It’s too damn hot. Oppressive, infernal, oven-like heat was the story of the opening week at the 2026 French Open. Temperatures that would have melted the wings of Roland Garros’s planes. Feverish air that felled not only Jannik Sinner—the overwhelming favorite done in by, yes, a game opponent, but also the heat—but also fans, officials, ball kids and the overall vibe. The grounds were packed, yet we were desperate for fans—electric, oscillating ones.
There were high points, like 17-year-old French showstopper Moïse Kouamé, and the comparatively ancient 19-year-old João Fonseca and Spain’s Rafael Jódar (also 19). And a strong showing from the Ukrainian women, playing on and often speaking out amid their country’s invasion.
But the tennis itself often seemed less a sport than some form of attritional torture. Player after player retired or withdrew. Matches turned on heat tolerance, not rally tolerance. Stuck in their cocoon, attired with blinders (pick your metaphor), the adults don’t realize the patent absurdity of asking players to compete for four hours in a kiln, while subjecting fans to the same shadeless climes. (The old joke was that the fans in Paris were conspicuously absent from the prime seats because they revered their lunch. Now? The fans don’t watch in person because they revere their health.)
As the air cools, the matches, one hopes, heat up. With Sinner out, the men’s draw yawns open with opportunity and possibility. And most of the women’s favorites remain as well.
Your French Open midterm grades:
A
Opportunity zones: No Jannik Sinner. No Carlos Alcaraz. No Novak Djokovic. One remaining male player (we’re looking at you, Alexander Zverev) can win big. And those who lose (we’re looking at you, Alexander Zverev) will view this as an extraordinary miss.
The kids: After Fonseca beat Djokovic in five sets, the average age on the men’s side dropped considerably. It was already low thanks to Kouamé, Fonseca, Jódar and Learner Tien. And on the women’s side, teenagers Iva Jovic and Victoria Mboko impressed.
Sorana Cîrstea: The Romanian veteran announced her plans to retire at the end of this season, and now can’t stop winning. A 2009 quarterfinalist, she is angling to get there again after a 6–0, 6–0 win.
Iga Świątek: Amid all the drama and heat talk, she is quietly rounding into form, seeking a fifth title at Roland Garros.
Players’ protest: Within days of the players’ 15-minute media protest, 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.
Howard Fendrich: A top-shelf journalist (and better guy) passed away at 55.
Serena Williams: See you on grass.
A-
The Cerúndolo family: Juan Manuel Cerúndolo 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—as one of the remaining faves—Francisco fell to American Zachary Svajda. Juan Manuel, however, is still alive, advancing to the fourth round after a thrilling five-set battle.
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.
B
Novak Djokovic: He dropped a 2–0 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’s still competitive, and Wimbledon beckons.
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.
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.
The hosts: The French women are hurting, literally and metaphorically. (The lone French player in the top 50, Loïs 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—who must really be bummed to miss this event given the Sinner and Alcaraz absences—Kouamé emerged as one of the world’s best teenage talents.
B-
The one-handed backhand: Lorenzo Musetti didn’t post, and Stan Wawrinka played at Roland Garros for the last time. Lilli Tagger fell in the first round, and Grigor Dimitrov didn’t qualify, but the heart still beats faintly.
C
Tennis’ response to heat: It might be unfashionable to say in some precincts, but the planet is getting warmer and warmer. And tennis’s indifference—best-of-five matches, little shade on the grounds and overpriced water—isn’t helping. We are glimpsing the future, and it doesn’t bode well.
Courtside crap: Multiple players were felled by courtside objects that don’t 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.
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.
Elena Rybakina: The No. 2 seed lost the plot and lost her match against Yulia Starodubtseva, the biggest women’s upset of Week 1.
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, 6–2, 1–6, 6–1, 1–6, 6–4.
