French Open Day 7: Women’s Draw Shakes Up and Five-Set Thrillers

Welcome to The Athletic’s French Open coverage where we delve into the significant events of the day at the tournament. On Day 7, the women’s draw experienced a major shake-up, numerous five-set matches captured attention, and one breakout star shone brightly.

Women’s Draw: A Wide-Open Field

On Saturday, after removing No. 9 seed Victoria Mboko, Australian Open 2025 champion Madison Keys commented on the openness of the men’s draw. She noted the tension among male players over who might reach the finals. However, it was the women’s draw that truly opened up. Defending champion Coco Gauff lost to Austria’s Anastasia Potapova. No. 6 seed Amanda Anisimova was ousted by France’s Diane Parry, and Keys herself defeated Mboko. This left only four of the original seven top-10 seeds in the competition, with Iga Świątek as the sole former French Open winner remaining.

The current draw leaves Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka as the only top-20 seeds in one half. Osaka claimed an intense three-set victory over Iva Jović, while Sabalenka beat Daria Kasatkina. In the other half, Świątek faces Marta Kostyuk, while Elina Svitolina and Belinda Bencic meet. The unseeded Jil Teichmann also remains in contention.

Marathon Matches: How Many Sets?

João Fonseca, a 19-year-old Brazilian, might one day be synonymous with this French Open. His five-set victory over Novak Djokovic harkened back to moments like Roger Federer’s historic win over Pete Sampras. Meanwhile, Juan Manuel Cerúndolo, world No. 56 from Argentina, backed up his win over world No. 1 Jannik Sinner with another marathon match. Cerúndolo defeated Martin Landaluce in a grueling five-hour and 58-minute match, now the third-longest at Roland Garros since 1996.

Matches involving intense endurance were the order of the tournament on Saturday. Cerúndolo’s brother, Francisco, wasn’t as fortunate, falling to Zachary Svajda in five sets. Overall, the day featured nine of 16 matches extending to five sets, a Grand Slam record in the Open Era.

Moïse Kouame’s Resilient Run

Moïse Kouame, at 17 in his first Grand Slam, put on a performance against Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo that belied his years. Despite starting strong and leading the first set, Kouame eventually fell in four sets after a battle lasting nearly five hours. The teen, a sizable PSG fan, mirrored the spirit of his favorite soccer team, channeling the crowd’s energy effectively. Though Kouame eventually lost, his commendable run has elevated him over 100 spots in the rankings.

Other Notable Results

Flavio Cobolli (10) made a decisive impression, defeating Learner Tien (18) clearly. Anna Kalinskaya (22) overcame a challenging match and heat-related issues to win over Camila Osorio. Félix Auger-Aliassime rallied after losing the first set to beat Brandon Nakashima. In other significant matches, Diana Shnaider bested Oleksandra Oliynykova amidst political tensions.

Sorry to Amanda Anisimova, but when a serve goes this long, it must be remembered.

As the tournament progresses to the next round, notable matchups such as Marta Kostyuk vs. Iga Świątek, Rafael Jódar vs. Pablo Carreño Busta, and Casper Ruud vs. João Fonseca promise continued thrilling tennis action.