Elena Rybakina was knocked out of the French Open on day four, the women’s No 2 seed beaten by Yuliia Starodubtseva in a result that reshaped her side of the draw in Paris. Iga Swiatek and Novak Djokovic also advanced on a packed day that turned quickly from routine to unsettling.
Rybakina’s exit matters immediately because she was the No 2 seed and the highest-profile casualty of the day, while the rest of the women’s section continued to thin around her. With the draw opening up, Paolini stood as the highest remaining seed in that section at 13, a position made more precarious by the day’s other developments.
For Starodubtseva, the win followed the kind of assignment that had already been flagged as daunting. She had been set for a stern test against Rybakina, and the upset gives her the kind of result that can change the tone of a tournament. Wang now meets Starodubtseva next, another step that will tell whether this run is a flash or something more durable.
There was no shortage of movement elsewhere. Swiatek moved through her match on day four, while Djokovic did the same before his later shift into a more punishing contest against Royer. The Serbian was physically pushed in a match that went deep into the evening, and he later said: “Emotions are different when you win.”
Djokovic held for 5-2 against Royer and then watched the Frenchman serve to stay in the match at 3-5 in the fourth set. The match had the feel of something draining for both players, and Djokovic said he had played two matches and felt as if he had been on court for two weeks. He also added: “I hope he doesn’t meet another Frenchman.”
That line landed after a long day that had already seen Hailey Baptiste retire following a nasty fall at the back of the court. In the men’s draw, there were more hard edges too: Jodar beat Duckworth, while Michelsen had the trainer out while leading Basavareddy 2-1 4-3 on serve. Basavareddy later served out a 6-3 third set, keeping that match alive after the interruption.
Fonseca also had to dig in, leading 4-1 in the third set after dropping the first two, while Sierra fought back from a break down to level against Paolini at one set apiece. In the same session, a 127mph serve underlined the pace on court, but the bigger picture was the same: day four kept offering surprises, and Rybakina’s defeat was the one that changed the mood most.
The broader context is that this is only the fourth day of the French Open, yet the draw is already being stripped of some of its biggest names and most complicated threats. Rybakina had steadied early at Roland Garros on day two in Paris, but that grounding did not carry her through this round. The live coverage rolled on with the sense that the tournament was beginning to sort itself quickly, and not always in the way the seeds would have wanted.
Prizmic’s earlier wins over Berrettini and Shelton in Madrid, and over Djokovic in Rome, had already hinted at how unstable the field can be when momentum shifts. Day four at Roland Garros offered the same message in real time. As the session closed, the live blog signed off with a simple note: “That, then, is us done for the day. Thanks all for your company, enjoy your evening, and à demain!”
