French Open Men’s Day 6 Recap
With the first week in Paris nearing its conclusion, the drama at the French Open did not stop—in fact, it only intensified. Day 6 saw two players come back from a two-set deficit to win their matches, one of them potentially with historic ramifications, as we will get to below. Here is your complete recap of yet another gripping day on the French clay.
Biggest Upsets of the Round
Entering the main draw as a lucky loser, Jesper de Jong now finds himself all set for a second-week appearance at the French Open after a quite unexpected result, taking down Karen Khachanov in a back-and-forth five-set match. Another upset that stood out was Jakub Mensik, who looked unable to walk after winning his previous match, yet came back from a set down to defeat Alex de Minaur for the first time in his sixth attempt.
But who are we kidding? The upset of the day has to be Joao Fonseca overcoming Novak Djokovic in five sets, a match the Serbian led by two sets to start and was just two points away from winning in the fourth set. In a match dubbed the battle of generations, Fonseca secured what will be one of the most memorable wins of his career, potentially announcing himself to the tennis world with a draw ahead that increasingly looks more open than any Major has had in years.
Performance of the Round
Now the firm favourite to win the title, Alexander Zverev continues to play some solid tennis at the French Open. He did drop a set in the third round, but with many of his biggest competitors now out of the tournament, his path has become considerably clearer.
For me, however, the performance of the day was produced by Jakub Mensik. It looked like a realistic possibility after his five-set win over Mariano Navone in the previous round that the Czech would not even be able to take the court for his next match. Instead, he faced one of the toughest opponents possible in Alex de Minaur, who entered the contest with a 5-0 head-to-head advantage.
Things went from bad to worse when Mensik dropped the opening set 6-0. But then, seemingly out of nowhere, the Czech raised both his serving and baseline level to a point where De Minaur simply could not compete anymore. Mensik now makes his first-ever second-week appearance at the French Open.
Match of the Day
A day filled with long and exciting matches makes this category particularly difficult. On quality alone, three matches stand out, and I simply cannot choose between them for different reasons. First, Rafael Jodar and Alex Michelsen gave us a five-set war in which Jodar overcame a two-sets-to-one deficit, collecting his 18th ATP Tour clay-court win this year in the process.
Then came Fonseca and Djokovic, a match that will probably never be forgotten. Djokovic, for only the second time in his career, lost a Slam match after leading by two sets. The most fascinating aspect of the encounter was that both players arguably produced their highest level in the fifth set. The quality from the baseline never truly dipped, with Fonseca ultimately clutching what will undoubtedly be one of the Match of the Year candidates by season’s end.
Finally, Casper Ruud and Tommy Paul delivered a classic in the Parisian night. The Norwegian also came back from two sets down in a match that featured tiebreaks, thrilling rallies, and match points for both players. Ultimately, the better clay-court player advanced and will now face Fonseca in the next round.
Biggest Talking Point
What is in the air in Paris this year?
This has been one of the most volatile men’s Major draws that I can remember, with three of the four realistic title contenders already out by Day 6. When Carlos Alcaraz announced that he would not play the French Open this year, many assumed Jannik Sinner would coast to the title. Instead, Sinner fell victim to cramping and Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
With both Alcaraz and Sinner out of the picture, attention shifted to Djokovic and his pursuit of a record-extending 25th Slam title. Now he, too, has fallen, and in an unexpected fashion. While Fonseca possesses immense potential, Djokovic will feel he should have closed out the match, especially after leading by two sets. Even with all three of those names gone, Zverev, the overwhelming favourite to lift the trophy, showed vulnerability by dropping a set to Quentin Halys.
The players remaining in the draw know they may never get a better opportunity to win one of the sport’s biggest titles than they will over the coming week. That reality will only increase the pressure on players such as Zverez, Andrey Rublev, and Ruud, all of whom possess genuine pedigree on clay. Who knows? Those nerves could eventually pave the way for a breakthrough from one of the younger players still in the draw, such as Fonseca or Jodar.
But whatever happens, the French Open has completely shocked the tennis landscape on the men’s side this year, and something tells me the surprises are far from over.
