Jack Draper and Cameron Norrie spearheaded a remarkable day for British tennis at the French Open, as six British players advanced to the second round marking the best first-round return for Britain at Roland Garros in 52 years.
Norrie secured a thrilling victory over former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev, seeded 11th, winning 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 1-6, 7-5. Despite trailing 3-5 in the final set, Norrie rallied impressively to claim the match. Draper, meanwhile, notched his first-ever French Open win by defeating Mattia Bellucci 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. On the women’s side, Sonay Kartal continued her promising breakthrough by comfortably beating Erika Andreeva 6-0, 6-2 in her main-draw debut.
Alongside victories from Katie Boulter, Emma Raducanu, and Jacob Fearnley earlier in the tournament, this marks the first time in the Open Era that three British men and three British women have won opening-round matches at Roland Garros. It also represents the highest number of British players progressing to the second round since 1973, signaling a significant resurgence for British tennis on clay courts.
Draper, returning for his third French Open appearance, showed great composure after a shaky start. Although he began the match nervously, struggling with his serve and forehand, Draper gradually found his rhythm. Bellucci’s explosive and varied play initially overwhelmed him, taking the first set with ease aided by a clever underarm serve. But Draper maintained his calm, turning the match around with dominant play in the following sets. His win sets up an enticing second-round clash with Gaël Monfils, who recovered from two sets down to beat Hugo Dellien.
Reflecting on his comeback after losing the first set, Draper said he was never panicking and steadily built his way back into the match, confident that his opponent would have to fight through two more sets to beat him. This victory is an important milestone for Draper, who has had a breakthrough year on clay and was playing in the top five of a Grand Slam draw for the first time.
Norrie’s win over Medvedev is one of the highlights of his career and his first-ever victory against the Russian player after four straight losses in previous meetings, all in straight sets. Norrie started strong with his trademark consistency and discipline, combined with a newfound aggression on his forehand. However, as Medvedev became more dominant, the match swung dramatically. Facing a 3-5 deficit in the deciding set, Norrie held his nerve to win the final four games and complete a remarkable comeback.
Describing the win as one of the top three in his career, Norrie acknowledged the quality of his opponent, who is ranked just outside the top 10 in the world. Beating such a high-caliber player in a grueling best-of-five match at a Grand Slam is a major confidence boost, especially given his recent struggles.
Norrie’s recent career trajectory has been challenging. Once ranked as high as No. 8 in the world following impressive runs including a Masters 1000 title and a Wimbledon semi-final, he fell as low as No. 91 just weeks ago. Injuries and inconsistency have plagued him, but he has recently begun to rediscover his form.
The turning point came after a disappointing first-round loss at the Miami Open in March, where Norrie realized he had been pushing himself too hard and setting unrealistic expectations. After a lengthy discussion with his coaching team, he decided to reset his mindset, focus on enjoying the sport, and embrace the competitive moments rather than stressing about outcomes.
Since then, Norrie has been winning matches and regaining his confidence. Watching his previous performances, he feels more like himself on the court and is determined to enjoy the process and not take the opportunity to compete for granted. This renewed attitude could be the key to him climbing back up the rankings and returning to the top tier of men’s tennis.
The success of Draper, Norrie, and the other British players at Roland Garros highlights the growing depth and promise in British tennis. Their performances on the clay courts of Paris show that they are not just competitive on grass and hard courts, but are increasingly confident on one of the sport’s toughest surfaces. With several young talents breaking through and experienced players like Norrie finding form again, British tennis fans have plenty to be optimistic about as the tournament progresses.
