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Title winners
After years of pain and near misses, garnering the unwanted label of being the best player never to win a Grand Slam, Alexander Zverev finally conquered the final frontier, getting his hands on the holy grail as he reigned victorious at Roland Garros.
Zverev took advantage of a draw that opened up in startling fashion, with Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic suffering early exits, while Carlos Alcaraz was also missing due to his wrist injury.
The German played so well throughout the tournament, exhibiting a more aggressive brand of tennis to defeat the likes of Quentin Halys, Jesper de Jong, as well as young guns Rafa Jodar and Jakub Mensik. However, the final was agonising.
Zverev had to dig so deep as he battled past surprise finalist Flavio Cobolli in a nerve-wracking four-hour slugfest, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1.
It was a gruelling, at times painful final, with both players - in particular Zverev - showing so much tension and fear. Zverev has often been criticised for becoming too passive and shrinking into his shell in big moments, and that was the case again. He would have been getting flashbacks to his 2020 US Open final defeat to Dominic Thiem, where he threw away a two-set lead.
However, he got over the line by showing his experience and ability to grind as Cobolli began to run out of gas. The relief and release of emotion from Zverev were apparent as he dropped to the floor and the tears started to flow.
He was clearly suffering during that match, and even though he surely wouldn't admit it, the pressure he felt once all the big names got knocked out must have been seismic. He looked like a new man during the trophy ceremony, as all his worries seemed to fade away.
Zverev now has the major title he has been craving. His career looks so much different with a Grand Slam next to his name, and his CV makes for stellar reading.
The 29-year-old has now won seven Masters crowns, two ATP Finals, an Olympic gold medal, and a Slam. He is the fourth player to win a title at those four levels (Grand Slam, Masters 1000, ATP Tour Finals, and Olympics) after Andre Agassi, Andy Murray, and Djokovic. Some company.
He is also the first German to win Roland Garros in 89 years, and the first to win any Slam since Boris Becker in 1996. He is a great player, and he fully deserves that Grand Slam.
Cobolli played his part in the final, though, and enjoyed the best fortnight of his young career as he reached a maiden Grand Slam final. After a really slow start, he showed so much heart, tenacity, and wonderful shotmaking, but he simply wasn't able to last with Zverev.
He is an excellent clay-court player and has won the hearts of fans in Paris. He is charming, unafraid to show his emotions, and so much fun to watch. He should be extremely proud.
The atmosphere was certainly in favour of the underdog during the match, but perhaps that was also because of Zverev's history.
Two ex-girlfriends have filed allegations of violence against him in the past. Olya Sharypova didn't press charges following an accusation in 2020, and an ATP investigation found there was "insufficient evidence" to cement the claims, while a settlement was reached with Brenda Patea in 2024.
Fans can have their own thoughts and opinions on this, and are entitled to feel how they feel.
Andreeva breaks through
Over on the women's side of the tournament, teenage superstar Mirra Andreeva finally came of age in Paris, getting her hands on a first Grand Slam title at just 19 years old, ending the fairytale run of Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska, 6-3, 6-2.
The final was a bit of a damp squib, as Andreeva totally overpowered her Polish opponent, handling the windy conditions much better than Chwalinska and refusing to be bamboozled by her unique style of play.
Much like the men's draw, Andreeva capitalised on a number of top seeds being dumped out surprisingly early, dropping just a single set en route to her victory. She saw off the in-form duo of Sorana Cirstea and Marta Kostyuk in the quarter and semi-finals, respectively, before becoming the youngest woman to win the French Open title since Monica Seles in 1992 after beating Chwalinska in the final.
She is also the third youngest woman to win a Slam this century, after Maria Sharapova (17 - Wimbledon) and Emma Raducanu (18 - US Open). It isn't to be understated what a monumental achievement it is from Andreeva. She is a generational talent and, without a doubt, will be adding many more Grand Slam trophies to her cabinet in the future.
With an exceptional coach, Conchita Martinez, by her side, Andreeva has blossomed into a smart, well-rounded, highly impressive player. Her backhand down the line is one of the best shots in tennis, while her tactical awareness and point construction have considerably improved.
The biggest weakness in Andreeva's game has always been mental, rather than technical. She has often lost her composure on court - most recently against Katerina Siniakova at Indian Wells earlier this year, as well as Roland Garros in 2025, when she capitulated against home favourite Lois Boisson.
But it is important to remember that she is just a teenager. She is starting to grow and mature before our very eyes, and she deserves so much credit for how she has earned this title with very little drama and by keeping her cool.
A mention absolutely has to go to Chwalinska. Her run to the final was extraordinary, and one for the history books. She became just the second player - man or woman - in the Open era to reach a Grand Slam final, after Raducanu in 2021, who went on to win the US Open.
Ranked 114th in the world prior to the tournament, the 24-year-old won four matches in qualifying before defeating Qinwen Zheng, Elise Mertens, Maria Sakkari, Diane Parry, Anna Kalinskaya and Diana Shnaider on her path to the final.
She had appeared in just seven WTA-level main draws before Roland Garros, with a record of 6-7. She won the same number of matches in Paris as she had in her entire career. Additionally, she had never won more than two tour-level matches in a single season.
What makes it even more breathtaking compared to Raducanu's run in 2021 is that the Brit was considered an exciting young talent and had made some noise at Wimbledon a few months earlier. Chwalinska had been around the block, and there was no indication that a run like this was imminent.
It is life-changing for Chwalinska. She has soared from 114th in the world rankings to 21st, and will now be seeded for events. She earned $1.628 million in Paris, while her career earnings before were $864,030.
Biggest strugglers
Well... where to start? This year's French Open was one of the most delightfully chaotic, deliciously unpredictable, and ridiculously entertaining Grand Slams that we have seen in years.
World number one Sinner, who was the overwhelming favourite to win the title on the men's side, suffered one of the great upsets in tennis history. The Italian led 6-3, 6-2, 5-1 against Juan Manuel Cerundolo, before he succumbed to what seems like the only thing that could beat him: the sun.
His body completely broke down as Paris saw temperatures hit the high 30s in the first week. Sinner could barely move around the court, his face going pale with illness and, surely, shock. Cerundolo did well to capitalise, eventually winning 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1.
Sinner was the biggest favourite going into a Grand Slam in the men's draw since Rafael Nadal at the 2009 French Open, completely illustrating how mindboggling this was. Funnily enough, Nadal didn't win that tournament either.
It was a result that sent shockwaves through Roland Garros and gave everyone huge belief that this was their chance. That resulted in some incredibly brutal, highly competitive matches, as names you wouldn't expect, like Matteo Arnaldi, Mensik, Matteo Berrettini and Cobolli, all went deep.
It was heartbreak for Sinner as his 30-match winning run came to an end, and his quest for the Career Grand Slam was postponed for another year. He will surely do it one day, but this was probably as easy an opportunity as he was ever likely to have.
The heat was a massive factor for all the other upsets we saw in the first week. Daniil Medvedev lost in five sets the opening round to Adam Walton, Djokovic fell from two sets up in an absolute thriller to Joao Fonseca, while fifth seed Ben Shelton was defeated in the second round.
The women's side also delivered some unbelievable shocks. Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina was unable to deal with the fizzing bounce of the clay in searing conditions as she lost to Yuliia Starodubtseva in the second round. Defending champion Coco Gauff was dumped out by Anastasia Potapova in the third round, four-time champion Iga Swiatek was beaten by the impressive Kostyuk in the last 16, while Jessica Pegula suffered a first-round exit to Kimberly Birrell.
Aryna Sabalenka - much like Sinner - had a meltdown of her own due to the weather. However, this one was more wind-oriented!
The second week was hit by very blustery conditions, and during her quarter-final with Shnaider, Sabalenka threw away a 6-3, 5-3 lead to lose 6-3, 5-7, 0-6.
It made for genuinely shocking viewing as Sabalenka lost 10 consecutive games, her game completely disintegrating. It isn't the first time that she has lost her way in a big match, including in similarly windy conditions in last year's Roland Garros final defeat to Gauff.
The world number one is such a complete and well-rounded player, and has been the dominant force on the WTA Tour for around two years now. Yet she has only won one of the last six Grand Slams.
Once the pressure ramps up in finals, she often just reverts to overhitting the ball, and the unforced errors start to rack up. It may be an issue she aims to address.
Standout moment
Away from Roland Garros, 23-time Grand Slam champion and one of the best players the sport has ever seen, Serena Williams, officially announced her return to tennis, revealing that she would play doubles at Queen's alongside Canada's 19-year-old starlet, Victoria Mboko.
At 44 years old, Serena's return is pretty remarkable, and she is going to get so much attention. So many people will tune in to watch her, whether she actually does well or not.
For now, she will just play in doubles, but she will almost certainly return to singles, especially with Wimbledon just around the corner.
Serena claims that her return isn't about titles.
"I don't need to win," she said at Queen's Club.
"I've won more than most people have in their whole lives, so it's not that important to me, and it's important that I keep reminding myself of that, because I don't have anything to prove.
"I don't have anything to lose, and everything here is just to gain."
Whether she truly believes it or not, Serena has a winner's mindset and is someone used to being the best and battling it out at the latter stages of the biggest events. Once she gets her competitive juices flowing again, she will be desperate to win.
She wouldn't have achieved what she did and won what she won with any other mindset. So for sure, it is going to be an intriguing watch, and it adds a little bit more stardust to this grass-court season.
Best rallies
There were so many fantastic rallies to choose from over the fortnight. However, three that stood out were a ridiculous around-the-net shot from the age-defying Djokovic, a mind-boggling drop shot from Casper Ruud, and another appearance from the Norwegian as he turned defence to attack Fonseca.
Upcoming events
The clay-court swing has come to an end, and we move very swiftly onto the grass. With a dramatic change in conditions, players head from the gruelling grind of the red dirt to the fast-paced nature of grass.
Queen's Club hosts the women's 500 tournament in London this week, after it made its return in 2025, following 50 years during which only men's events were staged. World number two Rybakina is the top seed, followed by last year's finalist Amanda Anisimova, Mboko, Belinda Bencic and Kostyuk.
And, of course, Serena will be playing doubles.
Over at 's-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands, Ekaterina Alexandrova and Clara Tauson are the top seeds for the women's 250 event, while Felix Auger-Aliassime, Medvedev and Alex De Minaur lead the way on the men's side.
Finally, the ATP 250 event in Stuttgart sees American duo Shelton and Taylor Fritz as the top seeds, and Nick Kyrgios attempt to make another return to tennis.