Courtside crap: Multiple players were felled by courtside objects that don\u2019t have to be there. Having these objects courtside is, above all, dangerous for the players. This is also totally unnecessary. (A tarp on the court for a 90-degree, cloudless day?) Brands show more interest in slathering their names on courtside boards and placards than in avoiding injury.<\/a><\/p>\n Jannik Sinner: The Roland Garros title (and only the Roland Garros title) remains elusive. Some players head to the therapist when they take a bad loss, he should head to the lab and try to biohack heat and humidity a bit better.<\/p>\n Elena Rybakina: The No. 2 seed lost the plot and lost her match against Yulia Starodubtseva, the biggest women\u2019s upset of Week 1.<\/p>\n Daniil Medvedev: The last player coming into the French Open to take a set off a Sinner? He fell to Adam Walton in the first round in a typically Medvedian affair, 6\u20132, 1\u20136, 6\u20131, 1\u20136, 6\u20134.<\/p>\n ENJOY WEEK 2, EVERYONE\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"Jo\u00e3o](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01kswzyz1fe1t5c9k17t.jpg\" "\\"Jo\u00e3o")
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