Mpetshi Perricard gets the home fans going

New York Times

4 days ago

Shelton's victory came in a five-set thriller as Roland Garros honored 14-time champion Rafa Nadal Getty Images Getty Images
M.Perricard 4-6, *4-2 Bergs
The roars are pretty loud on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, and that is due to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
The 21-year-old from Lyon is looking for a career breakthrough in his home Slam and after going a set behind, it is starting to feel like the Frenchman has some momentum behind his game. As the rain fell outside, Mpetshi Perricard grabbed a break to lead the second set.
Zizou Bergs is the Belgian standing in his way — a player who I hope was named after the iconic French footballer, Zinedine Zidane.
It feels like a waste if not.
Of course, at Roland Garros we now have the luxury of two covered courts — so we still have some tennis to get stuck into, while the organizers can start fretting over potential backlogs on the outer courts.
Here are the two games we have ticking over right now… Getty Images
Møller 7-6(5), 2-6, 3-6, 0-0* Paul
The good news for Tommy Paul? He has the lead — taking the third set as Elmer Møller started to come back down to earth on his Grand Slam debut.
The bad news however, is that the rain has grown heavy enough to stop play.
The players take to the locker rooms on Court Simonne-Mathieu, and I'm afraid to say that the covers are on too.
Rain suspends play on the outer courts here at Roland Garros.
Kvitova 6-3, 0-6, 4-6 Golubic
Two-time French Open semifinalist and former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova won't be hanging around at Roland Garros this year.
The 35-year-old won her first set against Viktorija Golubic, but the Swiss star came back with a bagel before breaking in the final game to clinch the match.
The 16th seed, Amanda Anisimova from Freehold, New Jersey could be Golubic's second-round opponent — if the American can get past Nina Stojanović later today. Getty Images
Sabalenka 6-1, 6-0 Rakhimova
Blink and you might well have missed the No. 1 women's singles seed on this opening day of the French Open.
Aryna Sabalenka lost just one game as she dismantled Kamilla Rakhimova in exactly 60 minutes, in the opening match hosted by Court Philippe-Chatrier at these championships.
Anastasia Pavlyunchenkova and Qinwen Zheng (8) are next up. Hopefully they were prepared for the swift turnaround. Getty Images
Møller 7-6(5), 2-6, *0-0 Paul
The sun is shining and Tommy Paul is smiling, which should tell you he's starting to find his feet in his French Open first hurdle against Elmer Møller.
Paul, the 12th seed here, has one five games on the spin to power through the second set in 42 minutes and bring the pair level on Simonne-Mathieu.
Victoria Mboko now has 39 match wins in 2025, but this one is the biggest of her life to date. The 18-year-old's win over Lulu Sun is her first Grand Slam victory.
In the last few weeks, she has taken world No. 2 Coco Gauff and (at the time) world No. 11 Paula Badosa to three sets in Rome and Madrid respectively, as well as securing her first two full WTA Tour wins.
But it's her record in WTA 125 (one rung below the main tour) and ITF events (two rungs below) that suggests her success will be sustainable.
She won 20 matches in a row at ITF level to open the year, all in straight sets. That included a win over Iva Jović, the highly rated American teenager who is also in the Roland Garros main draw. In March she beat Britain's Harriet Dart, who has been ranked inside the top 100.
Prior to that run, Mboko won 30 of 46 matches in 2024.
Sometimes when young players emerge at Grand Slams, it's tempting to focus on the status of just that match — or a few more, if they go on a run.
But it is what's behind the breakthrough that can provide a clue as to how long it might last.
Mboko 6-1, 7-6(4) Sun
James Hansen 's one to watch got the job done swiftly too on Court 9 — Canadian qualifier Victoria Mboko swatting aside Lulu Sun with a second-set tiebreak sealing the deal.
And it will be Eva Lys who awaits Mboko in the second round.
Stearns 0-6, 3-6 Lys
Peyton Stearns is the first seed to exit this year's French Open, going down in straight sets to Eva Lys.
The American, seeded No. 28 after her run to the quarterfinals of the Italian Open in Rome, never really got going against her German opponent.
Stearns beat Grand Slam champions Madison Keys and Naomi Osaka, and the resurgent Elina Svitolina, on her run in Italy — winning all three matches in third-set tiebreaks having suffered a series of close defeats to higher-ranked players in the past.
This time, she found herself on the other end of the bargain.
Sönmez 1-6, 1-6 Svitolina
Game over for Zeynep Sönmez, as she is swept away convincingly by Elina Svitolina in the end on Court Suzanne-Lenglen.
Next up there will be a home talent in 21-year-old French 37th seed Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, taking on Belgian Zizou Bergs.
Svitolina is not the only woman through to the second round of the singles, by the way…
It was a topsy-turvy first set that went the way of young Dane Elmer Møller, against Tommy Paul.
Møller had a set point when serving at 5-4, got broken, but then rebounded to take the tiebreak 7-5.
The owner of a devastating if unconventional backhand, Møller is playing his first match at a Grand Slam — and is now a couple of sets away from a big upset and a first ATP-level match win.
Møller 7-6(5), 1-0* Paul
How hard is Tommy Paul being made to work in his first-round match? I think the expression on Elmer Møller's face above says it all.
The 21-year-old Dane is making his Grand Slam debut — and he takes the opening set over the 12th seed in a tiebreak.
It's been an impressive start. Can Paul respond?
We are up and running on Court Philippe-Chatrier, with the seats slowly filling up and the No. 1 seed, Aryna Sabalenka up against Kamilla Rakhimova.
These two also met in the early rounds of the French Open two years ago, with Sabalenka winning in straight sets.
Let's see what we get today.
Elina Svitolina has a 25-8 record in 2025 and as you will have seen below, she is well on her way to adding win No. 26 against Turkey's Zeynep Sönmez.
The Ukrainian started the year at No. 27 in the world, but deep runs at some of the biggest events of the year to date — and a title in Rouen, France — have propelled her back inside the world's top 15.
Keep an eye too on Victoria Mboko, the Canadian 18-year-old who has already won 38 matches in 2025 and is playing in her first Grand Slam main draw.
She's up a set on Lulu Sun, the New Zealander who made last year's Wimbledon quarterfinals as a qualifier. Getty Images
No early dramas for the women's 13th seed so far.
Elina Svitolina rattled through her opening set inside 33 minutes against Turkey's Zeynep Sonmez, 6-1.
She is also a break up in the second set and looking good for a swift conclusion off the back of a strong returning display.
Svitolina is a former world No. 3 and reached the fourth round at Roland Garros last year, as well as the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in January.
We also have play underway on Court Simonne-Mathieu, and with U.S. interest too.
Tommy Paul is 12th seed at this French Open, and opening against qualifying lucky loser, Elmer Moller. It's not been the best start either, with Paul already a break down in the opening set.
Here's the rest of the order for today: E. Møller (LL) 4-2 T. Paul (12)
(LL) 4-2 (12) D. Shnaider (11) vs. A. Sobolieva (Q)
(11) vs. (Q) D. Vekić (18) vs. A. Blinkova
(18) vs. T. Macháč (21) vs. Q. Halys
Again, these are all currently pencilled in for the afternoon session today.
The second show court at Roland Garros is Court Suzanne-Lenglen, and you will know that play has already begun here.
Elina Svitolina has made a fast start too, against the world No. 76.
This is the order of play for today beyond the opening match… Z. Sönmez 1-4 E. Svitolina (13)
1-4 (13) G. Mpetshi Perricard vs. Z. Bergs
vs. F. Tiafoe vs. R. Safiullin
vs. J. Paolini vs. Y. Yuan
The first and last match take place in the women's singles and all are scheduled for today's afternoon session.
Let's take you through today's order of play, starting with the first-round matches on the high profile show Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Play is due to start here at the top of the coming hour… A. Sabalenka (1) vs. K. Rakhimova
(1) vs. A. Pavlyuchenkova vs. Q. Zheng (8)
vs. (8) L. Musetti (8) vs. Y. Hanfmann (Q)
(8) vs. (Q) B. Shelton (13) vs. L. Sonego
So it's two women's singles ties followed by the men, with Ben Shelton's first-round match coming in the evening session — meaning it will not start before 8:15 p.m. local time (2:15 p.m. ET).
A very good morning, wherever you are in the world, and welcome again to our live coverage of the French Open at Roland Garros.
I have good news. We have tennis taking place in Paris!
Specifically, Zeynep Sönmez taking on 13th seed Elina Svitolina on Court Suzanne-Lenglen in the first round of the women's singles.
We'll bring you updates from that match and all the key action across the courts at Roland Garros throughout the sessions, today and each day of the championships.
But we won't stop there. You'll get insights, stories, analysis, things you didn't know and sidenotes you weren't aware you needed.
Welcome to the ride and get in touch with me and my colleagues throughout the French Open, with an email to [e-mail]