Van de Zandschulp to Face Cerundolo in French Open First Round

Griekspoor to face Arnaldi in French Open first round

The 53rd-ranked Dutchman has not reached the third round at Roland Garros since 2022. A win would set up a potential second-round clash with Hugo Gaston or Gael Monfils. 

Botic van de Zandschulp drawn against Francisco Cerundolo at Roland Garros...

 

Tallon Griekspoor will take on Matteo Arnaldi in the opening round of the French Open following Thursday’s draw.

The Dutch world No. 31 has struggled for form since pulling out of the Dubai final in February with a hamstring issue. He has won only three of his last 10 matches, with two of those victories coming at the Bordeaux Challenger earlier this month.

At the Masters events in Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome, Griekspoor managed a single win. That came against Damir Dzumhur in Madrid in April.

Griekspoor and Arnaldi have never met on tour before. The Italian, ranked 96th, has only reached the second round of a Grand Slam twice since making the fourth round at Roland Garros in 2024. He comes into the tournament off a title run at the Cagliari Challenger, where he beat Hubert Hurkacz in the final on May 3rd.

If Griekspoor beats Arnaldi, he will face the winner of Alexandre Muller against Stefanos Tsitsipas. Alexander Bublik, ranked 9th, and Frances Tiafoe, ranked 19th, are the other seeded players in his section of the draw. Jannik Sinner is a possible quarterfinal opponent.

Van de Zandschulp Drawn Against Cerundolo at Roland Garros

Botic van de Zandschulp will open his French Open campaign against Francisco Cerundolo, the world No. 27. The two have played three times before, with Cerundolo winning their most recent meeting in Munich in just over an hour.

Van de Zandschulp has not made it past the second round in Paris since 2022. The Dutchman, ranked 53rd, has exited in the first round for the last three years. Cerundolo lost to Gabriel Diallo in the first round last year, but reached the fourth round in both 2024 and 2023.

Path Ahead for the Dutchman

A win would set up a second-round match against a wild card, with Hugo Gaston and Gael Monfils facing off for that spot. Daniil Medvedev is the projected opponent in round three. Felix Auger-Aliassime, Brandon Nakashima, Cameron Norrie, Valentin Vacherot, Flavio Cobolli, and Learner Tien are the other seeded players in Van de Zandschulp’s quarter of the draw.