Day 3 of the 2026 French Open brought another round of intense heat to Roland Garros, and just like day 1 and 2, high temperatures continuing to test players’ fitness and concentration. While some top contenders began to find their stride, the day was highlighted by a feel-good story for the home crowd, a significant upset in the men’s draw, and several seeded players exiting early.
World No.1 Jannik Sinner made his debut on Court Philippe-Chatrier for 2026, and delivered an (as expected) commanding straight-sets victory. The Italian dismantled French wildcard Clément Tabur 6-1, 6-3, 6-4, firing 40 winners and never facing a break point. It was a clinical performance that extended his strong clay-court form.
Embed from Getty ImagesOn the women’s side, defending champion Coco Gauff opened her title defence with a solid 6-4, 6-0 win over compatriot and friend Taylor Townsend. Gauff’s morning had an unusual start, however. “We kind of got in a mini car accident on my way to the site today,” she explained with a laugh. “There’s this pole thing, and it’s supposed to go down. And the police told him to go, and the pole was still there so we ran into it.” Despite the minor pre-match hiccup, the American stayed composed once play began and will face Egyptian qualifier Mayar Sherif next.
Second seed Aryna Sabalenka followed a familiar script in her opening match, overcoming some early rust to defeat Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro, who is having a terrible season, 6-4, 6-2. The Belarusian admitted the challenge of settling in: “The first matches are always the trickiest ones because you’re trying to see where you’re at and trying to get used to conditions and kind of fight the nerves and everything. The more I play, the further I get in the tournament, the more comfortable I get, my level becomes better. Emotions-wise, the first one is always the tricky one.”
Embed from Getty ImagesThe biggest shock (sort of) of the day came on Court Suzanne Lenglen, where Australian qualifier Adam Walton defeated sixth seed Daniil Medvedev in a fluctuating five-set battle, 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4. Walton rallied from a 2-4 deficit in the final set to take the last four games, handing Medvedev yet another disappointing first-round exit in Paris — his seventh in ten attempts.
France finally had reason to cheer when 17-year-old wild card Moïse Kouamé became the youngest man to win a Grand Slam match in 17 years. The Paris-born prospect edged past former US Open champion Marin Čilić 7-6(4), 6-2, 6-1 in front of a delighted home crowd on Court Simonne-Mathieu. Kouamé showed impressive composure in the opening tiebreak before pulling away decisively. “Is a good achievement,” he said afterward. “Of course the most important is ahead. So now the head is focused on recovering and be ready as much as possible for the next round.” Coached by Richard Gasquet, the teenager will now face Adolfo Daniel Vallejo.
Fourth seed Félix Auger-Aliassime survived a marathon five-set struggle against Germany’s Daniel Altmaier, prevailing 4-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(7) after more than four hours. The Canadian had to dig deep to come through the super tiebreak in the decider. Other men’s seeds had mixed fortunes: Stefanos Tsitsipas advanced when Alexandre Muller retired early, while Learner Tien continued his strong form with a convincing win, as did Luciano Darderi and Valentin Vacherot. However, upsets claimed Alexander Bublik (defeated by Jan-Lennard Struff), Corentin Moutet (lost to Vit Kopriva), and Tallon Griekspoor.
In the women’s draw, the biggest shock saw Australian qualifier Kimberly Birrell come from a set down to stun fifth seed Jessica Pegula 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 in what is surely her biggest win. Iva Jović also impressed in a battle of young talents, defeating Alexandra Eala. Several other seeds, including Naomi Osaka, Madison Keys, and Victoria Mboko progressed safely.
Embed from Getty ImagesWith the second round about to get underway, the tournament is beginning to open up, and there are plenty of exciting match-ups to come.
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