Sinner Cruises Past Tabur in Straight Sets at Scorching Roland Garros Opener
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner launched his bid for a maiden Roland Garros title with a commanding 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 victory over French wild card Clément Tabur, as a punishing heatwave gripped the tournament.
A dominant debut
Jannik Sinner began his Roland Garros campaign with a clinical straight-sets victory over French wild card Clément Tabur, winning 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 in two hours and eight minutes on the Philippe-Chatrier court. The world number one, who lost last year's final to Carlos Alcaraz, never faced a break point in the opening set and conceded only two points on his serve. Sinner broke Tabur's serve in the first, fifth, and seventh games of the first set, closing it out 6-1 in just 30 minutes.
I am very happy to be back here. All of this is special. I tried to do my best, the first match is never easy and it is always emotional to start a new adventure in a Slam. Thank you for coming and for the fair play.
Match progression
The second set proved slightly more competitive, lasting 39 minutes, but Sinner's superiority remained unquestionable. He secured the decisive break in the fourth game and served with 74% first serves, winning 16 of 20 points behind his first delivery and firing five aces in the set alone. The third set saw the most resistance from Tabur, who raised his level with the home crowd chanting "Allez Clément." Sinner broke early for a 2-1 lead but faced some pressure, prompting coach Darren Cahill to stand up during a changeover. The Italian eventually closed the match on his own serve in the tenth game, having squandered three match points on Tabur's serve moments earlier.
- Match begins on Philippe-Chatrier court.
- Sinner wins first set 6-1 in 30 minutes, losing only two points on serve.
- Sinner takes second set 6-3 in 39 minutes, firing five aces.
- Sinner closes out third set 6-4 and wins the match in 2 hours and 8 minutes.
Italian trio advances
Sinner was not the only Italian celebrating on day one. Matteo Arnaldi, ranked 104th, outlasted Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor, the 33rd seed, 6-7, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 in a grueling four-hour battle. Arnaldi will next face Stefanos Tsitsipas, who defeated him in the fourth round here two years ago. Luciano Darderi also progressed, defeating Austria's Sebastian Ofner 7-6, 6-2, 6-3. However, Elisabetta Cocciaretto was eliminated by 18-year-old Russian qualifier Alina Korneeva, 6-3, 6-3.
Heatwave challenges
The tournament has been overshadowed by extreme heat, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius. The conditions have altered the physics of the game, with thinner air reducing resistance and causing balls to travel faster and bounce higher. Several players struggled: Gabriel Diallo retired from his match against James Duckworth, Casper Ruud nearly suffered a blackout against Roman Safiullin, and Daria Kasatkina said she could not recall a French Open this torrid. A ball girl fainted during Andrey Rublev's match. Daniil Medvedev was also eliminated on the day.
These are my matches, I like to fight, I like to play a lot, I like to work hard physically. If I can bring this into the matches, I think I can bring out the best in myself and my tennis.
Other notable results
In the women's draw, world number one Aryna Sabalenka also began her quest for a first Roland Garros title with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. Sabalenka raced to a 4-0 lead in the first set before allowing her opponent back to 5-4, then dominated the second set, closing the match in one hour and 15 minutes. Sinner will next face Argentina's Juan Manuel Cerundolo, who defeated Britain's Jacob Fearnley.
