Shocking elimination at the French Open: 15 seeds in the first round.

Roland Garros 2026: The Tsunami of Surprises! Four Top-10 Stars and 15 Seeds Fall in the First Round

The 2026 French Open began with a brutal impact for the biggest stars in world tennis. At Roland Garros, nothing was guaranteed, and the proof is that 15 seeds were eliminated right in the first round, including four players from the top 10, in a true hecatomb that is shaking the circuit.

On the men’s side, Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry, the 23rd seed, was the first to fall. Nuno Borges, the Portuguese player who was unfazed by his opponent, dispatched him with a decisive 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, on a Sunday afternoon that already hinted that the favorites were not safe on the Parisian clay. But the biggest shock came from the American side: seventh seed Taylor Fritz succumbed to compatriot Nishesh Basavareddy in an epic and unexpected duel (7-6(7-5), 7-6(7-5), 6-7(9-11), 6-1). Fritz, visibly defeated, did not hesitate to praise his opponent: “He ‘cooked’ me with insane drop shots, balls landing on the baseline that completely took me out of the game. It was a lesson in feeling and strategy.”

In the women’s sector, Danish player Clara Tauson, the 21st seed, still recovering from back injuries, was unable to overcome Ukrainian Daria Snigur, who triumphed with a score of 3-6, 7-5, 6-2. Tauson has not won a match since March, and her physical fragility was evident right from the start of the tournament.

Second round of surprises? The following day, the Czech Jiri Lehecka, the 12th seed, was eliminated by the Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta in a match where he found no answers (6-3, 7-6(7-3), 6-3). In the women’s draw, the list of eliminated players included notable names such as Ekaterina Alexandrova (14th), Liudmila Samsonova (20th), Leylah Fernandez (24th), and Cristina Bucsa (31st), all defeated by lower-ranked opponents, demonstrating that the French surface is unforgiving and that the battle for every point is fierce.

Day three brought the biggest shock: two more top-10 men’s players and a female star fell. Tallon Griekspoor, the 29th seed, was eliminated by the Italian Matteo Arnaldi. However, the biggest upset was the defeat of Daniil Medvedev, the fifth seed, against Australian wildcard Adam Walton, who won in an intense five-set match (6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4). Medvedev, visibly frustrated, was even advised by his wife to keep calm in the face of the heat and pressure. Cameron Norrie, the 20th seed, had to withdraw due to injury, while Alexander Bublik, ranked ninth, fell to Jan-Lennard Struff, adding to the list of eliminated favorites.

In the women’s draw, the biggest shock was the elimination of fifth seed Jessica Pegula, defeated by Australian Kimberly Birrell (6-1, 3-6, 3-6). Birrell did not hide her emotion after the victory: “I knew it would be difficult, I admire Pegula a lot. I focused on winning point by point and managed to play the best tennis of my life on clay, especially at a Grand Slam like this. It’s something really special.”

This chaotic start to the 2026 Roland Garros marks one of the biggest upsets in recent tennis history, with three top-10 male players eliminated in the first round, a situation not seen since 2007. The clay courts of Paris are proving to be a true battleground where even the biggest stars can be taken down.

List of Seeded Players Eliminated in the First Round

Men:

– Daniil Medvedev (6)

– Taylor Fritz (7)

– Alexander Bublik (9)

– Jiri Lehecka (12)

– Arthur Fils (17) – withdrew before the tournament

– Cameron Norrie (20)

– Tomas Martin Etcheverry (23)

– Tallon Griekspoor (29)

– Corentin Moutet (30)

Women:

– Jessica Pegula (5)

– Linda Noskova (12)

– Ekaterina Alexandrova (14)

– Liudmila Samsonova (20)

– Clara Tauson (21)

– Leylah Fernandez (24)

– Cristina Bucsa (31)

The 2026 Roland Garros is not for the faint-hearted: the competition is fierce, the favorites are falling early, and the spectacle is guaranteed for the coming days. If you thought the big names would dominate the tournament, get ready for an unpredictable and thrilling show!

This article first appeared on Apito Final.