On Day 2 of the 2026 French Open, temperatures climbed to 91.4 degrees and stayed there into the evening as Casper Ruud escaped a dramatic five-set match after being two sets up and serving for the victory.
Ruud, the No. 15 seed, eventually closed out Roman Safiullin 6-2, 7-6, 5-7, 0-6, 6-2 in a roller-coaster that underlined how the afternoon heat can flip momentum. The day’s french open scores otherwise showed heavy-hitters advancing: No. 11 Andrey Rublev beat Ignacio Buse 6-3, 6-7, 6-3, 7-5 while No. 5 Ben Shelton handled Daniel Merida in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. Alex de Minaur (No. 8) won 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 and Flavio Cobolli (No. 10) prevailed 6-4, 7-6, 6-3.
Other results included Pablo Carreño Busta defeating No. 12 Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 7-6, 6-3; No. 19 Frances Tiafoe beating Eliot Spizzirri 6-3, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3; Arthur Rinderknech (No. 22) winning 7-6, 6-2, 6-3; Tommy Paul (No. 24) recovering to win 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4; Francisco Cerundolo (No. 25) taking his match 6-3, 6-4, 6-7, 6-4; Rafael Jodar (No. 27) cruising 6-1, 6-0, 6-4; and Brandon Nakashima (No. 31) beating Robert Bautista Agut 6-2, 7-5, 6-2.
The heat was not just background; it changed how the ball flew and how bodies reacted. Iga Świątek, who arrived in Paris when conditions were cooler and the balls heavier, said the feel at the net and on contact was altered — even when players put full force into shots, the ball behaved differently and felt more under control than normal for the surface and temperature. Observers and staff noted the same: Romuald Pattier said the conditions were tougher for the players than for the fans, and Nawfel Barah warned that these temperatures are far from ideal for a tennis life.
That shift in conditions had a tangible cost. During Rublev’s win over Buse, a ballkid required assistance after appearing dazed at the end of a point, a moment that underlined how heat here can affect everyone on court. For players, the extra minutes under a blazing sky turned strategy into triage: recover where you can, and gamble on momentum when necessary.
Ruud’s match supplied the tournament’s drama and its central tension. He arrived at the finish line with two sets in hand and even served for the match — then watched Safiullin take the next two sets, including a 6-0 fourth, forcing a deciding fifth. Ruud’s ability to reset and produce a 6-2 final set in those conditions separated him from his opponent; his win read like a survival test as much as a tennis victory.
On Court Philippe-Chatrier the day carried an undertow of finality. Gael Monfils played one last time in front of his home crowd and fell in a five-set thriller, and Stan Wawrinka’s final chapter at Roland-Garros also arrived on Monday, moments that mixed retirement-era emotion with the immediate grind of match play.
The matches and the heat together suggest the week ahead will privilege recovery and temperament as much as shotmaking. The french open scores on Day 2 remind that a seedline or a ranking won’t always predict who manages the afternoon sun and a long match; fitness, ice baths and the ability to reset between sets will matter. Endurance, not only form, looks set to decide who lasts the deepest into the tournament.
