Daniil Medvedevโs campaign at Roland Garros once again ended early, reinforcing a pattern that has followed him across the clay season and more broadly, recent Grand Slam events. The former world No. 1 exited the French Open in the opening round after a five-set loss to Australian wildcard Adam Walton.
The sixth seed was beaten 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 in a contest that swung repeatedly between momentum shifts before being decided in the final set. For Walton, ranked No. 97 in the world, the result marked the most significant victory of his professional career, achieved over three hours and 22 minutes of fluctuating play.
Medvedevโs struggles at Roland Garros have now stretched further, with this representing his seventh first-round defeat in 10 appearances in Paris. Despite reaching six Grand Slam finals and winning the US Open, the Russian has continued to find clay an uncomfortable surface throughout his career.
How did the match play out?
The match itself reflected that inconsistency. Walton made an early breakthrough and moved ahead 4-2 in the opening set, capitalising on Medvedevโs errors and closing it out after the Russian sent a forehand long. A response followed immediately, as Medvedev dominated the second set, dropping only one game.
The pattern of imbalance continued through the third and fourth sets, with both players taking control in alternating phases. Walton again surged ahead before Medvedev levelled the match, setting up a deciding set that remained tight deep into the contest.
What happened in the final set?
At 4-4 in the fifth, Walton secured the decisive break of serve and held his composure to close out the match. A final break to love sealed the upset and ended Medvedevโs latest French Open campaign.
This latest early exit extends a concerning sequence for Medvedev at major tournaments, with four first-round losses in his last five Grand Slam appearances. His only deeper run during that period came at the Australian Open earlier this year, where he reached the fourth round.
His clay season has also been marked by extremes. A heavy defeat to Matteo Berrettini in Monte Carlo contrasted sharply with a stronger showing in Rome, where he reached the semi-finals and pushed Jannik Sinner to three sets.
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