Richard Gasquet won just seven games Thursday in his second-round match at Roland Garros against Jannik Sinner, but the Frenchman shared a wide smile with his home crowd as he departed Court Philippe-Chatrier. 7 player in the PIF ATP Ranking's career, and he was thrilled to compete on one of the sport's most famous stages once more. “I couldn't dream more to play on this court, Chatrier, against the No. It's the perfect end for me. Of course, I would like to win, but it's not easy to win for me now against Sinner. “But to finish there, I would sign when I start the tournament to finish on a packed court, on a packed Chatrier with the French crowd. You May Also Like: Gasquet's final farewell: Bidding adieu to tennis' French artiste The 38-year-old broke onto the scene as a junior, so much so that he was on the cover of France's Tennis Magazine as a nine-year-old. Gasquet set the record of youngest ATP Tour match winner as a 15-year-old — a mark he still holds — and more than 23 years later was still competing at the highest level. “It's a little strange, because there is no stress tomorrow. So this is the most astonishing thing. I've got my mind just telling me that I've got to recover and rest,” Gasquet said. “But I'm very calm about the decision to stop, and I'm very happy to stop today on this court against the No. The Frenchman reached three major semi-finals and won 16 ATP Tour titles during his illustrious career. “I played all my life with a lot of crowd, and I tried my best to compete, and it was [an] amazing feeling to face these great players in great arenas, in Roland Garros, US Open, Wimbledon. I was really fortunate and really lucky to just play tennis on the circuit for a long time,” Gasquet said. It's a little bit weird for me. I have wonderful memories for the rest of my life, and that's the main thing,” Gasquet said. “Of course there are matches that you'd love to play again. But I'm lucky to have had a wonderful career and that I was able to fulfill myself as a tennis player.” Gasquet is universally respected by his peers, and Sinner remained on court to pay his respects to the one-handed backhand artist after the match, when Roland Garros hosted an emotional ceremony paying tribute to the 38-year-old. Rafael Nadal, who grew up with Gasquet, shared his thoughts on social media. Since we were kids we have shared so many moments together on and off the court. Throughout your great career your talent has been recognized worldwide and I am happy that today you were able to say goodbye to tennis in such a special place as @rolandgarros. Gasquet will not pick up his racquet again professionally. But just like he loved hitting the tennis ball from a young age, the Frenchman with the most tour-level wins on record according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index (610) looks forward to playing for fun. So now I will do it again just for the love of tennis and just to play tennis, you know, even if it's not professional. There is still a life for me, even if I stopped,” Gasquet said. “I don't know when or what I will do exactly in the future, but just to play tennis with friends, it's enough. I just like to play tennis.” No part of this site may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way or by any means (including photocopying, recording or storing it in any medium by electronic means), without the written permission of ATP Tour, Inc.. Terms & Conditions | Privacy | Community Social Media Policy | Modern Slavery Statement | Feedback | Cookies | Your Privacy Choices

Two-time Grand Slam finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas has hired former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanišević as his new coach. Tsitsipas' father, Apostolos, who has been in his coaching box at recent events, will not be part of his coaching team at least initially, according to a report in Greek outlet SDNA. A representative for Ivanišević confirmed this element of the partnership to The Athletic, and said that Ivanišević will work full-time with Tsitsipas for a substantial number of weeks per year. Ivanišević believes Tsitsipas should be in the world's top 10 and has always got on well with him when their paths have crossed on tour. Tsitsipas later confirmed the “new coaching partnership” on social media. “Things have definitely changed over the last couple of years, and I know that I find myself in a completely different position now. Tsitsipas, 26, has spent much of the last year trying to rediscover the form and love for tennis that made him look like a potential Grand Slam champion when he burst onto the scene seven years ago. In August 2024, he took the radical step of removing his father from his coaching team after a surprise defeat to Japan's Kei Nishikori, then the world No. Tsitsipas has since worked with Greece's Davis Cup captain, Dimitris Chatzinikolaou. He also switched rackets in search of a winning formula, but could not say what the new one was for contractual reasons. His 2025 results have largely remained underwhelming — save for winning February's Dubai Tennis Championships in the United Arab Emirates — as he seeks a return to the early days of his career, when he thrilled the tennis world with his flair and shotmaking ability. When he returned to clay, which is his preferred surface, Tsitsipas suffered a disappointing quarterfinal loss to Lorenzo Musetti at the Monte Carlo Masters in Monaco. He then lost to Musetti again at the Madrid Open, before losing to Arthur Fils at the Italian Open in Rome. As a coach, 2001 Wimbledon champion Ivanišević is best known for the six seasons he spent with Novak Djokovic, in which the Serb won 12 Grand Slam titles. Ivanišević then briefly worked with fellow Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina at the start of 2025, but they parted following her fourth-round exit at the Australian Open. The split came after it became clear that Rybakina was still working with her previous coach, Stefano Vukov. Vukov has since been given a one-year ban by the WTA for breaching its code of conduct with his behavior, which chief executive Portia Archer described as amounting to “engaging in abuse of authority and abusive conduct.” It's felt as though Tsitsipas has been searching for his tennis identity ever since Carlos Alcaraz thrashed him at the 2022 French Open. “I do need a bit more of that Tsitsipas in my game. I'm trying to reinvent myself with that fearlessness,” he told The Athletic a month after being beaten 6-2, 6-1, 7-6(5) by a 19-year-old Alcaraz, referring to the early part of his career. Being pummelled by the next big thing in men's tennis, having held and then lost that title himself, hurt Tsitsipas. Tsitsipas has found himself confined to an awkward spot somewhere just below the very top, along with fellow “sandwich generation” members like Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev — though Medvedev has claimed the major title that has eluded the other two. As he approaches his 27th birthday in August, it makes sense for Tsitsipas to try something different. He's worked with Australian Wimbledon finalist Mark Philippoussis before, but bringing on a coach of Ivanišević's stature feels like a significant shakeup. Ivanišević too will relish this opportunity, after a difficult period working with Rybakina and the end of what was a very successful but at times volatile partnership with Djokovic. Like Tsitsipas, Ivanišević lost his first two Grand Slam finals. Tsistipas has not reached the semifinals of a major since he lost to Djokovic in Melbourne just over two years ago. Tsitsipas will be desperate for a similar uptick in his fortunes. 3 in 2021 — but his backhand has long hamstrung him away from clay, particularly when returning serve. If Ivanišević can tighten some of the aspects where Tsitsipas has been struggling, and help with the mental side of how to go from nearly man to champion, then men's tennis could have one of its most exciting players back on song. He joined in 2019 after five years writing about football and tennis at The Telegraph.

Joao Fonseca sealed his spot in the third round at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in his fledgling career Thursday at Roland Garros, where he earned a hard-fought straight-sets win. The 18-year-old Brazilian battled through a pendulum-swinging contest, in which he overturned a break deficit in the opening two sets, to defeat wild card Pierre-Hugues Herbert 7-6(4), 7-6(4), 6-4. Fonseca channeled the energy from a lively crowd on Court 14, and dug deep in pressure points to secure a two-hour, 54-minute victory. Fonseca is this week up 11 spots to a career-high No. He has enjoyed a breakout start to the season, highlighted by winning his maiden tour-level title in Buenos Aires in February and recording his maiden Top 10 win against Andrey Rublev at the Australian Open. By defeating 30th seed Hubert Hurkacz in his Roland Garros debut on Tuesday, Fonseca became the youngest Brazilian to win a match at the clay-court major since Thomaz Koch in 1963. He will next continue his campaign in the French capital against fifth seed Jack Draper or Gael Monfils. He saved three set points on serve at 4-5 in the second set, and led 3/0 in the tie-break, but Fonseca kept coming back with a series of trademark groundstrokes. Yet Fonseca displayed standout resilience and fighting spirit in key moments, including an ultimately decisive break for 4-3 in the third set. Herbert is a two-time doubles champion at Roland Garros with Nicolas Mahut, with whom he will team on Thursday against fourth seeds and last year's finalists Simone Bolelli/Andrea Vavassori. No part of this site may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way or by any means (including photocopying, recording or storing it in any medium by electronic means), without the written permission of ATP Tour, Inc..

Jack Draper, Katie Boulter, Cam Norrie and Jacob Fearnley are all in action and looking to make it intl the third round. She was blown away in straight sets by Iga Swiatek yesterday, although the 2021 US Open champion vowed to keep striving to compete with the world's best despite now going five matches against the Pole without claiming a set. Elsewhere, Novak Djokovic and world No.1 Jannik Sinner will continue their bids after Carlos Alcaraz got through yesterday. Express Sport brings you all the latest scores, news, and updates from Paris below... This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. After ending his career with a three-set defeat to Jannik Sinner on Court Philippe-Chatrier, former world No. 7 Richard Gasquet said it was a great way to bow out of the game. "I couldn't have dreamt of a better end, because, you know, you never know what could happen on your last tournament. It's not always easy everywhere, every day," he said. "So to finish today on Chatrier against the No. 1 in the world, it's a wonderful end for me. After Emma Raducanu's 6-1 6-2 loss to Iga Swiatek, Katie Boulter also failed to score a win on the main showcourt. 1 suffered a 6-1 6-3 defeat to seventh seed Madison Keys. But it's good news for Cameron Norrie, who beat lucky loser Federico Gomez 7-6 6-2 6-1. To Court Suzanne-Lenglen, where Novak Djokovic takes on eccentric Frenchman Corentin Moutet. But three-time champion Djokovic also drew a massive cheer. The atmosphere could be wild for this one. It took a lengthy tiebreak, but Cameron Norrie took a one-set lead in his match against Federico Agustin Gomez. Madison Keys and Katie Boulter will go head-to-head at the French Open shortly, but Laura Robson, who is good friends with both, refused to be drawn in on who she'd rather win. Speaking on TNT Sports, she said: "I am Switzerland," a nod to her neutrality. Blink and you miss Jannik Sinner's victory over Richard Gasquet. Jannik Sinner is heading towards a three-set win over Richard Gasquet. He raced through to take the first two sets 6-3 6-0. On a day of upsets at the French Open, home favourite Arthur Fils made sure he wouldn't be one of the top players going out. De Minaur and Mensik had already lost from two sets up and the 14th seed also blew a two-set lead against Jaume Munar and seemed to be struggling with a back issue, taking painkillers. But from 1-3 down in the decider he won three games in a row before being pulled into a marathon battle at 4-4, saving multiple break points to pull ahead. He broke in the final game to seal a 7-6(3) 7-6(4) 2-6 0-6 6-4 victory, taking his shirt off and roaring in celebration. Britain's Sonay Kartal suffered a 6-1 6-4 defeat to Marie Bouzkova in the second round on Thursday, bringing her French Open singles debut to an end. "Obviously super disappointed with the result, but I'll look back at that match, and I'll think that it was a super good level. "I did it in the match and I think that towards the end, I kind of had a few chances, struggled with the serve, but I think in that second set, we were were neck and neck, and it was just a matter of just one or two points that I played a little bit loosely. I think just consistently staying with it and not dipping off, I think, is for me, probably the most noticeable thing and the hardest thing. Alexander Zverev made a six-figure bet with Caroline Wozniacki on live TV after his first-round match at the French Open. Ahead of his meeting with Jesper De Jong, Zverev appeared on TNT Sports and showed off his £275k watch. Wozniacki guessed a number, but luckily for Zverev, who currently leads Jesper De Jong 4-3 in the third set (one set all), she didn't guess right. Alex de Minaur suffered a horrible collapse against the dangerous Alexander Bublik, blowing a two-set lead to lose 2-6 2-6 6-4 6-3 6-2. And Miami Open champion Jakub Mensik has also suffered a collapse from two sets up. The 19th seed lost 2-6 1-6 6-4 6-3 6-3 to qualifier Henrique Rocha, who is ranked down at No. After a straight sets defeat by Jiri Lehecka, he said: "Unfortunately, with the ATP schedule and how s*** it is, we can't afford to take breaks because you let other people just have an opportunity to pass you on the rankings and get more prize money. "I mean, you are there for an eternity. It feels like a couple of times I've made the doubles final and I've been in the same city for over 17 days, and we're at one tournament." Coash Mark Petchey has warned Emma Raducanu that the sport is different from when she won the 2021 US Open. After her loss to Iga Swiatek, Petchey said: "It was clearly going to be the ultimate test for Emma yesterday. “It's tough on Emma as I still feel everyone is living in 2021. “On hard courts and grass is a lot closer compared to where Emma was in Australia against Iga, but against Iga and Coco, she knows what she has to do and it will take a long time. My mantra to her has been ‘you are starting your career now. There was a record six British players in the second round of the French Open, but now just four remain. Sonay Kartal gets a break of serve in the second set but can't capitalise as Marie Bouzkova fights back to win 6-1 6-4. She was blown away 6-1 in the first set. Carlos Alcaraz remains the favourite with the bookies at Roland Garros after winning through to a third round match with Damir Dzumhur. Grosvenor Sport: French Open winner odds: Carlos Alcaraz 10/11; Jannik Sinner 12/5; Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev 11/1; Lorenzo Musetti 20/1; Jack Draper 30/1. Tim Henman has said Emma Raducanu must learn from her 6-1 602 defeat to Iga Siwatek. "Swiatek is a four-time champion here," he said on TNT Sports. She has extra power on both wings, her movement in and out of corners is a bit better. Fans on social media are blasting the decision not to have Novak Djokovic on the main court today. The Serbian is targeting an unprecedented 25th major title. However, he'll play the talented Corentin Moutet on Court Suzanne-Lenglen. Casper Ruud has blamed the ATP Tour for playing through injury in his shock against Nuno Borges yesterday. After the seventh seed lost in four sets, he ranted: "I decided to kind of push through it doing some anti-inflammatory pills and painkillers, which helped to a certain degree but not enough. You feel you're obligated to play with certain rules that the ATP have set up with the mandatory events." Emma Raducanu's post-match actions after losing to Iga Swiatek were noted with interest by Annabel Croft. The former WTA Tour star said: "That was quite a cold handshake. Once Iga Swiatek got a breakthrough in this match, she just stamped her authority on it." Good morning and welcome back to our live coverage of the French Open. Thursday, 29th May 2025See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. Daily Express uses notifications to keep you updated

Gabriel Diallo of Canada plays a forehand return to Karen Khachanov of Russia during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. PARIS - Montrea's Gabriel Diallo is out of the French Open following a 7-5, 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-3 loss to Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands in second-round action Thursday. Diallo came back from 4-1 down in the second set and had a chance to break and go up 5-4, but Griekspoor held with back-to-back aces and won five straight points in the tiebreak to take a 2-0 lead in the match. The 23-year-old Diallo, who entered the French Open one spot off his career high at No. 54, won his first-ever match at the clay court Grand Slam when he upset No. Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., the last Canadian in the men's singles draw, was scheduled to face Austrian qualifier Filip Misolic later Thursday. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2025. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular images. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers:

The Australian ninth seed had reached the quarter-finals at each of the past four Grand Slams but he ran out of steam against Bublik, who rallied to win 2-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. "Obviously not a good day at the office," lamented De Minaur. De Minaur fell victim to the mercurial Kazakh's exceptional shotmaking as his clay-court season ended in disappointment and with the 26-year-old needing to recharge. I'm a little bit burnt out, if anything. A lot of tennis being played," he said. Looking back at my Grand Slam career, I can't think of another match where I felt this way and I ended up losing a match that I probably by all means shouldn't have. "Look, not to take credit away from Bublik, he's extremely dangerous, but saying that, I was also two sets to love up. This is a match that, yeah, I win 99.9% of the time." World number eight Ruud compared it to "a rat race" which forces players to compete with injuries, as he was hindered by a knee issue in his to loss Nuno Borges. De Minaur missed three Masters 1000 events in the second half of last year due to injury and took just two days off after the Davis Cup in November before starting preparations for the new season. "It's just never ending," he said of the schedule. "Because what's going to happen is players' careers are going to get shorter and shorter because they're just going to burn out mentally.

On a day with nine American women in action, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula lived up to their seedings, each advancing with straight-set wins. It was Throwback Thursday for the American women at Roland Garros. The last time, as discerning tennis fans no doubt know, it was Venus and Serena Williams. Gauff and Pegula both eased into the third round with straight-set wins. Pegula got things started on Court Philippe Chatrier, defeating fellow American Ann Li 6-3, 7-6 (3). Gauff followed up on Court Suzanne Lenglen with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Czech Republic qualifier Tereza Valentova. Later, Keys was a 6-1, 6-3 winner over Katie Boulter. She's now won all of her nine Grand Slam matches this year. In a typically smooth, consistent performance, Pegula broke Li's serve three times, while saving six of seven break points against her. “It was a really tough match today,” Pegula said afterward. “Ann has been playing some really good tennis this year and had a lot of close matches with good players. This was Pegula's 30th match-win of the year -- only World No. Pegula is 10-5 at Roland Garros, but nine of those wins have come against unseeded opponents. Next up for the 31-year-old Pegula: unseeded Marketa Vondrousova, a three-set winner over No. 25 Magdalena Frech, in a third-round match on Saturday. This was their first meeting at the WTA level, but Li won their only previous match seven years ago in an ITF semifinal in Lexington. 55, was looking to equal her best career result at a Grand Slam. After spotting Li a 2-0 lead in the first set, Pegula went on to win six of the last seven games. The second set was a far different story. There were still no breaks when Pegula served at 4-all, but the persistent Li forged two break opportunities. Pegula answered them both -- with a gorgeous running forehand down the line and a booming serve that led to another winner. She scored the first mini-break when a Li backhand sailed wide and consolidated it with some nice serving. A deep backhand that Li couldn't pick up at net gave her the match. Not surprisingly, age and experience eventually won out over a player in her first WTA Tour-level main draw. At 21, Gauff is three years older and used her speed to induce Valentova to try and end long rallies by overhitting. Gauff managed to hold once -- and it was enough. In the end, Valentova won only one of her nine service games. Gauff has won 12 of her13 career meetings against younger opponents, losing to only Diana Shnaider in Toronto last season. Gauff will play Marie Bouzkova, a 6-1, 6-4 winner over Sonay Kartal, on Saturday. 38 player in the PIF WTA rankings, breaking Boulter's serve five times, while getting broken only once herself. At 30, Keys is the oldest woman to win nine consecutive Grand Slam matches since Angelique Kerber did it seven years ago. On a day with nine American women in action, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula lived up to their seedings, each advancing with straight-set wins.

Stefanos Tsitsipas suffered another shocking Grand Slam defeat at the 2025 French Open. Things started well, as Tsitsipas beat Argentina's Tomas Martin Etcheverry in his opening match, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4. After such a tough defeat, it was clear Tsitsipas had some big decisions to make, and it looks like he hasn't wasted any time in doing so. It has now been reported that the 26-year-old will be hiring a former Wimbledon champion to his coaching team, as he looks to surge back up the rankings. Greek media outlet SDNA has reported that Tsitsipas is set to bring in 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic as his coach. Ivanisevic is expected to act as Tsitsipas' head coach and will begin working with the world number 20 next week. Their collaboration will initially begin as a trial, with their first tournament together set to be the Halle Open, which begins on June 16. Ivanisevic has real pedigree as a coach, leading both Marin Cilic and Novak Djokovic to Grand Slam success. Winning his first Major title as a coach, Ivanisevic worked with his fellow Croat, Cilic, at the 2014 US Open, where he took down Roger Federer and Kei Nishikori en route to the title. Working together, Ivanisevic and Djokovic won nine Grand Slam titles before parting ways in March 2024. Their partnership was short-lived, however, as Ivanisevic departed Rybakina's team shortly after the Australian Open. Winning just two of his first five matches this year, things weren't looking good for the former world number three before he made a bold move ahead of the Dubai Tennis Championships. Tsitsipas changed his racket ahead of the tournament, a decision that quickly paid off as he won the first ATP 500 title of his career. Barring a solid showing in Monte-Carlo, where Tsitsipas lost to Lorenzo Musetti in the quarterfinals, he failed to make a real impact on the clay.

Amid the many highs at Roland Garros, there have been a fair few lows for Coco Gauff. Gauff was her nation's co flag-bearer at the 2024 Opening Ceremony alongside NBA legend LeBron James in what was her first ever Olympics for Team USA. However, the 2023 US Open champion's run at the Summer Games ended in bitter disappointment after she was eliminated by Croatia's Donna Vekic 7-6, 6-2 in a third round upset. A line judge called Vekic's shot out, and Gauff did not keep the play alive, meaning the point was hers initially. That gave Vekic a crucial break and a 4-2 lead, causing an incensed Gauff to walk over and confront the official as play was delayed for several minutes. But he called it out before I hit the ball,” Gauff said to Campistol before she began to tear up. I always have to advocate for myself.” After all, she was a strong favourite to go deep in the tournament and had already blown away her previous two opponents, dropping just five games. “I feel like I'm getting cheated on constantly in this game,” she added when speaking to tournament supervisor Clare Wood. The umpire's call was one that never had to be made. “Decision: The chair umpire must decide if the original ‘Out' call was a hindrance to either player. If it was a hindrance, the point shall be replayed. “I think he just thought it didn't affect my swing, which I felt like it did.” Controversies such as these are easily avoidable, which is why Gauff herself demanded a rule change, in the form of video replays, following her elimination. An almost identical dispute happened to her in the 2024 French Open semifinals just a few weeks earlier, during a defeat against Iga Swiatek where she also began to tear up. "I think tennis is the only sport where not only we don't have the VR system, but a lot of times the decisions are made by one person," Gauff said. "Also, there are so many decisions that are made, and it sucks as a player to go back or online and you see that you were completely right, and it's like, what does that give you in that moment? "In situations you can call for the supervisor, but there's not much they can do from that standpoint. They're showing it on TV, so I don't get why the player can't see it." It's a tournament of emerging US prodigies, including Gauff's friend Robin Montgomery and Coco's former roommate Hailey Baptiste. From now on, every Grand Slam, including Wimbledon, will have the automatic line calling system and will not have line judges for the 2026 season. Gauff has started this year's French Open in impressive fashion after a convincing win against Olivia Gadecki in the first round. The American spent just one hour and 11 minutes on court as she secured a 6-2, 6-2 win against her Australian opponent. It was a contest overshadowed by Gauff's hilarious tennis racket blunder, which she responded to on social media. This service is provided on talkSPORT Limited's Terms of Use in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy.

PARIS − Mirra Andreeva underlined her claycourt credentials again at the French Open when the Russian teenager methodically took apart Ashlyn Krueger, and third seed Jessica Pegula also moved into the third round on Thursday. Andreeva, a surprise Roland Garros semi-finalist in 2024, confirmed her calibre on the sport's slowest surface with runs to the Madrid and Rome quarter-finals this season, and she had to be at her inventive best to beat the powerful Krueger 6-3, 6-4. The 18-year-old sixth seed found herself an early break down on Court Simonne Mathieu but fought back to secure the first set, before mixing up her game with exquisite sliced forehands in the next to see off her American opponent. "This match wasn't easy, I'd lost to her at the U.S. Open," Andreeva said, reflecting on her second-round defeat by Krueger in New York last August. "I pushed myself to fight until the end." Pegula, Krueger's frequent doubles partner this season and French Open third seed, had to battle hard against fellow American Ann Li but found her best level when it mattered to prevail 6-3, 7-6(3) in windy conditions. Up next for the 2024 U.S. Open runner-up is former Paris finalist Marketa Vondrousova, after the Czech sent 25th seed Magdalena Frech packing 6-0, 4-6, 6-3. On the men's side, Vondrousova's compatriot Jiri Lehecka took out Spanish 26th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 while Kazakh Alexander Bublik upset Australian ninth seed Alex De Minaur 2-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. Three-time French Open champion Novak Djokovic continues his bid for more history and a record 25th Grand Slam trophy when he plays Frenchman Corentin Moutet later on Thursday. Top seed Jannik Sinner resumes his hunt for a maiden title on Parisian clay when he meets another local favourite in Richard Gasquet, who will retire when his campaign at his home Grand Slam comes to an end.

He was beaten in straight sets by Jiri Lehecka, a result which brought his campaign to an early end. He also dismissed the idea of simply not taking part in such events, which would lead to players missing out on valuable prize money. "Unfortunately, with the ATP schedule and how s*** it is, we can't afford to take breaks because you let other people just have an opportunity to pass you on the rankings and get more prize money," fumed Thompson. "The last few years I've been away, after every Aussie Open, I've come back at probably the start of December because I've got to wait until the Davis Cup [is over]. "I know there are opportunities to go home throughout the year, but it is so far to get back to Australia and I don't see the benefit of going there for less than 10 days. "By the time you acclimatise there, on an island in the middle of nowhere that is a completely different time zone, you've just got to come back and compete again. So I just don't see how that's beneficial for any tennis player. Don't miss... Iga Swiatek fires 'predictable' jab at Emma Raducanu after French Open win [LATEST] Two-time French Open finalist suffers embarrassing collapse in shock upset [NEWS] British tennis ace awkwardly double books at French Open as sister gets involved [INSIGHT] This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. "I haven't spoken to a player who likes the two-week events. I mean, you are there for an eternity. It feels like a couple of times I've made the doubles final and I've been in the same city for over 17 days, and we're at one tournament. "Why is one tournament taking that long to finish? I mean, why do we need a day off for playing? It should just be like the Paris Masters, a one-week event. "Why do we need to turn that into a two-week event? It's just a waste of time in my opinion and I know a lot of other players feel the same." It remains to be seen if the body will tweak the length of non-Grand Slam events in line with his demands and those of his fellow players. See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. Daily Express uses notifications to keep you updated

Mark Petchey believes that tennis has ‘changed massively' in the last four years At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. It was a slight improvement on her 6-1 6-0 thrashing by Swiatek at the Australian Open, but the 22-year-old has won just one of her nine career matches against top-five players and was also trounced 6-1 6-2 by world No 2 Coco Gauff in Rome earlier this month. Petchey, who is also working as a pundit for TNT Sports' coverage of Roland Garros, has told Raducanu – currently ranked 41 – that she cannot afford to live in the past if she wants to climb back into the top 20. “Since I started helping Emma, I said she needs to start closing the gap between the best players,” said Petchey, who started working with Raducanu on an informal basis in March. “On this court Iga has 23 straight wins – you don't put those streaks together at a major if your game isn't so difficult to play against. It was clearly going to be the ultimate test for Emma yesterday. “From my point of view, it's tough on Emma as I still feel everyone is living in 2021. “If you can't put the ball through the court on a windy, heavy clay court day against someone like Iga, you're going to get into all sorts of trouble. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. “On hard courts and grass is a lot closer compared to where Emma was in Australia against Iga, but against Iga and Coco, she knows what she has to do and it will take a long time. “My mantra to her has been ‘you are starting your career now. “(Maybe) there are areas that, together, we can help her crystallise more gains in fitness, or tennis, or whatever, but in terms of turning up every day and putting in a good shift, she's done it every single time. So, I'd like to bury that myth where it belongs.” Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Robin Montgomery is not leaving Paris early. The 20-year-old American, who is appearing in her first-ever French Open main draw, secured her place in the second round by sending home-hero Diane Parry home with a 6-2, 6-1 win on Monday. Montgomery dominated during the contest, winning five of her seven break points, dropping just three games and serving down five aces in her win. It's a victory she'll hope she can use to elevate her status at Roland Garros as as she continues to climb up the rankings. Up next for her is Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, who recently dismantled World No.9 and fellow American Emma Navarro. Since then she's amassed over a million dollars in prize money. She followed that victory up a few hours later with the junior doubles title when she and partner Ashlyn Krueger defeated Reese Brantmeier and Elvina Kalieva in three sets. It meant she became the first person to win both titles in New York since Michaëlla Krajicek in 2004. Montgomery first began to make some noise on the professional tour in 2023. She was able to qualify for the Austin Open early that year and also earned her first WTA 1000 win when she defeated Ana Bogdan. In 2024, she faced her toughest challenge yet and one that she still remembers to this day. It took Sabalenka two-and-a-half hours to beat Montgomery, edging her in a 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-4 victory and one that demonstrated to the then-teen where her level was at. "It was a very close match, and it kind of opened my eyes a little bit of where my level is and what I can actually do," Montgomery told Clay Tennis. Knowing that I was that close and it was just a few shots here and there that cost me the match… didn't feel great." I called my childhood coach and he was like ‘relax' and I'm like ‘no, screw this'. But yeah, it was a stinger, but it does happen for a reason," she added. She hits the ball very big, very hard and you have to always be ready for anything. When you play against her it sometimes feels like you're already on defense even before the point starts. It's very tough, she's a top player. Montgomery is also friends with fellow American tennis star Coco Gauff, saying she grew up with the 2023 US Open winner. "We grew up together, both chasing similar goals since young. I've known her since I was 9, we had our first USTA camp together, so we've known each other for a long time." Montgomery will be focused on forging her own path in tennis, and this year's French Open gives her that chance. "I do have good results on clay. So I probably enjoy it and play better than most American players on clay." Get 50/1 for Jannik Sinner to win the French Open - CLAIM HERE Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, SE1 9GF talkSPORT is a registered trade mark of Wireless Group Media (GB) Limited. This service is provided on talkSPORT Limited's Terms of Use in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy.

Seventh seed Ruud crashed out of the French Open on Wednesday after losing to unseeded Nuno Borges in the second round, with the Norwegian saying he had been struggling with knee pain that restricted his movement. Asked if the busy tennis calendar made it difficult to take time off and fully heal an injury, the 26-year-old told reporters that players' rankings would take a hit if they skipped mandatory events. "Well, it's kind of like a rat race when it comes to the rankings, as well," he said. "You feel you're obligated to play with certain rules that the ATP have set up with the mandatory events. The ATP did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside normal business hours. Ruud also said a player's year-end bonus was cut by 25% if they missed a mandatory event. "I'm not sure if you're aware, but if you don't play a mandatory event, they cut 25% of your year-end bonus. You're kind of forcing players to show up injured or sick, or whatever, when that is not what I think is very fair," he added. "I'm just looking forward to not being on painkillers for some days now. Let it really heal and rest and see where I'm at in a few weeks," he added.