AGENCIES

The first week of the French Open was shaped less by predictable form and more by extreme heat that disrupted matches and altered outcomes across both draws. High temperatures in Paris made conditions physically demanding, and several matches were decided as much by endurance as by skill, with long rallies becoming harder to sustain and recovery between points visibly affected.

One of the most notable exits was of defending champion Coco Gauff, who lost a tight three-set match to Anastasia Potapova. Gauff had chances during the contest but struggled to convert key points, allowing Potapova to stay competitive and eventually close out the match. Her departure added to a wider pattern of early upsets that reshaped expectations for the tournament.

The men’s draw was even more heavily affected. Carlos Alcaraz was already absent due to injury, and both Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic were eliminated in demanding conditions that highlighted the physical toll of the first week, with their exits opening up the competition significantly.

In contrast, world number one Aryna Sabalenka maintained control through the opening rounds. Her straight-sets win over Daria Kasatkina stood out as one of the more stable performances during a period of widespread inconsistency among seeded players. Sabalenka’s ability to avoid extended matches helped her manage the conditions more effectively than many of her rivals.

With top names gone, attention shifted to players who adapted better physically and tactically. Younger players also benefited from the disrupted field, with Joao Fonseca among those gaining experience in later rounds after notable wins.

As the tournament moved into its second week, weather forecasts suggest slightly cooler temperatures, which may reduce the physical strain that dominated early matches. This shift is expected to allow matches to be decided more by sustained rallying and tactical execution rather than survival under extreme heat.

However, there seemed to be no let-up from the trend of the first week, as four-time champion Iga Swiatek was eliminated in the fourth round on Sunday, with the Polish third seed going down 7-5, 6-1 to Ukrainian 15th seed Marta Kostyuk.

The remaining rounds now focus on which players can adapt consistently in more manageable conditions and maintain performance across longer matches as the tournament approaches its final stages.