First round: An authoritative start

Ruud in a hurry

A quarterfinalist in Paris in 2021, Casper Ruud needed exactly one hour to get past his qualifier opponent. Facing Juan Manuel Cerundolo for the first time, the Norwegian controlled both sets after quickly establishing an early lead. Solid on serve, winning 83% of points behind his first serve, he did not face a single break point.

It was exactly the kind of start he had been hoping for, as he explained in his on-court interview with the ATP after match point:

“I played a good match from start to finish. It was the kind of start I wanted. I broke him in the very first game and never gave up that advantage. I managed to repeat the same pattern in the second set. Once you’re 4-0 up in the second, unless you make a major mistake, you should be able to close it out by staying solid on serve. That’s what I managed to do indoors, in conditions that I particularly enjoy.”

Following the third match of the day on Centre Court, Alexander Zverev was honoured. The German was presented with the world No.1 trophy, a ranking he officially took over on Monday, in a city that holds special significance for him: the French capital, where he lifted his first Grand Slam trophy.

Firsts for Merida and Bellucci

Even though he only discovered the identity of his opponent at the last minute following Alexander Blockx’s withdrawal, Daniel Merida was not caught off guard by Sebastian Baez, whom he had never faced before. An early break allowed him to take control of the opening set before he struck again in the first game of the second to move 1-0 ahead. He sealed victory with an ace on his first match point, without facing a single break point throughout the match (6-4, 6-2 in 1 hour and 16 minutes).

While the Spaniard had never previously played at the Paris Masters 1000, Mattia Bellucci had never made it as far as the main draw. Facing fellow Italian Lorenzo Sonego, who had also come through qualifying, he held firm to clear that first hurdle (6-4, 6-3 in 1 hour and 16 minutes).

Familiar territory

Despite a second set that got completely away from him and failing to convert any of his four break-point opportunities, Cameron Norrie managed to navigate the challenge posed by Matteo Arnaldi, prevailing in 1 hour and 40 minutes (6-4, 1-6, 6-3). A two-time round-of-16 player in the French capital, in 2021 and 2025, the Briton proved particularly effective in the deciding set, taking the lead and never letting the pressure drop. He will next face Ben Shelton (No.3) in what promises to be an electric second-round clash.

As for Tomas Machac, he reached a new milestone on Monday. A regular in the first round of the Rolex Paris Masters, he had never previously won at this stage of the tournament. That changed with his victory over French wildcard Kyrian Jacquet. After a fiercely contested opening set settled in a tie-break, the Czech stepped up a gear to move a double break ahead before converting his first match point after 1 hour and 21 minutes (7-6(7), 6-1).