Matteo Berrettini’s Remarkable Comeback at the French Open
Matteo Berrettini has made history by becoming the lowest-ranked player to reach the quarter-finals of the French Open since 2007. The clay-court grand slam has delivered a series of unexpected results, with several underdogs making their mark in this year’s tournament.
Diana Shnaider and Maja Chwalinska both achieved their first-ever grand slam quarter-final, while 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys became another high-profile casualty. However, the most captivating story of Monday’s play was the remarkable resurgence of former Wimbledon finalist Berrettini.
A former World No.6, Berrettini has fallen to World No.105 due to persistent injuries. Despite this, he reached his first major quarter-final in four years after defeating Juan Manuel Cerundolo, the man who had beaten Jannik Sinner. The match ended with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (8-6). In doing so, Berrettini became the lowest-ranked quarter-finalist at Roland Garros since Igor Andreev in 2007.
“This is the love of my life, I guess, otherwise I wouldn’t keep coming back after all the setbacks, the injuries,” said Berrettini, who is playing at Roland Garros for the first time since 2021. The Italian is one of only two grand slam finalists left in a wide-open men’s draw—alongside Alexander Zverev—after surprise early exits for Sinner and Novak Djokovic.
This means a first-time grand slam winner is set to be crowned. Berrettini will next face fellow Italian Matteo Arnaldi, who staged a dramatic comeback to beat Frances Tiafoe in a five-hour, 26-minute match. The final score was 7-6 (5), 6-7 (5), 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4.
Women’s Side: A New Era of Upsets
On the women’s side, World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka continued her strong performance with a 7-5, 6-3 win over four-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka. It appears that Sabalenka is the favorite to win the title, as no former French Open champions remain in the draw.
Diana Shnaider defeated 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys with a score of 6-3, 3-6, 6-0. Keys became the latest grand slam champion to crash out before the quarters, joining the likes of Sinner, Djokovic, Coco Gauff, and Iga Swiatek.
Maja Chwalinska won 6-3, 6-2 over Diane Parry, while Anna Kalinskaya beat Anastasia Potapova with a score of 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (10-7). Shnaider and Chwalinska had never reached the quarters of a grand slam before, while Kalinskaya has only done it once—at the Australian Open in 2024.
Shnaider’s reward is a match-up with four-time major champion Sabalenka. Chwalinska, ranked 114th in the world, is the first qualifier to reach the women’s French Open quarters since 2020.
A Tournament of Carnage for Big Names
It has been a tournament of carnage for big-name players and top seeds. Only five of the world’s top 20 players made it past the fourth round. In the women’s draw, these include Sabalenka (1), Elina Svitolina (7), and Mirra Andreeva (8). In the men’s draw, they are Zverev (3) and Felix Auger Aliassime (6).
