“Daniil Medvedev catastrophically eliminated from Roland Garros.”

Roland Garros 2024: Explosions and Surprises Right from the First Day! Arnaldi Shines, Medvedev Falls in Humiliating Fashion, and Sabalenka Dominates

This year’s Roland Garros tournament has already kicked off with a tremendous impact that will shake the foundations of world tennis. Matteo Arnaldi, the rising young Italian, staged one of the biggest surprises by defeating Tallon Griekspoor in an epic and physical duel, showing that he is finally overcoming the injury problems that have plagued him in recent months. On the other hand, Daniil Medvedev, one of the biggest stars on the circuit, suffered a surprising and early exit, eliminating himself in the first round. In the women’s draw, world number one Aryna Sabalenka showcased her strength and left no chances for her opponent.

Matteo Arnaldi from Sanremo arrives at Roland Garros buoyed by his victory at the Challenger 175 in Cagliari and his excellent experience in Rome, where he was only defeated by Rafael Nadal in the third round. Despite a foot issue that limited his preparation, Arnaldi proved relentless against Griekspoor, winning an intense battle of nerves and physical endurance 6-7(9), 6-3, 7-6(6), 6-3. The Italian lost the first set in a thrilling tie-break that lasted over fifteen minutes, during which he committed two crucial double faults, allowing his opponent to save four set points and close the set 11-9, even while struggling with pain in his right leg.

However, Arnaldi did not let himself be discouraged and returned to his best level. In the third set, he again showcased a moment of brilliance by winning another dramatic tie-break, saving four consecutive set points and scoring six consecutive points to secure a crucial 8-6. Griekspoor, in contrast to the Italian, collapsed in the fourth set after an early break, allowing Arnaldi to close out the match. The young Italian’s next opponent will be the giant Stefanos Tsitsipas, who advanced after Alexandre Muller withdrew.

The biggest shock of the day took place at Court Suzanne-Lenglen, where Daniil Medvedev, the seeded player and one of the favorites for the title, suffered a stunning defeat to the unknown Adam Walton. The Russian lost in a dramatic five-set match (6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4) that lasted three hours and twenty-two minutes. Despite having a lead in the deciding set, Medvedev completely lost focus, making unforced errors that proved costly. This result is not a coincidence: Medvedev has already exited in the first round seven times in ten appearances at the French Open, highlighting a concerning fragility in Paris.

Another historic note was the unprecedented victory of Moise Kouame, who defeated veteran Marin Cilic 7-6(4), 6-2, 6-1, securing his first win at a Grand Slam at home. In the women’s sector, Aryna Sabalenka, the current world number one, started with a dominant performance, crushing Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-4, 6-2 and asserting her intentions to compete for the title.

Also on the women’s side, young Iva Jovic shone by defeating Alexandra Eala 6-4, 6-2 in a clash of promising talents. Emma Navarro, Donna Vekic, and Maria Sakkari also had positive debuts, with Sakkari eliminating the 12th seed, Linda Noskova, showing that she will not make it easy.

The 2024 Roland Garros promises to be a spectacle filled with emotions, twists, and epic battles from the very first day. With stars falling early and young talents emerging, the Paris tournament is beginning to show that this year the unexpected will be the norm. Stay tuned so you don’t miss a single moment of this titanic struggle on the clay courts of Paris!

This article first appeared on Apito Final.