Mannarino Won't Stop: At 38 He Dominates the All-French Derby at Wimbledon

Adrian Mannarino beat his compatriot Titouan Droguet 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 in the first round of Wimbledon 2026, proving that at 38 — a birthday he celebrated the day before, on June 29 — there is still plenty to say about his tennis on grass.

The contrast between the two Frenchmen was stark even on paper: Droguet, 25, ranked 116, was making his debut in the Wimbledon main draw; Mannarino was tackling it for the fifteenth time. On court there was no contest. The left-hander from Soisy-sous-Montmorency dominated in three sets in a little over an hour and a half, never handing Droguet an easy game.

Mannarino is a rare breed on the tour: no French player in the Open era has won more matches on grass than he has — 78 in total counting this one. His win rate on the green (around 58%) is the highest among all his surfaces, in an era when anyone not named Djokovic or Alcaraz tends to survive on grass rather than thrive on it. He is currently firmly inside the ATP top 50, with a substantial share of his points earned precisely during the grass season.

What stands out is not just the result, but the way it came about. Mannarino doesn't merely weather the storm — he manages the points, mixes things up, exploits the low bounce that his flat game naturally builds. At an age when most players have already stopped fighting for a Slam second round, he gets there without needing five sets.