French Open: Daniel Altmaier stuns Taylor Fritz in first-round upset, Iga Swiatek begins defence with gritty win

• PARIS — On a day when most top seeds were expected to cruise through their opening matches, Germany’s Daniel Altmaier lit up Roland Garros with the first major upset of the tournament.
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• The World No. 66 delivered a composed and powerful performance to knock out fourth seed Taylor Fritz in four sets—7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1—sending shockwaves through the men’s draw.
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• Altmaier, known for his grit and clay-court craft, played fearless tennis throughout the two-hour, 41-minute encounter, blunting Fritz’s big-hitting game with a mix of aggression, control, and tactical intelligence.
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• His 44 winners were a testament to that approach, many of them coming from deep, heavy forehands that pinned the American behind the baseline.
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• “It was very special,” Altmaier said after the match. “I’ve been working really hard these past weeks to gain confidence and prepare for matches like this. I feel like I’m ready to face anyone.”

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• The 26-year-old German had shown his potential on the Paris clay before, reaching the fourth round in 2020.
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• Monday’s win marked his third career Top-10 victory at Roland Garros—after defeating Matteo Berrettini in 2020 and Jannik Sinner in 2023—and his fifth overall against Top-10 opposition.
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• Perhaps the most telling aspect of the match was Altmaier’s dominance in the fourth set, where he raced ahead with two breaks of serve. One particularly stunning rally ended with an inside-out forehand winner that left Fritz stranded and the crowd on their feet.
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• “The sacrifices every tennis player makes are unbelievable,” he said. “I have a long-term vision and I definitely want to achieve something big in this sport. That’s why I have to win matches like this.”
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• For Fritz, the loss was a significant blow. It marked only his second first-round exit at a Grand Slam since the 2019 US Open and his first at Roland Garros since 2018. The American had made history at the 2024 US Open by becoming the first American man since Andy Roddick in 2006 to reach the final of a major.
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• Elsewhere on Day 2 of the tournament, Stefanos Tsitsipas got his campaign off to a smooth start, defeating Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-5, 6-3, 6-4. The former French Open finalist notched his eighth consecutive first-round win at Roland Garros and will next face Italian qualifier Matteo Gigante. A potential third-round clash with 13th seed Ben Shelton looms.
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• French Open: Inspired by Rafa’s presence, Swiatek begins defence with gritty win
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  The defending French Open champion Iga Swiatek kicked off her 2025 campaign with a hard-fought 6-3, 6-3 victory over Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova, extending her stunning unbeaten run at Roland Garros to 22 matches.
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• Rafael Nadal may not be swinging his racket this year at Roland Garros, but his presence at Court Philippe Chatrier continues to inspire greatness.
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• While the result may appear routine on paper, it came on the back of a period of uncharacteristic struggle for the Polish star — and in her own words, the mere sight of Nadal during Sunday’s tribute ceremony helped her rediscover some of that lost fire.
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• “Even when he’s not playing, just him being here yesterday inspired me a lot,” Swiatek said after the match. “Thanks, Rafa.”
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• Swiatek, who is aiming for her fifth French Open crown in just six years, entered the tournament ranked fifth in the world — her lowest position since 2020. It’s also the first time in five years that she arrived in Paris without winning a WTA title in the season’s opening five months.
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• Yet as she stood on the same clay where Nadal built his empire, Swiatek found more than just her rhythm. She found motivation.
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• “I knew the cameras were on Carlos [Alcaraz] behind me so I needed to be brave, but seeing Rafa crying makes me more emotional,” she reflected on the ceremony. “It’s great the tennis world could show their appreciation. He is a huge inspiration.”
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• Against world number 42 Sramkova, Swiatek was pushed early. Her signature fast start didn’t come as easily this time. She had to dig deep to hold her opening service game and didn’t fully settle until stringing together the final three games of the first set.
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• Even then, Sramkova landed a blow, breaking the three-time champion to begin the second set. But Swiatek responded in kind — levelling at 3-3 before breaking again and reeling off three straight games to wrap up the match in one hour and 35 minutes.
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• The win sets up a second-round showdown against Britain’s Emma Raducanu, who also came through a gruelling three-set battle earlier in the day.
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• Swiatek has often cited Nadal as her clay-court hero, and Monday’s performance bore the hallmarks of his influence — resilience, patience, and intensity in the face of early adversity.
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• She even shared a personal moment from Roland Garros 2021, the year Nadal lost to Novak Djokovic in the semi-final and Swiatek fell in the quarters. “I was devastated that he lost, and the next day, he was just sitting there after breakfast or something, and I asked him how does he feel?” she recalled. “He was chill. He was like, ‘Oh, it’s just a tennis match. I’ll get many more chances.’ I was like, what? Why am I crying if he’s not crying?”