Day Two of the 2025 French Open delivered the first major surprises on the men’s side — and one unexpected result may boost the title hopes of both Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic.
While world No. 4 Taylor Fritz’s loss to Daniel Altmaier (5-7, 6-3, 3-6, 1-6) was the biggest upset based on ranking, another result could prove more consequential.
Eighteenth seed Francisco Cerundolo, viewed by many as a serious threat and potential dark horse at Roland Garros, was ousted in straight sets — 5-7, 3-6, 4-6 — by world No. 54 Gabriel Diallo in the first round.
Cerundolo struggled throughout, managing just one break of Diallo’s serve — early in the second set — and generating only a single break point across the entire match. In contrast, he surrendered his own serve four times in what turned out to be a surprisingly one-sided defeat.
Despite Diallo’s solid quarter-final showing in Madrid, few expected the Canadian to trouble Cerundolo on the slower clay courts of Paris. The Argentine had arrived at Roland Garros riding high, ranked a career-best No. 18 and holding a strong 27-12 record for the season. His clay-court form was especially impressive, featuring a final appearance in Buenos Aires, semi-finals in Santiago, Munich, and Madrid, and respectable runs in Rio and Rome.
Cerundolo’s early departure has opened up a key section of the draw, especially since he was slated to meet No. 3 seed Zverev in the fourth round. That potential matchup loomed large for Zverev, who has never beaten Cerundolo in three previous meetings — all on clay, including two this year.
Zverev acknowledged the challenge Cerundolo presents after losing 4-6, 4-6 to him in Madrid last month. “Yeah, I hate playing him, to be honest,” Zverev admitted with a smile. “Outside of the top guys like Jannik [Sinner] and Carlos [Alcaraz], he’s probably the toughest for me to play. I haven’t figured out how to beat him — and the record shows it.”
Djokovic also stands to benefit from Cerundolo’s surprise exit. The sixth seed is projected to face the winner of Zverev’s quarter in the last eight, and Cerundolo could have been a major hurdle. The Argentine pushed Djokovic to five sets in the fourth round at Roland Garros last year, even leading by two sets to one.
With Cerundolo now out, the path forward could be slightly less treacherous for both Zverev and Djokovic — at least for now.
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