While the men’s draw has already seen its share of high-profile early exits, the women’s top seeds have largely held firm in the first week of Roland-Garros 2025. Remarkably, all eight top seeds still have a chance to reach the fourth round — a feat that hasn’t happened in Paris since 2003.
World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, defending champion and fifth seed Iga Swiatek, No.4 seed Jasmine Paolini, and eighth seed and Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen all booked their spots in the last 16 with composed third-round wins on Friday.
Swiatek extended her remarkable Roland-Garros record to 38 wins and just two losses with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Jaqueline Cristian. Despite a tighter second set, the four-time champion remains on course for a third consecutive title and her 25th straight win in Paris.
Sabalenka, meanwhile, faced a potentially tricky opponent in Serbian left-hander Olga Danilovic but made light work of the challenge, winning 6-2, 6-3. Zheng looked equally sharp in her 6-3, 6-4 defeat of Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko, while Paolini, last year’s finalist, made quick work of Yuliia Starodubtseva with a 6-4, 6-1 scoreline.
Elena Rybakina also delivered one of the most dominant performances of the day, dismantling Jelena Ostapenko 6-2, 6-2 to set up a tantalizing fourth-round clash with Swiatek.
Attention now turns to the other half of the draw on Saturday, where Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, and rising star Mirra Andreeva will look to complete the sweep of top eight seeds in the round of 16.
On the men’s side, Friday delivered plenty of drama. Holger Rune battled back from the brink of defeat to edge out Frenchman Quentin Halys 6-2 in the fifth set, saving the match at 4-5 in the fourth. Rune also produced a contender for shot of the tournament during the five-set thriller.
Later in the evening, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz survived a scare against Damir Dzumhur. After cruising through the first two sets, Alcaraz dropped the third and trailed 3-1 in the fourth before regaining control to win in four sets — despite a below-par performance.
American players continue to thrive in the men’s draw, with Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, and Ben Shelton all advancing to the last 16. Tiafoe was particularly convincing in a 7-6(6), 6-3, 6-4 win over compatriot Sebastian Korda. Qualifier Ethan Quinn has a chance to join them if he can overcome Tallon Griekspoor on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Portugal’s Henrique Rocha is set for a breakout moment as he prepares to take on Alexander Bublik in the third round, and Hailey Baptiste continues her impressive clay-court run as she faces Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, buoyed by a close-knit support team helping her deliver career-best tennis in Europe.
