the wildest moments so far

The French Open is underway, and there’s been a surprising amount of drama on and off the court. Roland Garros has been serving up headlines about players getting into car accidents, accusations of ball girls getting shoved, and Serena Williams randomly announcing she’s coming back – and that’s just a few. Check out some of the wildest things that have happened so far. 

1. Jannik Sinner is out 

The men’s side of the tournament has turned into complete haywire with Jannik Sinner’s upset.  Ranked No. 1 in the world, he looked completely in control after winning the first two sets against Juan Manuel Cerundolo. Then, Cerundolo came back, and Sinner was eliminated, heading home early. Sinner later revealed he woke up feeling sick and spent much of the day battling physical issues.

2. Novak Djokovic blew a two-set lead

Adding to the men’s side chaos, Novak Djokovic was eliminated in the third round by 19-year-old Joao Fonseca. Fonseca bounced back from two sets down, sending the legend ranked 4 in the world home.  Djokovic later admitted he ran out of gas. 

3. Carlos Alcaraz isn’t even here

One of the biggest names in tennis never made it to the tournament. Carlos Alcaraz withdrew before the tournament because of a wrist injury that’s been bothering him since April. Between Alcaraz missing the event entirely, Sinner going out early, and Djokovic’s loss, the men’s French Open has completely turned on its head. 

4. Iga Swiatek’s clay-court kingdom collapsed

© Robert Prange

Iga Swiatek is a legend at the French Open, so watching her lose in the fourth round to Marta Kostyuk was surprising. Swiatek hadn’t failed to reach the quarterfinals since her tournament debut, and Kostyuk had never beaten her before. Swiatek later admitted she felt overwhelmed by the pressure and struggled to steady herself once the match started slipping away.

5. Coco Gauff’s tournament started with a car accident

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Defending champion Coco Gauff had a terrifying moment when she was in a car accident before her first-round win. Thankfully, it was minor. “You felt a little impact. I spilled my juice all over the car,” she told the TNT. “I was like, ‘We can keep going,’ then I walked out of the car, and the car was not drivable.”

6. Naomi Osaka got hit by a bus

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Something must be in the air over there because Naomi Osaka revealed that a bus backed into her car before her second-round match. According to Osaka, everyone just sat there watching it happen in disbelief as the bus kept reversing toward them and they heard the “car crunching.” “I wasn’t scared for my life, but I was just, like, ‘Whoa, this bus is really backing up into us,’” she said after defeating Croatia’s Donna Vekic. “That was a really interesting situation. So I hope it doesn’t happen again today.”

7. Rafael Jodar gets accused of shoving a ball girl

Teenage tennis player Rafael Jodar has found himself in the middle of drama and accusations. Social media turned on him after a viral clip appeared to show him shoving a ball girl as he left the court. The video racked up millions of views, and the 19-year-old later denied touching her at all, saying she lost her footing while trying to move out of the way.

8. Players started revolting over the courts

Multiple players complained after there were five incidents in five days due to advertising hoarding at the back of the court, including Zeynep Sonmez, who needed stitches after an accident and was forced to retire from her match. Katie Boulter and Pat Shriver publicly called for changes, Alexander Blockx withdrew after hurting his ankle and threatened legal action, and the tournament organizers were eventually forced to make adjustments.

9. Players threaten a boycott

Before anyone hit a serve, there was already drama brewing. Some of the biggest names in tennis spent the weeks leading up to Roland Garros publicly criticizing tournament organizers over prize money and revenue sharing. Sinner was one of the most vocal players on the subject, arguing that the conversation wasn’t just about money but about respect. Aryna Sabalenka and  Gauff were among the other stars who supported efforts to push for a larger percentage of tournament revenue going back to players.

10. Aryna Sabalenka got called out for wearing hundreds of carats of diamonds

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Sabalenka found herself in the middle of a debate after stepping onto the court wearing two diamond-and-garnet necklaces reportedly worth hundreds of carats. Just weeks earlier, Sabalenka had joined other top players in calling for a larger share of tournament revenue and prize money, so people wondered if it was a good look. When asked about the criticism, the world number 1 made it clear she doesn’t see the connection between the two issues. According to the Belarusian star, supporting players and wanting better compensation has nothing to do with whether she chooses to wear jewelry during a match.

11. Hailey Baptiste’s heartbreaking injury

Hailey Baptiste’s tournament ended when she collapsed with a serious knee injury during her second-round match. The injury forced her to withdraw and effectively ended what had been one of the best stretches of her career. She wrote on Instagram, “the most heartbreaking end to the best season of my life.”

12. Serena Williams announces she’s coming back

© AFP via Getty Images

Just when the tournament was catching steam, Serena Williams popped up with a major announcement. The 23-time Grand Slam champion revealed she’s unretiring and will compete in doubles at Queen’s Club. The announcement came after rumors and speculation about her return, and turned the sports world upside down.