Roland Garros 2026: What you could have been, and what you have ended up being

Pedro de Pablos | 5 Jun 2026 | 21.50

Roland Garros 2026: What you could have been, and what you have ended up being. Source: Getty Images.

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Anyone who watched the first week of Roland Garros 2026 had a common thought: this tournament was destined to be one of the best Grand Slams in memory. Epic five-set matches, surprises everywhere, and unique personal stories turned Paris into the epicenter of the sports world, but everything has crumbled in the second week of the tournament.

The expectations before it started weren't very high, especially in the men's draw. The absence of Carlos Alcaraz due to injury left Jannik Sinner as the clear favorite to complete the Career Grand Slam, but tennis magic emerged in all its splendor. The world number one was defeated in the second round due to physical problems when the match was practically won, and a few days later, the reigning champion, Coco Gauff, did the same in the women's draw.

A first week for the history books at Roland Garros 2026, and not much else

To this, add Moise Kouamé's emergence as the new local hero, winning epic matches, the encounter between Juan Martín Cerúndolo and Martín Landaluce, or Joao Fonseca's surprising victory over Novak Djokovic after being two sets down. The first week made it into the history books of Roland Garros with countless moments that will be etched in our memories forever, with a common phrase among all tennis lovers: "This is one of the best Grand Slams I can remember."

However, it's fair to say that we rushed to judgment. These tournaments last two weeks for a reason, and greatness unfortunately is often defined by the key days, by the final moments when everything is at stake. This is where Roland Garros failed, deflating alongside the players themselves, perhaps a result of the accumulated fatigue from the early days. From heaven to hell, from being unique to being just another one.

Since last Tuesday, there hasn't been a five-set match, and in the women's draw, there has been little remarkable beyond another meltdown from Aryna Sabalenka in a major. Interestingly, what saved the storyline was a supporting actress like Maja Chwalinska, who became the main protagonist after reaching the final coming from the qualifying rounds. An oasis in the June desert.

The sun set in Paris, taking the epicness with it

We were doing so well in May with marathon matches, even with the sun, which disappeared hand in hand with the other factors. As if everything was scripted. Not even Jódar could do anything against Zverev, nor did Fonseca deliver on his promise and put the cherry on top of his breakthrough tournament. Moreover, today one of the men's semifinals hasn't even been played due to Matteo Arnaldi's withdrawal.

We can go further by analyzing the men's final and realize that Flavio Cobolli has faced only one top 10 player throughout the tournament and two top 20 players, and Zverev hasn't even done that much. In the women's draw, it's more of the same, as Chwalinska hasn't faced any top 20 player either, and Andreeva only faced two. Nevertheless, it would be hypocritical to complain about this considering the enjoyment we've had with the surprises there have been, but the second week lacked something. In fact, it lacked a lot.

Unless the men's and women's finals are battles to remember, it's most likely that in a few years, no one or very few will remember the last rounds, and consequently neither the first ones. We may remember that it was Cobolli's first Grand Slam or that Zverev finally fulfilled his dream, or how a star was born with Mirra Andreeva. Not to mention what would happen if Chwalinska wins, she wasn't even in the top 100. But it's sad that, knowing everything that Roland Garros 2026 could have been, it ended up like this.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Roland Garros 2026: Lo que podías haber sido, y lo que has acabado siendo

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