Tracking the progress of tennis couples at French Open 2024, ft. Stefanos Tsitsipas-Paula Badosa & Jannik Sinner-Anna Kalinskaya
The tennis caravan has descended upon the city of love for the 2024 French Open, and six tennis power couples are competing this year. One of them has fared much better than the others.
The second round of main-draw singles matches is over. After a rain-hit couple of days, a marathon of matches was played on 30 May to finish the remaining second-round contests. Among the tennis couples in Paris, several players have been ousted from the tournament before the third round.
Let's take a look at the performances of such couples at the 2024 French Open by the end of the second round:
#6 Alexander Shevchenko and Anastasia Potapova
Alexander Shevchenko and Anastasia Potapova have been together for more than a year, and they tied the knot on 1 December, 2023. Both of them are competing at the 2024 French Open as unseeded players.
Shevchenko began his campaign against former Grand Slam semifinalist Aslan Karatsev and survived a five-set affair 6-4, 4-6, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4. In the second round, he faced home favorite Corentin Moutet and bowed out of the competition 6-4, 6-2, 0-6, 6-3.
Anastasia Potapova has done better than her husband in Paris this year. The 23-year-old defeated compatriot Kamilla Rakhimova in the first round 6-2, 6-3 and then registered another comfortable 6-2, 6-2 win against Viktorija Golubic in the second round. In the third round, she will face China's Wang Xinyu.
The Kazakh-Russian couple is also playing doubles at the 2024 Roland Garros. Shevchenko has paired up with Alexander Bublik, and Potapova will play alongside Yana Sizikova.
#5 Tomas Machac and Katerina Siniakova
Tomas Machac and Katerina Siniakova are the only couple from the same country on this list. The Czechs have reportedly been dating since early 2021. Siniakova is the No. 32 seed at the French Open, while Machac is unseeded.
Siniakova kicked off her campaign with a straight-sets triumph (7-5, 7-6(3)) over lucky loser Dalma Galfi. She then faced Chloe Paquet in the second round and was edged out by the French wildcard 3-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(6).
After reaching his maiden tour-level final at the Geneva Open, Tomas Machac has continued his excellent form at the French Open. The 23-year-old bettered Nuno Borges 7-6(3), 6-4, 6-3 in his opening-round match and outlasted No. 31 seed Mariano Navone 6-2, 6-1, 3-6, 1-6, 6-1 in the second round. Machac will face No. 5 seed Daniil Medvedev in the third round.
Siniakova and Machac have also signed up to play mixed doubles at the 2024 French Open. In the first round, they will face No. 7 seed Jan Zielinski and Hsieh Su-wei.
#4 Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter
Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter celebrated their fourth anniversary in March 2024. They have been doing well on the tennis court this year and are both seeded at the 2024 French Open.
De Minaur, the No. 11 seed, is yet to drop a set; he has defeated Alex Michelsen 6-1, 6-0, 6-2 and Jaume Munar 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 in his first two matches in Paris. The Australian will next face Jan-Lennard Struff in the third round.
No. 26 seed Katie Boulter's stay in the women's singles competition was short as she bowed out in her opening-round match against Paula Badosa 4-6, 7-5, 6-4. The Brit is still in search of her first tour-level clay court win.
Boulter is also playing women's doubles, partnered with fellow Brit Heather Watson.
#3 Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina
The second married couple on this list, Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina, have been together since 2019. They got married in 2021. The couple also has a daughter named Skai, who was born in October 2022.
At the 2024 French Open, Elina Svitolina is seeded No. 15 and defending quarterfinalist points.
The Ukrainian has so far defeated Karolina Pliskova 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 and local player Diane Parry 6-4, 7-6(3) to book her berth in the third round, where she will face Ana Bogdan of Romania.
As for home hero Gael Monfils, the French veteran bettered Thiago Seyboth Wild 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the first round. However, his run ended in the second round against No. 30 seed Lorenzo Musetti 7-5, 6-1, 6-4.
#2 Jannik Sinner and Anna Kalinskaya
Jannik Sinner confirmed his relationship with Anna Kalinskaya during a press conference at the 2024 French Open. The two have been seen in each other's player's box at the claycourt Slam.
Jannik Sinner, the No. 2 seed, is yet to face a major challenger as he has ousted Christopher Eubanks 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 and French veteran Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 in his first two matches. The reigning Australian Open champion will be up against Pavel Kotov in the third round.
Anna Kalinskaya is seeded No. 23 in the women's singles draw and she bettered French local Clara Burel 7-6(3), 7-5 in her first round match. Unfortunately for her, the Russian was defeated by a resurgent Bianca Andreescu in the second round 1-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Kalinskaya is also playing women's doubles at the French Open, having paired up with Russian veteran Elena Vesnina.
#1 Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa have been the most talked-about tennis power couple ever since they began seeing each other in May 2023. At the 2024 French Open, they continue to garner attention; they are the only couple with both players still standing in the tournament.
No. 9 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas has so far ousted Marton Fucsovics 7-6(7), 6-4, 6-1 in the first round and Daniel Altmaier 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(2), 6-4 in the second round. In the third round, the Greek will face Zhang Zhizhen.
Meanwhile, Paula Badosa survived a three-set battle against Katie Boulter in the first round 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, before registering another come-from-behind victory against Yulia Putintseva in the second round 4-6, 6-1, 7-5. The Spaniard will now face close friend and No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka in the third round.
Tsitsipas and Badosa are also playing mixed doubles together at the 2024 French Open, and will face Nathaniel Lammons and Ena Shibahara in the first round.