🎾 Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Tomás Martín Etcheverry – French Open R1

ATP French Open

🎾 Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Tomás Martín Etcheverry – French Open R1 Preview

🧠 Form & Context

Stefanos Tsitsipas
⚠️ Bumpy clay swing: QF retirements, early exits in Madrid and Rome, and a steep drop to World No. 20 — Tsitsipas arrives in Paris with his worst clay prep ever.
📉 Grand Slam dip: Shock R1 loss in Australia earlier this year. A repeat in Paris would mark a career first — failing to win a match at both slams in a season.
🎯 Paris pedigree: Runner-up in 2021, QFs in 2023 & 2024 — Tsitsipas has always found his rhythm at Roland-Garros.
Tomás Martín Etcheverry
🔄 Form turnaround: Entered Hamburg with just 5 wins all season, but suddenly reached the semifinals — his best result of 2025.
🔥 Clay loyalist: 2023 French Open quarterfinalist and a Lyon finalist just before RG last year. His entire ranking hinges on clay results.
💪 Confidence restored: Pushed Cobolli deep in Hamburg; regaining his baseline aggression and defensive court coverage.

🔍 Match Breakdown

🎯 Tsitsipas edge: Experience and past Roland Garros success are on his side. But he’s lacked rhythm and has looked vulnerable under pressure this year.
💣 Etcheverry threat: When his forehand is clicking and he can extend rallies, Etcheverry is exactly the kind of grindy baseliner who can frustrate Tsitsipas.
⏳ Endurance & nerves: Etcheverry has improved his composure in longer matches; Tsitsipas’s recent inconsistency makes this even more of a wildcard.

🔮 Prediction

Etcheverry has the clay-court toolkit and recent confidence to make this tight, especially given Stefanos's shaky year. Still, Tsitsipas’s familiarity with Roland Garros and his ability to elevate in Slams should carry him — if he keeps his backhand stable and avoids mental lapses. 🧩 Prediction: Tsitsipas in 4 sets, but expect long, physical rallies and tension if Etcheverry takes the first set.