A record three Italians battle into men’s quarterfinals
Even without their two top-ranked players in the second week in Paris - the beaten Jannik Sinner and the injured Lorenzo Musetti - the Italians are still breaking records here this year.
Flavio Cobolli, Matteo Berrettini and Matteo Arnaldi all won on Monday to guarantee three Italian men in the quarterfinals at the same Grand Slam for the first time in the Open era.
Cobolli was the first on court and held it together long enough to get over the line in four sets against American Zach Svajda. The 24-year-old watched his 5-1 fourth set lead vanish before sealing it in a tiebreak. Afterwards he admitted he was close to needing a fresh pair of shorts if things had got any more tense.
Berrettini’s is a story of passion and perseverance as the 30-year-old has battled one injury after another to return to the last eight at a major for the first time since the 2022 US Open. He came back from 6-3 down in the third set tiebreak en route to a 6-3, 7-6(2), 7-6(6) win over Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
Arnaldi survived a late-night thriller against Frances Tiafoe, somehow recovering from 4-1 double break down in the fourth set before scrambling home 6-4 in the decider for a first Grand Slam quarterfinal and his second successive five-set victory.
Arnaldi has spent 17 hours and 42 minutes on court so far - one hour and 58 minutes longer than any other man has taken to make the quarter-finals at any Grand Slam since the ATP began recording match times in 1991. The Italians are guaranteed at least one semifinalist as the two Matteos square off in the last eight.
The highest ranked man in the top half of the draw, No.4 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime played his cleanest match of the tournament so far, beating Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo in straight sets to book a Wednesday date with Cobolli.
World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka stole the limelight among the women in action on Monday when she produced a sublime serving display - and all-round performance - to beat fellow four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka 7-5, 6-3 in the Chatrier night match.
Her next opponent will be Diana Shnaider who dominated American No.19 seed Madison Keys in the deciding set 6-0 to book a spot in the last eight at a Grand Slam for the first time.
Anna Kalinskaya enjoyed the tightest win of the day when she recovered to beat Anastasia Potapova in a deciding tiebreak on Court Suzanne-Lenglen. Twice Potapova served for the match at 5-4 and 6-5 in the third set and was ahead 4-1 in the deciding tiebreak before Kalinskaya rallied to win 6-4, 2-6, 7-6[10-7].
Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska continued her incredible Paris fairytale by winning her seventh match here against Frenchwoman Diane Parry 6-3, 6-2 on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
On Monday the wheelchair draws were made as the best players in the world gathered to discover their routes to Grand Slam silverware over the next few days. Wheelchair events start Tuesday and run to Saturday.
The junior events are also being played out alongside the pro draws this week and Chris Oddo met the top seed in the boys’ singles, Brazil’s ‘Guto’ Miguel, who said he is drawing inspiration from his countryman and friend Joao Fonseca.
Our neighbours here, football team Paris Saint-Germain, dropped in with their Champions League trophy, while Arsenal fan and RG writer Alex Sharp (don’t mention the football…) investigated the newest trend of players travelling to tennis tournaments with their dogs.
We move into the quarterfinals on Tuesday with two men’s matches and two women’s contests packing the Chatrier schedule.
As ever, Alix Ramsay has done a fine job of setting the scene ahead of Day 10 in the French capital.
ROLAND-GARROS
18 May - 7 June 2026
