We talk in tennis of a transition game, moving from one set of strokes to the next, moving seamlessly up the court from one position to another. Professional tennis is undergoing a more cosmic transition game, pivoting from the Big Three/Serena Williams Era—where four bankable, historically great players each won more than 20 majors—to an era of many stars, if not quite at the same wattage.
This was thrown into relief during Week 1 at Roland Garros of 2025. The first day featured a pitch-perfect retirement ceremony for the great Rafael Nadal, the Big Three and Andy Murray—three of them in retirement—appeared in street clothes to toast the 14-time Roland Garros champ and usher in the post-Rafa Era. Then, play commenced and attention turned to active players.
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, No. 1 and No.2, remained committed to their bits. A spirited Brazilian contingent (is there any other kind?) made the matches of 18-year-old Joao Fonseca seem like World Cup qualifiers. Arthur Fils lent hope that there could be a homegrown men’s champ for the first since the 80s. Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff and Jasmine Paolini charmed (day) crowds. Americans and Brits and an Aussie (welcome, Daria Kasatkina) remain. There are more big movers than big servers. The field is gloriously open with possibility.
As this event, also, makes the turn … herewith our 2025 French Open midterm grades:
A:
The Turnaround artists: A week before the event Novak Djokovic and Iga Świątek had won a combined zero titles in the last 50 weeks and both, for different reasons, looked to be declining assets. Even at 38, he is doing a fine Djokovic impersonation And, rejuvenated by returning to Roland Garros she is looking like a fine bet to take another title.
The contenders: For all the action and story lines, not much in the way of upsets. Nine of the top-10 seeds remain. (And the lone loss came from a player, Taylor Fritz, who has been injured and struggling for much of the year.)
Teenage created draw wasteland: Twenty is the new … 20. The kids are back. Special commendation to Mirra Andreeva and then 18-year-old revelations Fonseca of Brazil and Victoria Mboko or Canada.
Ethan Quinn: Lone American to qualify for the main draw, former Georgia Bulldog keeps winning.
The Rafa Nadal Tribute: Like all tournaments, this one does some things right, some things not so right. This was a clean winner. The champ got the ceremony he deserved.
The Brits: After going winless in 2024, three make the third round (for the first time in 50 years) and two make Week 2.
The Yanks: The women are cruising as usual. Shoutout Hailey Baptiste. And at this writing, three men are still alive—gritty Tommy Paul, cruising Ben Shelton and resurgent Frances Tiafoe—into Week 2, first time since 1995.
B:
The USTA: After an encouraging week here—and a week after announcing an $800 million overhaul of Arthur Ashe Stadium—it is in search of a new leader, as chief executive Lew Sherr leaves abruptly to take an executive position with the New York Mets.
The late-30s crowd: Stirring shotmaking and stirring nostalgia. But only Djokovic (38) remains as Gael Monfils (38), Richard Gasquet (39 this month) and Stan Wawrinka (40) all bow out. In the case of Gasquet, this marked his final Roland Garros.
Naomi Osaka: A rough draw (made possible by her lack of a seeding); an entertaining battlel signs of top-shelf, winning form; ultimately a losing result. Four-time major champ goes out to Paula Badosa.
Arthur Fils: French star—and he is a star—wins two matches. Then forced to withdraw, unable to recover from his five-set passion play. He’s only 20. Lots more chances.
C:
The night session distribution: Even if the tournament stands by its reasoning to make this a 1950s-style men’s only club—through the first week, zero women’s matches made the night session—simply from an optics/PR perspective, you’d think they’d come up with an equitable workaround.
Recent NCAA women’s singles champs: Emma Navarro (2021 UVA) and Peyton Stearns (2022 Texas) were both seeded here. They won a combined four games.
Daniil Medvedev: A lovely presence. Who has gone by way of Novo Nordisk stock. Out of top 10 and without a title since spring 2023, former No.1 loses in Round 1.
Courtside signage: We all understand balance sheets. But the sponsored blocks ON THE FIELD OF PLAY are an absolute menace.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as French Open Midterm Grades: Top Seeds Soar, Former No. 1 Stumbles at Roland Garros.