Rybakina suffers early exit as Sinner continues form at Roland Garros

The French Open is now fully underway in Paris, and the opening rounds have already produced a mix of expected wins, long matches, and a few major exits on both the men’s and women’s sides. 

One of the biggest stories so far has been the exit of Elena Rybakina. The world number two lost a dramatic second-round match to Yuliia Starodubtseva 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(4) after struggling badly with unforced errors late in the contest. 

Rybakina had been viewed as one of the strongest contenders in the women’s draw, especially after her Australian Open title run earlier this year, but she could not close the match out after recovering from 0-3 down in the final set.

The tournament also marked the final French Open appearance for Gaël Monfils, who lost a five-set match to Hugo Gaston in front of a packed Philippe-Chatrier crowd. 

Monfils fought back from two sets down before fading in the decider, ending another memorable Roland-Garros chapter for one of France’s most recognizable players.

On the men’s side, Jannik Sinner has continued the form that has made him the clear tournament favourite. 

The world number one opened with a straight-sets win over Clément Tabur, extending his winning streak and moving comfortably into the next round. 

Novak Djokovic has also progressed, though not without problems. Djokovic defeated Valentin Royer 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(7), 6-3 after another physical four-set battle.

Elsewhere in the men’s draw, early exits for Daniil Medvedev and Taylor Fritz have already opened things up further. 

Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, and Casper Ruud remain in contention, while younger names like Jakub Mensik and Arthur Fils have also attracted attention through the opening rounds.

The women’s side still features most of the leading contenders. Coco Gauff has advanced after another difficult match, continuing her title defence with a comeback performance after dropping a set earlier in the week. 

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek have both moved through the early rounds in straight sets, while Elina Svitolina and Belinda Bencic are also still alive in the draw.