Major Upsets at the 2025 French Open
In a surprising turn of events at the 2025 French Open, top clay-court players Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud faced unexpected losses in the second round of the men’s singles.
Matteo Gigante Shocks Tsitsipas
Italian qualifier Matteo Gigante achieved a remarkable milestone by defeating 20th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas with scores of 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4. The 23-year-old, who had never beaten a top-20 player or advanced beyond the second round of a main tour event, displayed both power and composure on Court Simonne-Mathieu.
This defeat is particularly disappointing for Tsitsipas, marking his earliest exit from the French Open since 2018. The Greek star, a previous finalist in 2021 and a consistent performer in earlier years, had hoped to reach the quarter-finals for the third consecutive year. However, it’s been a challenging season for him, with an early exit at the Australian Open earlier this year.
Gigante will now face American 13th seed Ben Shelton in the third round, bringing a surge of confidence after his impressive win.
Injured Ruud Falls to Borges
In another unexpected result, Casper Ruud, a two-time finalist, was defeated by Portugal’s Nuno Borges on Court Suzanne-Lenglen. Ruud started strong but struggled as the match progressed, ultimately losing 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-0. This victory marks a historic moment for Borges, ranked 41st, as he becomes the first Portuguese man to reach the third round of the French Open.
Post-match, Ruud revealed he has been dealing with a knee injury throughout the clay season, which worsened during the game. "I’ve been struggling with knee pain," he shared. "In practice, it’s easier to manage, but in matches, it’s different. I didn’t want to retire; I wanted to compete."
Despite winning the first set, Ruud’s movement became increasingly restricted, allowing Borges to take control. After a medical timeout, Ruud couldn’t regain his momentum, and Borges wrapped up the match with a commanding 6-0 in the fourth set.
Borges will now take on Australia’s Alexei Popyrin, who won his match convincingly in straight sets against Alejandro Tabilo.
With both Tsitsipas and Ruud out of the tournament, the French Open has set the stage for surprising new talents to shine.
