French Open first round illustrates France's decline in women's tennis
Gilles Moretton chose to get ahead of the situation. On Monday, May 26, the day after the 2025 edition of the French Open started, the president of the French Tennis Federation (FFT) met with the press to discuss several topics, including the country's alarming results in the women's game. The 67-year-old leader was well aware that French women's tennis is going through a turbulent period – one that is dangerously stretching. It was time to think positively, highlight the good matches played by French women in qualifying, and pin hopes on future generations, the players born in "2012, 2013, 2014."
On Tuesday evening, no one was looking that far ahead, after the first round of the tournament. Only three Frenchwomen made it through to the second round, just as in 1983 (the year the draw expanded to 128 players) and 2019, the worst years for French women's tennis. Of the nine players on the starting line – another record low since 1983 – only Léolia Jeanjean, Elsa Jacquemot and Loïs Boisson managed to avoid early exits.
The three deserve credit for seizing their chance to qualify. But if the FFT had not had eight wild cards to distribute for the main draw, none of them would have avoided a perilous qualifying stage. With her wild card, Jeanjean was able to face and ultimately benefit from the retirement of Romania's Irina-Camelia Begu (0-6, 7-5, 3-0), who injured her knee. Jacquemot got the better of Greece's Maria Sakkari (6-3, 7-6). The day's standout achievement went to Boisson, who, late on Tuesday, knocked out the 24 th seed, Elise Mertens of Belgium (6-4, 4-6, 6-3).
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