The Full Archive
All the
Drama
9 articles of outrage, absurdity, and very bad calls. None of it is your fault. Probably.
The Timeout Did Not Help
Jannik Sinner was one game from winning his second-round match when he requested a cramp timeout that had commentators calling 'absolute baloney' — then lost 18 of the next 20 games.
Taylor Fritz Flew to Paris for This
Nishesh Basavareddy, ranked 154th in the world, just walked into Roland Garros as a wildcard and beat the No. 7 seed in four sets. Fritz had a knee injury and not much else going for him.
French Open Refuses To Let Man Use Bathroom, Man Threatens To Handle It Himself
Arthur Géa, a French wildcard playing in 88-degree heat, begged the chair umpire for a bathroom break mid-match. The umpire said no. Géa issued a counter-proposal.
'Look at Me in the Eyes': Pierre-Hugues Herbert Would Like an Apology, Please
Four hours into a five-set midnight marathon, Herbert demanded the chair umpire make eye contact and say sorry. Roland Garros's refusal to adopt electronic line-calling provided the setup. Herbert provided the theatre.
The Best Protest in Sports History Lasted Exactly 15 Minutes
Sinner, Sabalenka, Gauff, and Świątek walked out of Roland Garros press conferences after precisely 15 minutes. It was symbolic. It was coordinated. It somehow worked.
French Open Director Says 'We're Not Going to Move' and Then Immediately Moves
Amélie Mauresmo told players Roland Garros would not budge on prize money. Twenty-four hours later, they were in a room agreeing to talks. A timeline.
29-Year-Old Tennis Pro Invites Teenager to Settle It in the Parking Lot
Pedro Martinez beat Rei Sakamoto 6-2, 7-5 in French Open qualifying — then, apparently deciding that wasn't enough, invited the 19-year-old to continue the conversation outside.
Man Ranked 257th in the World Loses to Man Ranked 938th, Blames Chair
Tristan Boyer was disqualified from an Italian Challenger after attacking the umpire's chair and screaming profanities — handing the match to an opponent ranked 681 spots below him.
Daniil Medvedev Lost 6-0, 6-0 and Has Absolutely No Idea What Happened
The world number 10 was double-bageled in 49 minutes by a wildcard ranked 90th at Monte Carlo, smashed his racket seven times, and emerged from the experience with no new information.