New Delhi: The first big upset in men’s singles came on the second day of the French Open 2025 as fourth seed American Taylor Fritz suffered a stunning first-round exit on Monday. World No. 66 Daniel Altmaier of Germany stunned Fritz 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 at Court Simonne-Mathieu in two hours and 41 minutes to send shockwaves across the tennis world.
In another opening-round upset, 10th seed Paula Badosa rallied from a set down to beat Naomi Osaka in women’s singles.
Taylor Fritz second big casualty on Day 2
Following 9th seed Emma Navarro’s sensational exit after a tame 0-6, 1-6 defeat to Bouzas Maneiro in a women’s singles first-round clash earlier on Monday, Fritz became the second top 10-seeded player to crash out in the opener.
Altmaier gave Fritz a taste of his own medicine by delivering a strong performance filled with powerful ground strokes. The German made a good start by winning the opening set 7-5, but Fritz bounced back strongly to take the second set. However, Fritz failed to capitalise on the momentum and gave an opening to the underdog, who steamrolled the American to take the next two sets and eventually the match.
The 26-year-old German has a knack for registering upset wins. In the 2020 French Open, he stunned then-World No. 8 Matteo Berrettini. Two years later, he defeated current World No. 1 Jannik Sinner at the same tournament.
In women’s singles, 10th seed Badosa stunned Japan’s four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka after fighting back from a set down. Despite losing the opening set in an intense tie-break, the Spaniard found her rhythm to defeat Osaka 6-7, 6-1, 6-4 in two hours and 21 minutes.
Badosa later explained how a newly installed footprint of Rafael Nadal, her Spanish compatriot and the 14-time champion at Roland Garros, inspired her to fight back from the first-set loss.
Roland Garros, on Sunday, organised a special farewell for Nadal, who retired in 2024 after a glorious career, and unveiled a plaque on court bearing his footprint and signature.
French Open 2025: American fourth seed became the second seeded player in top 10 to suffer a first-round exit on Day 2 at the Roland Garros. Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
