Introduction

When Jannik Sinner finally lost a game in the third round of the French Open on Saturday, the crowd at Court Suzanne-Lenglen erupted with a standing ovation. His opponent, Jiri Lehecka, had just won his first game after dropping the first 11, and he responded with a cheeky fist pump, celebrating sarcastically. The fans loved it—leaping to their feet, cheering and clapping, which brought a smile to Lehecka’s face.

Make no mistake

— Lehecka is no pushover. The 23-year-old from the Czech Republic, ranked No. 34 in the world and a Grand Slam quarterfinalist, is a legitimate contender. But he was no match for Jannik Sinner, who is on a tear, having won the last two Grand Slam titles — the U.S.

Open in September and the Australian Open in January. His unbeaten streak at majors is now only outdone this century by legends Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal.

Sinner’s pursuit of a maiden French Open title — and fourth Grand Slam overall — continues Monday when he faces No. 17 Andrey Rublev for a place in the quarterfinals. Rublev advanced after No. 14 Arthur Fils withdrew from the tournament due to a stress fracture in his lower back.

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic booked a spot in the fourth round at Roland-Garros for the 16th straight year with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over qualifier Filip Misolic on Saturday night.

Last year, Djokovic tore the meniscus in his right knee during his fourth-round match and withdrew before the quarterfinals.

Interestingly, his match on Saturday coincided with French club Paris Saint-Germain’s 5-0 Champions League final victory over Inter Milan in Munich.

In women’s action, No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula rallied past 2019 French Open finalist and 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 to reach the fourth round.

Fellow American Hailey Baptiste, ranked No. 70, also made headlines by reaching the second week of a major for the first time after defeating Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 7-6 (4), 6-1. She’ll next face either Madison Keys or Sofia Kenin.

Teen sensation Mirra Andreeva, seeded sixth and a semifinalist last year, set up a fourth-round clash with No. 17 Daria Kasatkina after another strong performance.

On the men’s side, American qualifier Ethan Quinn, the 2023 NCAA champion, fell in five sets to Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands, who finally broke his third-round curse after four previous losses.

Griekspoor now faces 2024 finalist Alexander Zverev. Elsewhere, No. 5 Jack Draper eased past 18-year-old João Fonseca of Brazil 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 to earn a date with Alexander Bublik.

Sunday’s schedule features top names, including world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and defending champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz. It’s also a historic moment for American men’s tennis, with three players — No. 12 Tommy Paul, No. 13 Ben Shelton, and No.

15 Frances Tiafoe — reaching the second week at Roland-Garros for the first time since 1995. Shelton takes on Alcaraz, Paul meets No. 25 Alexei Popyrin, and Tiafoe battles Daniel Altmaier.