The most talked-about statements at Roland Garros this year arrived before rallies began, as players turned the walk from tunnel to baseline into a deliberate fashion moment. Cameras trained on entrants have made the pre-match entrance one of the tournament’s most visible stages.

Naomi Osaka delivered the tournament’s defining wardrobe story during her run to the fourth round, combining a sequined Nike tennis dress with couture-inspired outer pieces by Swiss designer Kevin Germanier. The creations, built from upcycled Nike garments, included a black beaded jacket, a floor-length skirt and a detachable white tulle train. “If I had to give a short answer, the outfit is a nod to France, to Parisian couture, and sustainability,”

“…The designer that we did end up pairing with just kind of spoke our same language.” Osaka mixed and matched those elements across matches to create a recurring “court-ure” theme.

Novak Djokovic marked his record-tying 22nd Roland Garros appearance with a bespoke Lacoste jacket from creative director Pelagia Kolotouros. The piece, inspired by the colours and textures of the terre-battue, incorporated real clay detailing and featured a prominent wolf graphic across the back, a motif the 24-time Grand Slam champion has long embraced.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka paired a black-and-red Nike dress with prominent accessories from sponsor Material Good, a collection of jewellery that included 23 carats of diamonds and 120 carats of garnets across necklaces and earrings. During Paris’s heat wave cameras captured her pressing a Shark ChillPill personal fan to her face during a changeover.

Coco Gauff followed last year’s leather-jacket moment with two New Balance walk-on looks, each pairing a white bodysuit and mesh-overlay dress in charcoal or pink along with matching headbands and wristbands. Mirra Andreeva and Sorana Cirstea also embraced pink tones. Jannik Sinner appeared in head-to-toe blue from Nike’s 2026 Roland Garros collection with his Gucci x Head bag, while Andrey Rublev and Matteo Berrettini opted for blue shades. Other players displayed brand statements as well, with appearances from Madison Keys, Moise Kouame, Alexander Zverev, Elina Svitolina, Victoria Mboko, Marta Kostyuk, Joao Fonseca and Iga Swiatek.

Jakub Mensik reached his first major semifinal with a composed performance, defeating Joao Fonseca 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (3) Tuesday evening under the lights with the roof closed on Court Philippe Chatrier. The 20-year-old became the first man born in 2004 or later to reach a Grand Slam semifinal.

Mensik took control early and, despite a tense finish, closed out the match in straight sets. Up two sets, Mensik saved a set point while working his way back on serve in the third after twice falling a break behind. Fonseca then fended off six match points to force a tiebreak, with one of those chances slipping away on an errant overhead miss from Mensik, before the Czech converted on his seventh opportunity.

“The last 20, 30 minutes of the match, it was just really insane the level from both of us and actually a lot of, I would say, key moments at the time,” Mensik assessed in his press conference.

At the time even if the crowd erupts, I couldn’t hear anything. Basically I was that much in the zone and so focused that actually I was just focusing on every other point. Jakub Mensik on blocking out the noise late in the third set

Reflected the 19-year-old Brazilian in defeat, “I did my best today. I think I put all I had on court, but yeah, unfortunately it was Jakub’s day. He played good tennis. I wish him good luck.

“The way he deals with the important points is also really impressive. I think he controlled most of the part of the match, serving pretty well and doing the entrance with the return pretty well.”

Mensik created 21 break points and converted five return games. His run through the clay swing had been uneven: a toe infection forced a Monte Carlo withdrawal, he posted two wins in Madrid, lost his Rome opener to Alexei Popyrin and split two matches in Hamburg. His French Open campaign nearly ended in the second round when the No. 26 seed survived Mariano Navone 7-6 (13-11) in the fifth; Mensik required seven match points in that match, collapsed from the heat and was taken off in a wheelchair.

Crediting his fitness, Mensik said, “I was basically super happy that I could come to Roland Garros, finally good prepared without any injury, playing pain-free. As the tournament is going, I’m playing better and better,” he commented.

A familiar opponent awaits on Friday: 2024 finalist Alexander Zverev, who halted Rafael Jodar in straight sets. Mensik was edged by Zverev in a deciding set at Madrid in their first tour meeting.

Stefanos Sakellaridis completed a clear clay-court objective in Chisinau by winning the Moldova Open at the National Tennis Center. The 21-year-old Greek beat Romanian qualifier Cezar Cretu 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-3 in the final to secure the second ATP Challenger Tour trophy of his career.

On a mostly sunny but windy afternoon, Sakellaridis recovered after losing the opening set and displayed composure across two hours and 39 minutes. He delivered three aces, won 68% of his first-service points and claimed 52% of the total points to take the match.

“I am very happy winning this title,” Sakellaridis said. “My goal at the beginning of the clay-court season was to win a title on this surface and this is my last tournament on clay before the start of the grass swing. I was very focused this week and managed to turn this match around today.”

The victory follows his maiden Challenger title in New Delhi earlier this year and highlights continued progress over recent seasons. “That was great,” he said. “It was unexpected because I did not feel great about my game before the tournament. The day before it started, I changed my racquet and it clicked from the very first ball. I also had a good feeling during my first match. I managed to keep the momentum throughout the whole tournament. The support was also great and eventually winning the title was amazing, especially after coming back from 5-2 down in the final. It was very dramatic but created amazing memories for me.”

Arriving in Chisinau at a career-high ranking of world No. 197, Sakellaridis earned €23,750 and 100 ATP ranking points for the title, which will move him to a new career-high of world No. 153. “I would really like to continue moving up the rankings and playing bigger events,” said the Greek, who came in ranked No. 197.

He credited steady work and his training base at the Piatti Tennis Academy. “It has been good work over the last couple of years. I have been working on my game, and it has started to pay off. But there is still a long way ahead, and I hope that I can keep going and stay hungry for more. I would really like to continue moving up the rankings and playing bigger events.”

“It is a great experience there, especially with Riccardo Piatti, who has worked with so many top players. He is helping me a lot,” he said. Sakellaridis adapted better than most to the windy conditions and praised the new complex and the host city. Sakellaridis overcame “unpredictable” wind throughout the week.

“It’s my first time here. I went to the city center and it is very beautiful. I am happy to be here,” he stated.

“I believe a lot in my game. I can do many different things on the court. I can create a lot of opportunities and be dangerous during matches. But there is still a lot of work to do. I need to bring more spin into my shots, be more aggressive and also become more consistent on my serve. There is still a bit of fine-tuning to do, and then we will see what I can achieve in the future.”