Roland Garros - 27/05

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Ace Cream's daily newsletter during Masters 1000 and Grand Slams, every morning at 8:30.

Today is Wednesday, May 27, in Paris it's 08:30 and it's 20 degrees. Ok, let's go.

On the menu today

• 🇮🇹 Sinner returns to Paris and dispatches Tabur without facing a single break point
• 🇦🇺 Walton knocks out Medvedev in five, his first win over a top ten at a Slam
• 🇧🇾 Sabalenka gets past Bouzas Maneiro and ticks off the first round
• 🇷🇸 Today Djokovic closes the afternoon on Chatrier against Royer
• 🇮🇹 Cinà and Paolini on court in the second round

WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY:

🇮🇹 Sinner Returns Through The Front Door

Jannik Sinner beat French wild card Clement Tabur 6-1 6-3 6-4 in his opener in a night session on Chatrier, without conceding a single break point in just over two hours. It was the thirtieth straight win for the world number one, and what stands out is that he has gone 40 winners without ever giving the impression of wanting to push harder than necessary. More than the score, it's the context that counts: this is the court where he lost the final to Alcaraz, and coming back as the clear favourite is a different way of facing the same place. The first round rarely says much, but the way you go through it tells something.

🇦🇺 Walton Shuts Down Medvedev In Five

Adam Walton, ranked 97th and in on a wild card, knocked out Daniil Medvedev 6-2 1-6 6-1 1-6 6-4 on Lenglen, coming back from 2-4 in the deciding set to claim his first win over a top ten at a Slam. It was a stop-start match, with both players dropping their two sets heavily, and the Australian doing well to save 16 of the 21 break points he faced. Medvedev finished with 54 winners but also 54 unforced errors, and on this clay the error count always weighs more than anything else. He was the opponent the draw had handed over as manageable, yet the tournament in Paris keeps giving the Russian almost nothing.

🇧🇾 Sabalenka Ticks Off The First Round

Aryna Sabalenka got past Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-4 6-2 to open her tournament on Chatrier, with a first set that stayed even before the decisive break. As the number one seed in the women's draw, every first round here remains a small thermometer of her relationship with the clay, never entirely at ease. The feeling is that she mainly needed to find her rhythm without spending too much, rather than send messages to the rest of the draw. The real test, as so often for her in Paris, will come when the level of her opponents rises.

🇬🇷 Tsitsipas Advances, Muller Retires

Stefanos Tsitsipas moved into the second round when Frenchman Alexandre Muller retired at 6-2 3-0 in the Greek's favour. It's a fairly uninformative way to close a first round, because it leaves open all the questions about the condition of the 2021 finalist, who on clay remains one of the most complete players when he finds consistency. It's hard to say whether this half-match helps or robs him of rhythm, but for now it's a round won while saving his legs. The second round will give more reliable indications.

WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY:

• 🇷🇸 Djokovic - Royer (ATP, second round) - Novak Djokovic closes the daytime programme on Chatrier against Frenchman Valentin Royer. For Djokovic every appearance in Paris is by now a matter of management more than prediction, but the home crowd lined up behind Royer is the kind of variable that can stretch out the day.
• 🇵🇱 Swiatek (WTA, second round) - Iga Swiatek opens the afternoon on Chatrier. On the Paris clay she remains the benchmark for everyone, and her early rounds serve above all to gauge with what margin she enters this phase of the tournament.
• 🇮🇹 Cinà - De Jong (ATP, second round) - Federico Cinà runs into Jesper de Jong, the Dutchman who knocked out Wawrinka in his opener and whom the draw had already lined up in front of him. He's a less imposing name but a mobile, awkward opponent, the kind who in the second round of a Slam tests endurance more than talent.
• 🇮🇹 Paolini - Sierra (WTA, second round) - Jasmine Paolini faces Argentina's Solana Sierra, fresh off her surprise win over Raducanu. For the 2024 finalist it's the kind of match not to underestimate, also because the questions about her clay season are still there, awaiting a more solid answer.
• 🇩🇪 Zverev - Machac (ATP, second round, night session) - Alexander Zverev closes the day on Chatrier against Czech Tomas Machac. It's the trickiest match among those on the schedule for the number two seed, because when Machac is on song he can raise his level in a way that's hard to contain.

Read more

• Smooth progress for unstoppable Sinner
• Adam Walton stuns Daniil Medvedev in five-set Roland Garros rollercoaster
• Roland Garros 2026: Sinner y Sabalenka avanzan; Medvedev queda eliminado
• Roland Garros 2026: Full order of play, Wednesday 27 May
• Wednesday, May 27 Order of Play at Roland Garros 2026: Djokovic, Jódar, and much more

Enjoy your breakfast and have a great day.

See you tomorrow at 08:30 with TIE-Breakfast