A miserable tournament for Great Britain’s singles players at the French Open came to an end on Tuesday night with painful defeats for Katie Boulter and Dan Evans meaning that for the first time since 2020, a British player failed to win a singles match in Paris.
Shortly after Evans’ 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory over 13th seed Holger Run, Katie Boulter was in position for a stunning win over former world number two Paula Badosa, only to lose 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 in a fantastic battle on Tuesday night. The loss leaves British players 0-6 in both men’s and women’s singles at Roland Garros this year.
“I can’t speak for anyone else, honestly,” Boulter said. “I can only speak for myself. I’ve worked really hard to get to this position and I lost out by a small margin. At the end of the day, I’ve done my best and I will continue to do my best and give it my all in every game I get to play.”
It also marked just the fourth time in the 21st century that a British man has failed to reach the second round at Roland Garros. “I think it’s been a bit of a tough tournament,” Evans said. “I think he’s in the best position he’s been in for a while on clay. I think Draper will win a lot of matches here and anywhere. I just don’t think it’s a very good tournament. It just has been the way it has turned out. There are a lot of doubles players out there.”
The loss dropped Evans to 3-13 this year in ATP matches. “I’m sick and tired of the umpires, totally sick and tired of them,” he said of being embroiled in a second straight tournament umpiring controversy following an umpiring error during his match against Fabio Fognini in Rome.
This time, Loon and umpire Jaume Kampistol got into an argument while Evans was serving in the third set and leading 4-2, 15-15. Evans then lost three points and Loon quickly conceded a break back, losing four straight games to lose the match.
“The match was going so smoothly and then it just stopped and I couldn’t understand what the umpire was saying… but anyway, that’s not why we lost, that’s only part of the problem. But the umpire will be back to work tomorrow,” Evans said. “Overall the umpire was good. Clay is a difficult court, but to have a conversation on the opponent’s serve is something you never see in other sports. In rugby you get about 10 metres, but not in squash. You’re not allowed to have a conversation. You just sit and have a conversation. I’ve seen that happen many times.”
Evans will remain in Paris to play doubles with Andy Murray as the first non-French pair in 20 years to receive a men’s doubles wildcard, while Boulter will partner Heather Watson to face Zhang Hao-ching and Veronica Kudermetova on Wednesday and today.
Roland Garros was forced to its third emotional farewell in three days after Alize Cornet lost in the first round. Tissue sales must have skyrocketed in Paris following Murray’s exit on Sunday and then that of 14-time champion Rafael Nadal 24 hours later. The popular French player announced last month that he would retire after this year’s home tournament.
The 34-year-old former world No. 11, a two-time fourth-round reacher at Roland Garros, earned a wild card entry into what she called “The Last Dance” on Court Philippe Chatrier. She lost 6-2, 6-1 to seventh-seeded Zheng Quin-wen, missing out on her 20th French Open and 72nd Grand Slam appearance.
“It was a tough day, full of emotions. I’m looking back on 20 years and starting a new chapter in my life. I wish I could have played better, but I gave my all to the sport,” said Cornet, who played in her first French Open at the age of 15.
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Meanwhile in Paris, Kasper Ruud and Aryna Sabalenka shone on a cold, rainy day, reaching the second round with dominant wins, but the Roland Garros crowd got little to see outside the show courts.
Poor weather prevented any opportunity to play on the outdoor courts before 4pm local time, so play was limited to the two main show courts, Philippe Chatrier and Suzanne Lenglen, both of which have retractable roofs.
Ruud, a two-time runner-up, tried again to win his first Grand Slam title in Paris after disappointments over the past two years, defeating Brazilian qualifier Felipe Alves 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.
Sabalenka was just as fast, last year’s semifinalist and seeking her second major title of the season after back-to-back Australian Open triumphs in January, beating Russian teenager Erika Andreeva 6-1, 6-2 in 68 minutes.
Fourth seed Elena Rybakina overcame a poor early start to beat Griet Minnen 6-2, 6-3 on the day, showing no signs of the illness that has hindered her preparations for her second major tournament of the year.
