The women’s semi-finals at the French Open pitched the 4-times champion Iga Swiatek against the World No 1, Aryna Sabalenka, and what promised to be a blockbuster thriller turned into a third set rout by the top seed, who made it through to her first Roland Garros final, 7-6(1) 4-6 6-0, dethroning the defending champion.
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It took Coco Gauff, the No 2 in the world, to end Lois Boisson’s fairytale run at the French Open, disappointing millions of home fans, but the 22-year old wild-card could not muster the same resilience as she had in her previous matches to dent the American’s aggressive and athletic game, and succumbed, 6-1 6-2, in Thursday’s second semi-final on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
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Alexander Bublik after surprising the tennis world, spoke with candor on reaching the Roland-Garros quarterfinals for the first time.
By Erik Gudris | @atntennis | Monday, June 2, 2025
Photo Source: Roland-Garros Facebook
The mercurial, crowd-pleasing talents of Alexander Bublik has now earned him worldwide attention after his shock four-set upset win over No. 5 seed Jack Draper to reach the Roland-Garros quarterfinals for the first time in his career.
Bublik, 27, celebrated his unexpected 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 victory with tears in his eyes as he became the first Kazakhstani man to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal in history.
All the emotions 🥹
Savour the moment, Bublik 🙌@rolandgarros #RolandGarros
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) June 2, 2025
"Sometimes in life there's only one chance, and I had a feeling that that was mine, and I couldn't let it slip," Bublik said in an on-court interview, after an extended standing ovation from the Court Suzanne-Lenglen crowd. "Standing here, it's the best moment of my life, period."
The final game of the match proved pivotal in more ways than one. Draper, still down a service break at 5-4, forced Rublev to serve for the match. Draper battled and held two break points, only to lose out on both. Rublev eventually closed out the game, and the match.
But Rublev admitted later on TNT Sports, if he had lost that game, he would likely have lost the motivation to try and win the match from there.
“I said to myself, if I'm losing that break, it's 7-5 6-2 max (in favor of Draper)," Bublik said. "I'm not gonna fight, because if you have this chance to make your first ever quarterfinal and you blow it. It's your fault. That's how I see it.”
Bublik, known for his unorthodox playing style, including underhand serves and trick shots, and rather cavalier personality, both on and off the court was not expected to be in the mix this fortnight in Paris. Though he’s reached a career high World No. 17, he’s currently ranked at No. 62.
Despite winning four ATP Tour titles in his career, 2025 has been a rough season so far. Before Paris, Bublik was 7-13 on the year.
Yet Bublik must have felt something good was coming for him in Paris after he earned a two sets from behind victory over No. 9 seed Alex de Minaur earlier in the second round. Bublik admitted he contemplated quitting tennis earlier this season after falling to the low 80s ranking wise.
While he previously complained about the clay court swing being too long, this year, he realized he needed to make an effort on the dirt to boost his ranking.
“I was eighty in the world. I was talking to my coach I want to quit tennis because I’m eighty in the world. It feels disgraceful for me,” Bublik said. “So I just said to myself, you have a gift, you gotta use your chances. If I have one, I'm gonna use it.
"I'm just gonna fight. I'm gonna try to play on clay and see how it goes and it worked like this, Because I had no room, you know, to cry. Because if you have room to cry, I always would take the cry, you know.”
Bublik added, “But when you have no options then it's that's how it works.”
Many tennis observers have questioned Bublik’s efforts on-court and off court throughout his career.
While Bublik confirmed he works hard off the court, he’s the first to admit that he prefers a “work/life” balance that includes his family. He can only speak for himself when it comes to determining what’s best for his life and career.
“There is no way around hard work. Don't get me wrong,” Bublik said in his post-match press conference. “I work hard, but on my terms, you know. I do what I'm capable of doing with my body, but I will not push through a knee injury in order to have, you know, a certain chance to win a certain match. So for me, there is no way around hard work. I have been working very hard, and I do work very hard."
Bublik, a proud father, added on TNT he tries to put tennis into perspective
“Tennis is fifty percent of my life, you know I have other part of being a dad, being a friend, which is have the same importance for me as being a tennis player," Bublik said. "So in this percent that I have as a professional athlete, I have to do maximum what my body is capable of.
"I'm not going to put my health on the line. I'm not going to be fighting through injuries. You know, if I have pain, I resign. I say thank you very much. I'm not going there.
"Because I prioritize my health a lot. And if you tell me, Sasha, you gonna win a Slam. But you can't walk at forty. I'm not going to take this. So then I have to work with the tools I have.”
Bublik next faces World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals.
“I needed that kind of win to feel these feelings that I’m able to win under pressure, and even if it’s not going the right way, still turn the match around,” Iga Swiatek said.
By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Sunday, June 1, 2025
Photo credit: Antoine Couvercelle-ROLEX
Dropping eight of nine games would leave most feeling terror tremors on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Facing a 1-6, 0-2 deficit to Elena Rybakina today, Iga Swiatek skipped shivers adopting simple mind set: Fight for every ball.
Reigning Roland Garros champion Swiatek pulled off a spirited comeback edging Rybakina 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 to advance to the Roland Garros quarterfinals for the sixth straight year.
Swiatek said this comeback is confirmation she can perform under pressure after a subpar season.
“It’s a great confirmation for me that I can handle the pressure and everything, but honestly, I wasn’t expecting to have an easy score against Elena,” Swiatek said. “I also had an easy score against her, but losing, you know, because she’s a great player. So for sure that wasn’t something that I even considered today.
“Yeah, no matter what the score is, I’m going to just try to play the best tennis possible any minute. It doesn’t really matter, honestly, but for sure, as I said, it’s great to overcome some challenges during the match.”
It is Swiatek’s 25th straight Roland Garros win, equaling Hall of Famer Monica Seles for second-longest Paris Open Era women’s win streak behind Chrissie Evert (29).
Swiatek said spacing out helped her turn the match around.
Backing up further behind the baseline gave Swiatek more time to return Rybakina’s second serve as the match progressed.
Rybakina won just nine of 21 second-serve points and did not hit an ace in the final set.
“[Coach] Wim, it was his plan to kind of convince me sometimes to try it out, but I wasn’t sure if that’s my thing,” Swiatek said. “Because I remember a few years back, when I started being more aggressive, I started winning more.
“I think girls are serving faster now, and everybody is developing.
“There are some limits to what you can react to, you know. I think the coaching actually really helped me today, because I wouldn’t come up with this myself. Even though I practice it a little bit, it’s still like a weird thing for me to do.
“But for sure it helped. Yeah, as I said, it gave me more time to just play back some balls.”
Next up for Swiatek is a quarterfinal clash vs. 30-year-old Ukrainian veteran Elina Svitolina who saved three match points upsetting 2024 finalist Jasmine Paolini.
“It means a lot. I think I needed that kind of win to like feel these feelings that I’m able to win under pressure, and even if it’s not going the right way, you know, still turn the match around to win it,” Swiatek said. “For sure it’s a great confirmation for me. Yeah, I for sure wanted to have a match like that.
“Obviously, it’s great to also have full control over the match, but against great players, it’s not always going to be possible. I’m happy that I fought, and I also problem-solved on court.”
Wednesday dawned on a gloomy Paris, prompting French Open organisers to close the roof on Court Philippe-Chatrier for the first quarter-final on Day 11, and, first up, was an all American clash between Australian Open champion Madison Keys and the World No 2, Coco Gauff, to determine the first semi-finalist of the the lower half of the women’s draw.
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The first day of quarter final play produced some exhilarating tennis and as it concluded, it set up an intriguing semi-final as the French Open takes another step towards the title match on Sunday.
The post Paris | Musetti and Alcaraz set up first semi-final appeared first on Tennis Threads Magazine.
Day Ten at Roland Garros saw the first two men’s semi-final spots claimed, and neither match went the distance. Lorenzo Musetti continued his dream clay season with a composed four-set win over Frances Tiafoe, seizing the key moments late in the third before powering through the fourth to reach his first Grand Slam semi-final. Carlos …
The second week of Roland Garros began with the top seeds firmly in control. Jannik Sinner dismantled Andrey Rublev in straight sets to cruise into the quarter-finals, while Novak Djokovic marked yet another milestone, his 100th win at the French Open, with a clinical performance over Cameron Norrie. Alexander Zverev progressed after a premature retirement …
The second Sunday of Roland Garros 2025 delivered another batch of high-quality matches, as the men’s singles draw narrowed to its final eight. Lorenzo Musetti continued his strong clay form with a composed win over Holger Rune under the lights, Carlos Alcaraz notched his 100th tour-level clay victory in a thrilling four-set battle against Ben …
Not since 1963 have two Brits reached the last 16 of the French Open so British fans were celebrating at the weekend following the excellent victories from Jack Draper and Cameron Norrie.
The post Paris | Draper and Norrie score a first for GB appeared first on Tennis Threads Magazine.
The business end of the French Open is fast approaching, and Day Seven served up a relatively straightforward batch of matches, with only one encounter going more than three sets. Jannik Sinner delivered the performance of the day with a clinical dismantling of Jiri Lehecka, while Novak Djokovic quietly picked up his 99th win at …
World No. 1 sends clear message to former coaches.
By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, May 30, 2025
Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty
Tennis is an ongoing educational experience.
Today, Aryna Sabalenka schooled her skeptical teachers.
World No. 1 Sabalenka tamed tricky lefty Olga Danilovic 6-2, 6-3 powering into the Roland Garros fourth round for the third straight year.
Three-time major champion Sabalenka, who improved to a Tour-best 37-6 in 2025, will face former French Open semifinalist Amanda Anisimova in a blockbuster fourth-round battle between two massive hitters.
Today, Sabalenka sent major message to coaches who slammed her as too “stupid” to make her mark as a pro: Quit your job.
Recalling junior coaches who questioned her mental strength, Sabalenka told those skeptics: You know nothing.
“I always been quite motivated and they didn’t have to push me,” Sabalenka said of her rise through the ranks. “But I have heard a lot [of coaches] saying I’m not smart enough, that I’m stupid, and I’ll never make it, and I don’t have anything to make it to the top.
“I guess I want to send a quick message to them to quit their job.
“Because honestly, I think they know nothing and they better quit just to save other players.”
Asked how she reacted to critical coaches claiming she was too witless to be a winner on the WTA Tour, Sabalenka said she laughed in their face.
“I was just laughing and saying: We’ll see,” Sabalenka said.
A sharp Sabalenka has surrendered just 10 games in three tournament wins this week.
Following her crushing conquest of Kamilla Rakhimova 6-1, 6-0 in her Roland Garros opener, Sabalenka shared her parents were never pushy about her career pursuit. However, the Belarusian said she saw demanding Eastern European coaches burn young players out.
“I definitely say that Eastern European school is very tough. I think that’s why whoever survive that school, they’re really tough,” Sabalenka said after round one.
On the one hand, Sabalenka said surviving her junior training made her a tougher competitor, but on the other hand she saw some fellow players broken by “brutal” coaches making punishing demands.
“I have to say that probably because of the environment and in the history of European countries, we are much tougher,” Sabalenka told the media in Paris. “Whoever got through the tough stuff, they, like, mentally and physically, they much stronger than probably, not like the rest of the world, but most of the girls on tour…
“I definitely think that the environment we have in our countries, which is like very tough and coaches are very brutal, you know, there is nothing nice about the way they, like, work with their players, they quite rude. I think that’s why maybe our mentality is much stronger, but also, the same time, they kind of like broke so many players because of that aggressive mindset.
“I think in Europe and the States, the environment is much healthier.”
Continuing her quest for a maiden Roland Garros crown, Sabalenka said she’s inspired by Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic still going strong at age 38 and was moved seeing the Big 4 reunite for Roland Garros’ royal celebration send off for King of Clay Rafael Nadal.
“Imagine if he gonna retire tomorrow, then everyone going to be sad, no? Don’t you think so?” Sabalanka said. “Then there is another like 10, 15 years to Jannik and Alcaraz to become one of the greatest. But just, you know, let him be.
“You know, it was so sad to see the ceremony, big four were on the court and you understand that three of them retired. Everyone missing their games.
“So let’s just let Novak to be there to show and fight and show his greatness and to inspire that generation.”
No. 16-seeded Amanda Anisimova has topped Aryna Sabalenka in three of four clay meetings.
By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, May 30, 2025
Photo credit: Robert Prange/Getty
Amateur artist Amanda Anisimova is painting an inspiring clay comeback in Paris.
Anisimova defused Clara Tauson 7-6(4), 6-4 to charge into the Roland Garros fourth round for the first time since 2022.
Ranked a career-high No. 16, Anisimova more than doubled the dangerous Tauson’s winner total—38 to 16—and broke serve three times.
Contesting her seventh Roland Garros, Anisimova set up a blockbuster rematch against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
Earlier, Sabalenka tamed tricky lefty Olga Danilovic 6-2, 6-3 powering into the Roland Garros fourth round for the third straight year.
Three-time major champion Sabalenka has surrendered just 10 games in three tournament wins as she looks driven to collect her maiden Roland Garros title.
The 23-year-old Anisimova is 5-2 lifetime vs. Sabalenka, winning three of their four clay-court clashes.
The fourth-round match is a rematch of the 2019 Roland Garros that saw Anisimova sweep Sabalenka 6-3, 6-2. A then 17-year-old Anisimova electrified Paris that summer reaching the semifinals and taking a set from eventual-champion Ash Barty before bowing in three sets.
Controlling the center of the court—and playing proactive down the line drive will be two keys when Anisimova and Sabalenka square off for a quarterfinal spot.
“We’re both some pretty big hitters, so I’m sure we’re going to be going at it back and forth a bit,” Anisimova said. “Yeah, [she’s] obviously one of the best right now.
“She’s No. 1. I feel like it’s always a good matchup. I really enjoy the fight and the challenge that she brings on. I’m just looking forward to it. Hopefully I can bring my A game. Hopefully it will be a good match.”
Twelve Americans—seven women and five men—advanced to the Roland Garros third round. It’s only the second time since 1991 (14) that 12 or more Americans have reached the third round at the French Open.
Anisimova, who defeated 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, to win the WTA 1000 title in Doha earlier this year, is enjoying her best season after suffering burn-out that compelled her to step away from the sport and pursue her love of art.
Tennis had become “unbearable” for her after experiencing burn-out since the summer of 2022, said Anisimova.
“I wasn’t really feeling great in October of 2022 I think,” Anisimova said. “So it was quite a while. It took a long time for me to make that decision. Obviously it’s a big decision to step away from the game I think at any point.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s in the middle of the season or the preseason because we really never get time off.”
These days, Anisimova seems to be enjoying herself more on court and has managed her schedule to give herself more mental breaks.
You can trace Anisimova’s current joy ride back to last August.
Crunching shots with conviction, Anisimova surprised second-seeded Sabalenka 6-4, 6-2 to advance to her maiden WTA 1000 semifinal in Toronto—her first Tour-level semifinal since 2022 Charleston. World No. 139 Anisimova became the lowest-ranked woman to reach the Canadian Open semifinals since then No. 937 Sloane Stephens in 2017 and has continued to soar since.
Expect the balls to be bruised when supreme shotmakers and explosive power players face off.
Interestingly, Anisimova has scored all three of her straight sets wins this week on the cozy confines of Court 14 where she’s enjoyed strong support.
Facing world No. 1 Sabalenka, likely on Court Philippe Chatrier, gives Anisimova a chance to showcase her game on the biggest red clay stage in the sport.
“It’s always special to play someone who’s ranked No. 1 in the world. It’s not often you get to do that, so I really try and embrace the opportunity and the experience,” Anisimova said. “It will be on a big court, too. I love playing on big stadiums.
“I’m just going to try and go in there and really enjoy the atmosphere and enjoy the crowd. And, yeah, try to put up a fight.
“I’d say it’s always a little bit more different and special when you play against the top players.”
John McEnroe ranks only reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner ahead of Novak Djokovic as French Open favorites.
By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Saturday, May 25, 2025
Photo credit: Lacoste
Slashing an ace on championship point, Novak Djokovic joined the Century Club in stirring style today.
Two days after celebrating his 38th birthday, Djokovic captured his 100th career championship with a stirring 5-7, 7-6(2), 7-6(2) over Hubert Hurkacz in the Geneva Open final. Djokovic joins fellow icons Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103) as the third man in Open Era history to collect 100 career Tour-level titles.
Look for Djokovic to keep the party pumping in Paris, says Hall of Famer John McEnroe.
Continuing his quest for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam crown, Djokovic faces a demanding draw at Roland Garros.
If seeds hold true to form, Djokovic would need to beat 2024 finalist and third seed Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the semifinals and No. 2-seeded reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz to win his third Roland Garros title in the last five years.
Former world No. 1 in singles and doubles McEnroe says Djokovic is the third firm favorite to win this 2025 French Open final behind only the top-seeded Sinner and four-time major champion Alcaraz.
In a TNT Zoom call with the media on Friday to promote the network’s Roland Garros coverage, McEnroe cited four factors for Djokovic as third favorite to win Roland Garros:
*The Serbian superstar owns a 96-16 Roland Garros record, including a streak of 15 straight years where he’s reached quarterfinals or better and he has the best draw of any of the top seeds, says McEnroe.
*If Djokovic advances to the quarterfinals he could face Zverev. McEnroe says he favors the reigning Olympic gold-medal champion over the former gold-medal champion if that match comes off.
*Though Alcaraz is 15-1 in clay this season, Djokovic defeated Alcaraz in their last clay-court clash in the gold-medal match on Roland Garros’ red clay, the Serbian beat the Spaniard in their last major meeting at the Australian Open and he’s one of only two men to defeat the reigning champion on red clay in the last year.
*This is Djokovic’s 21st consecutive French Open appearance and McEnroe says you cannot discount the Grand Slam king’s ability to conjure one more magical run in Paris.
“You don’t count him out until the day [he] retires,” McEnroe said of Djokovic. “He’s got the best draw of anyone to get to there [quarterfinals].
“And the way Zverev is playing—Zverev is not playing with the same confidence until he reached the finals of Australia this year. That [loss to Sinner in the AO final] really hurt him mentally—at least from what I’ve seen. And he doesn’t seem to be playing with the same confidence.
“So I can see the possibility of [Novak] getting there. And whether or not Zverev was there, I don’t think Novak would go in being much of an underdog.
TNT Sports, the exclusive home of live Roland-Garros coverage in the U.S., said it plans to “provide the most comprehensive coverage in the history of the Parisian Grand Slam.”
McEnroe, Jim Courier and Caroline Wozniacki will be among the network’s top analysts with Andre Agassi and Venus Williams also set to contribute to coverage.
It all starts Sunday, May 25, at 5 a.m. ET on TNT, truTV and Max. TNT Sports will deliver nearly 300 hours of programming across TNT and truTV — all originating live from Paris — along with unprecedented streaming coverage on Max and extensive original content available via Bleacher Report and House of Highlights.
Long-time New York Knickerbockers season ticket holder McEnroe, who was courtside at Madison Square Garden on Friday night to see his beloved Knicks fall into an 0-2 hole against the Indiana Pacers, used a basketball analogy to amplify Djokovic’s chances in Paris.
“And who knows with the other guys? What happens if one of them [Sinner or Alcaraz] gets hurt?” McEnroe said. “And I hate to see any athlete get hurt, but [Celtics star] Jayson Tatum went down you never want to see that, but that certainly made it easier for the Knicks to pull out game six.
“So Novak, to me, would still be like the third favorite [to win Roland Garros].”
The mercurial McEnroe who formed one half of the fame Fire & Ice rivalry vs. Iceman and fellow Hall of Famer Bjorn Borg, suggests the Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry will continue to command the sport so long as both young superstars remain healthy.
“They will continue to dominate if they are able to stay healthy and I hope they do, obviously we all do,” McEnroe said. “I thought Ben Shelton would be able to step up to [fill] a void… He seems to have leveled off, not enough steps forward.
“it would be nice for us here obviously if we were able to get an American male [to win a Grand Slam title], which has not happened in 20 years. I would think [Rome semifinalist] Tommy Paul would probably have the best shot [of American men] on this surface.”
The biggest tennis news today, May 28, 2025, revolves around the French Open (Roland Garros) in Paris, which is currently underway. Many prominent players were in action for their second-round matches.
Here’s a summary of key results and news:
Men’s Singles:
Women’s Singles:
News:
Tomorrow’s schedule (May 29) at Roland Garros will feature more second-round matches, including Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner.
