Paris, FRANCE – Team Yonex star Jasmine Paolini (ITA) has surged into the Top 10 of the WTA Rankings and feels excited about her future after having “the best days” of her life at Roland-Garros.
Playing in her first Grand Slam final was a “beautiful”, life-changing experience for the Italian, who until this season had never gone beyond the second round at the majors. While she lost the match to Iga Swiatek, Paolini rightly felt proud and happy, rather than sad, for all that she had achieved over the last couple of weeks at what has been a breakthrough tournament for her. It was an emotional and busy weekend for Paolini in south-west Paris as a day after her first major women’s singles final, she was back on Court Philippe-Chatrier for her first Grand Slam women’s doubles final alongside Sara Errani.
While Paolini was the feel-good story of the women’s singles tournament, plenty of other Team Yonex stars caught the eye at Roland-Garros.
Ruud goes deep at Roland-Garros again
Consistently strong on the Parisian clay, Casper Ruud (NOR) went on a deep run into the men’s singles draw at Roland-Garros for a third year in a row. After reaching the final in 2022 and 2023, the head-to-toe Yonex ambassador made the semi-finals in Paris this year. Yonex was the No. 1 racquet brand in the men’s singles draw, with 30 players – which is 23% of the field - putting their trust in the Japanese company.
Mixed success for Siegemund
Team Yonex star Laura Siegemund (GER) won the mixed doubles title with Edouard Roger-Vasselin, with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Desirae Krawczyk and Neal Skupski.
Unstoppable De Groot wins her 14th consecutive Grand Slam title
The remarkable Diede de Groot (NED) won her 14th Grand Slam singles title in a row after coming from a set down for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory against Zhenzhen Zhu. No wonder she was “super proud” of herself as this success gave her a record 22nd major singles title overall and meant she is halfway to achieving the calendar-year Grand Slam for a fourth consecutive season, which no tennis player has ever done before. De Groot was also a champion in the women’s doubles, combining with Aniek van Koot for a 6-7(6), 7-6(2), 10-4 victory over Yui Kamiji and Kgothatso Montjane.
Teenage star Oda retains his title
Just 18 years old, Tokito Oda (JPN) retained his men’s wheelchair singles title at Roland-Garros, giving him his fourth career Grand Slam singles title. With his 7-5, 6-3 victory over Gustavo Fernandez (ARG) in an all-Yonex final, Oda also won his second major of the season, putting him halfway to achieving the calendar-year Grand Slam.
Team Yonex stars win boys’ singles and doubles titles
“It means a lot,” said head-to-toe Yonex ambassador Kaylan Bigun (USA) after fighting back from a set down to win the boys’ singles title with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Tomasz Berkieta. Bigun is the first American champion in that event at Roland-Garros since Tommy Paul (USA), who now plays with a Yonex racquet, lifted the trophy in 2015. There were two Yonex champions in the boys’ events in Paris with Team Yonex’s Nicolai Budkov Kjaer (NOR) partnering Joel Schwaerzler to a 6-4, 7-6(3) victory over Federico Cina and Rei Sakamoto (JPN).
Jasmine Paolini (ITA) | VCORE 100 [LINK]/ POLYTOUR PRO 120 [LINK]
Casper Ruud (NOR) | EZONE 100 [LINK] / POLYTOUR SPIN [LINK] / POLYTOUR PRO 130 [LINK] / ECLIPSION [LINK] / Paris Collection [LINK]
Laura Siegemund (GER) | EZONE 100 [LINK] / POLYTOUR STRIKE 125 [LINK]
Diede de Groot (NED) | VCORE 98 [LINK] / REXIS COMFORT 125 [LINK]
Tokito Oda (JPN) | EZONE 100L [LINK] / POLYTOUR SPIN [LINK] / POLYTOUR PRO 125 [LINK]
Gustavo Fernandez (ARG) | PERCEPT 97D [LINK] / POLYTOUR REV 125 [LINK]
Kaylan Bigun (USA) | VCORE 98 [LINK] / POLYTOUR STRIKE 125 [LINK] / ECLIPSION [LINK] / Paris Collection [LINK]
Nicolai Budkov Kjaer (NOR) | EZONE 98 [LINK] / POLYTOUR PRO 125 [LINK] / FUSIONREV [LINK] / Paris Collection [LINK]
Rei Sakamoto (JPN) | EZONE 98 [LINK] / POLYTOUR PRO 125 [LINK] / ECLIPSION [LINK] / Paris Collection [LINK]