French Open 2025 Day Three Recap – Perfect Tennis

Day three of Roland Garros 2025 saw the conclusion of the Round of 128, with a high-profile upset stealing the spotlight alongside other notable performances on the Parisian clay.

Cameron Norrie’s defeat of 11th seed Daniil Medvedev headlined a day filled with surprises, including 18-year-old João Fonseca’s demolition of the 30th seed and Djokovic’s clinical start.

Norrie caused a shock with a 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 1-6, 7-5 victory over 11th seed Daniil Medvedev in a 4-hour, 15-minute marathon.

João Fonseca made waves by crushing 30th seed Hubert Hurkacz 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 in 1 hour and 47 minutes on Court 6. 

While Matteo Arnaldi pulled off a 4-hour, 21-minute comeback against 29th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, winning 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

One thing remains constant, though, and that’s Novak Djokovic at Grand Slams as he cruised past Mackenzie McDonald 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, maintaining his 20-0 first-round record.

Day Three French Open 2025 Round of 128 Results

Winner
Loser
Scoreline

Andrey Rublev (17)
Lloyd Harris (Q)
6-4 4-6 6-3 6-1

Adam Walton
Maxime Marterer (Q)
7-6(3) 4-6 6-3 2-6 6-2

Alex de Minaur (9)
Laslo Djere
6-3 6-4 7-6(6)

Alexander Bublik
James Duckworth
6-2 6-4 6-4

Henrique Rocha (Q)
Nikoloz Basalashvili (Q)
7-6(0) 6-2 7-6(9) 2-6 6-2

Jakub Mensik (19)
Alexandre Muller
7-5 6-7(5) 7-5 6-3

Joao Fonseca
Hubert Hurkacz (30)
6-2 6-4 6-2

Pierre-Hugues Herbert (WC)
Benjamin Bonzi
7-5 3-6 4-6 7-5 6-2

Gael Monfils
Hugo Dellien
4-6 3-6 6-2 7-6(4) 6-1

Jack Draper (5)
Mattia Bellucci
3-6 6-2 6-4 6-2

Alexander Zverev (3)
Learner Tien
6-3 6-4 6-4

Jesper De Jong
Francesco Passaro
3-6 6-7(7_ 6-4 7-6(1) 6-1

Flavio Cobolli
Marin Cilic (LL)
6-2 6-1 6-3

Matteo Arnaldi
Felix Auger-Aliassime (29)
5-7 2-6 6-3 6-4 6-2

Alexander Shevchenko (LL)
Dusan Lajovic
6-2 6-4 7-6(4)

Ethan Quinn (Q)
Grigor Dimitrov (16)
2-6 4-6 6-2 (RET)

Cameron Norrie
Daniil Medvedev (11)
7-5 6-3 6-4 6-1 7-5

Federico Agustin Gomez
Aleksandar Kovacevic
4-6 6-4 6-4 6-1

Corentin Moutet
Clement Tabur (Q)
6-3 7-6(6) 6-3

Novak Djokovic (6)
Mackenzie McDonald
6-3 6-3 6-3

Daily Recap

Cameron Norrie def. Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 1-6, 7-5

Cameron Norrie delivered a stunning upset at Roland Garros on Tuesday, defeating 11th seed Daniil Medvedev in a gruelling five-set battle.

The Brit has seen his ranking tumble of late, but he fought hard for a 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 1-6, 7-5 victory, advancing to the second round in Paris for the fifth time.

Medvedev rallied from two sets down and served for the match at 5-4 in the decider, but Norrie battled back, clinching the win after three hours and 53 minutes.

While I didn’t have Meddy on upset watch, it was apparent he was in for a battle as Norrie has been playing well recently, coming off a semi-final run in Geneva, where he fell to eventual champion Novak Djokovic.

He is one of the fittest players on tour in terms of endurance and cardio, so Medvedev can’t rely solely on his ability to outlast an opponent.

The Russian faltered early, failing to serve out the first set at 5-4, allowing Norrie to bag eight consecutive games for a commanding two-set lead.

The former US Open champion briefly adopted a more aggressive style in the second set but reverted to his counterpunching roots, which sparked a mid-match surge of seven straight games to level the score.

However, Norrie’s relentless aggression prevailed in the decider. The Brit saved four break points in a 13-minute opening game of the fifth set and reeled off the final four games from 3-5 down to secure his first head-to-head win over Medvedev.

Medvedev’s first-round exit echoes his five-set loss to Learner Tien at the Australian Open earlier this year, and his ranking is on the slide, making it an uphill battle to qualify for the season-ending event.

It was an incredible atmosphere, I really felt like I had the momentum there. I felt a lot of energy, and I managed to get over the line. He was a little bit tentative, it was honestly a crazy match. He’s so tough to beat, I think I deserve a diploma for beating Medvedev… He’s got me the last four times. Norrie on his win.

Alexander Zverev def. Learner Tien 6-3 6-4 6-4

In contrast, third seed Alexander Zverev cruised to a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Tien on Tuesday. The 2024 Roland Garros runner-up, who also lost to Tien in Acapulco, saved all four break points in a swift one-hour, 53-minute match.

After reaching the Australian Open final in January, Zverev’s season has been inconsistent, with early exits in Indian Wells and Monte-Carlo, but this was a solid start for the German, as Tien is no pushover, even though he’s not so at home on clay.

Ethan Quinn def. Grigor Dimitrov 2-6, 3-6, 6-2

Grigor Dimitrov’s Roland Garros campaign ended brutally on Tuesday afternoon, as the 16th seed was forced to retire from his first-round match against Ethan Quinn due to injury.

Dimitrov was leading qualifier Quinn 6-2, 6-3, 2-6 at the clay-court major before shaking hands with the American.

The Bulgarian had taken control early in their first meeting but required treatment on his left thigh during the second set.

His movement was visibly hampered in the third, ultimately forcing him to withdraw from the competition.

While he’s not quite at Tomas Machac’s level when it comes to retirements, he’s had several this year.

As I noted in my preview, I mentioned that he’d only factor in if he were up to it physically, and the answer, which was sadly predictable, was no.

Novak Djokovic def. Mackenzie McDonald 6-3 6-3 6-3

Novak Djokovic launched his 2025 Roland Garros campaign with a commanding 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Mackenzie McDonald.

Fresh off his 100th tour-level title in Geneva, the three-time champion delivered a polished performance in under two hours on Court Philippe-Chatrier, improving his first-round record at the clay-court major to 20-0.

As far as first-round opponents go, McDonald is ideal as he strikes a very clean ball, but he’s not shaping the ball much on a clay court, and he’s almost like a ball machine.

That’s why Federer often used him as a practice partner during training blocks, as you’re going to feel a ton of balls on your strings, so you’ll get plenty of rhythm.

Novak advances to face Corentin Moutet in what should be an entertaining match with Moutet’s unorthodox game and fervent crowd.

I try to enjoy every moment on this very special and beautiful court. I feel good, clearly, even more here because I’m reliving the memories of last year’s Olympics, the last time I played on this court. [They are] beautiful emotions. It was a solid match. I know that he can play to a better standard than today, but I am very happy with what I produced. Novak on his win.

Jack Draper def. Mattia Bellucci 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2

Jack Draper’s clay-court progress took a step further on Tuesday as the British left-hander secured his first-ever match win in Paris, defeating Mattia Bellucci 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.

Playing under the closed roof of Court Suzanne-Lenglen amid steady rain, the fifth seed battled back from a slow start, breaking serve five times across the final three sets to improve his 2025 clay record to 10-3.

I thought Bellucci played some aggressive stuff right out of the gate, and Draper wasn’t quite dialled in, firing in a few double faults, but once he got moving, he started to get the upper hand.

Joao Fonseca def. Hubert Hurkacz (30) 6-2, 6-4, 6-2

18-year-old Fonseca crushed 30th seed Hurkacz in 1 hour 47 minutes on Court 6. Fonseca’s forehand did the damage, and a 78% win rate behind his first serve overwhelmed Hurkacz as he was broken five times without being able to respond—a statement win considering the Pole came in off a Geneva final.

Matteo Arnaldi def. Felix Auger-Aliassime (29) 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2

Arnaldi pulled off a 4-hour, 21-minute comeback from two sets and a break down. Arnaldi’s 42 winners and five breaks of serve helped him get the job done.

42 of Auger-Aliassime’s 55 unforced errors came in the final three sets, which didn’t help his cause, and he’s now lost five matches from two sets up at Grand Slams.

Gael Monfils def. Hugo Dellien 4-6, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6(4), 6-1

Gael Monfils battled back from two sets down to defeat Hugo Dellien 4-6, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6(4), 6-1 in a 3-hour, 15-minute first-round thriller.

Dellien, ranked No. 96, took control early, breaking Monfils with nine drop shots and precise forehands but the Frenchman roared back with 9 winners in a dominant 6-2 third set and a clutch 7-6(4) tiebreak win in the fourth, fueled by the home crowd, before breadsticking Dellien in the fifth. Draper next.

Highlights

French Open 2025 Day Four Round of 64 Matches