Novak Djokovic kept his French Open run on track on 2026-06-28, beating Frenchman Valentin Royer in four sets to move into the third round as the tournament’s second week began to take shape in Paris. On a day when one former champion was sent packing and a British newcomer was shown the door, the men’s and women’s draws both started to narrow fast.
The biggest surprise came when Elena Rybakina, the second seed, was knocked out by world number 55 Yuliia Starodubtseva in a deciding-set tie-break. Starodubtseva said she was “super happy” after the win, adding that Rybakina is one of the top players and that she was proud of herself for getting through a hard third set. She also said she had expected a battle, even when she led 3-0 in the deciding set, and that it never felt easy. The Ukrainian added that clay was not the worst surface for her and that the crowd was very nice, saying she heard her name quite a few times and really appreciated the support.
For Great Britain’s Francesca Jones, the afternoon ended with a straight-sets loss to 27th seed Marie Bouzkova, 6-0 7-6 (7-3). It was Jones’s first appearance in the second round of a Grand Slam, but she could not turn that breakthrough into a longer stay. In the women’s field, Elina Svitolina and four-time winner Iga Swiatek both moved on to the third round, while the next day’s schedule was already stacked with Aryna Sabalenka, Naomi Osaka, Amanda Anisimova and defending champion Coco Gauff all due on court for their second-round matches.
The men’s draw also had more to come. Jannik Sinner was scheduled to continue his bid for a career Grand Slam on 2026-06-29, opening on Court Philippe-Chatrier against Juan Manuel Cerundolo, who had beaten Great Britain’s Jacob Fearnley in the first round. That leaves the tournament heading into its next session with much of its biggest star power still to play, but with Rybakina’s exit a reminder that Paris is already producing the kind of early upheaval that can alter the path to the title. Britain’s Katie Boulter was the sole remaining British player in the singles draws and was set to face 28th seed Anastasia Potapova the following day.
