Five Australians will attack the Roland Garros second round on Wednesday and Thursday amid a host of drama, intrigue and upsets on the red clay.
There’s been something in the sweltering Parisian air this week for the Aussie contingent, with Adam Walton and Kimberly Birrell both securing shock career-best wins against top-10 opponents.
> MORE: Walton scores mammoth triumph over Medvedev
> READ: Brilliant Birrell beats Pegula in major Roland Garros upset
Thanasi Kokkinakis, James Duckworth and Daria Kasatkina also enjoyed first-round triumphs, while Alex de Minaur is already through to the third round courtesy of a walkover.
It's the most Australians in this stage of the tournament since 2019.
On the comeback trail from pectoral surgery in early 2025, five-set specialist Kokkinakis outlasted local hopeful Terence Atmane in his opener, which he said was “probably my best mental effort”.
> MORE: The long road back to Roland Garros for Thanasi Kokkinakis
The 30-year-old will hope his body has recovered enough in time to face Spanish all-rounder Pablo Carreno Busta, who downed Jiri Lehecka in straight sets. The pair have never faced each other.
If successful, Kokkinakis would battle either 21st-seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina or Thiago Agustin Tirante in what would be his fourth appearance in the third round in Paris.
Like Kokkinakis, Duckworth features on the Wednesday night (AEST) schedule, and has a tough matchup against Spanish teen sensation Rafael Jodar, who is seeded at his Roland Garros debut.
The Australian in round one overcame Canada’s Gabriel Diallo, who retired hurt in the second set with Duckworth leading 6-3 4-1.
> MORE: Duckworth drives into Roland Garros second round
Should he deliver another huge Aussie upset, the 34-year-old will play the winner of the all-American tie between Nishesh Basavareddy and Alex Michelsen.
Walton, Birrell and Kasatkina, meanwhile, are scheduled to play their second-round matches on Day 5, beginning Thursday evening (AEST).
After trouncing sixth seed Daniil Medvedev in a five-set classic, Walton will face American Zachary Svajda, who downed Alexei Popyrin in his main-draw Roland Garros debut.
Svajda leads the head-to-head record 2-1 over Walton, but those were all hardcourt matches on the Challenger circuit. The pair have never met in a tour-level match, nor on clay.
Walton, a wildcard in Paris this year, will be looking to build on his newfound claycourt confidence.
“I do feel that every time I go back onto the clay I get a little bit more comfortable on it,” he told reporters after the seismic defeat of former world No.1 Medvedev.
Should he prevail, he will face either 25th-seed Francisco Cerundolo or Hugo Gaston.
Fresh off her own stunning triumph over an in-form Jessica Pegula, Birrell will play world No.65 Oleksandra Oliynykova.
The Ukrainian has been on the up this year, making the round of 16 in Strasbourg and the third round in the WTA 1000 Rome tournament earlier this month.
It will be no easy task for Birrell, but she will be feeding off the Australian wave in the French capital.
> KIMBERLY BIRRELL: "I have so much more belief that I can win"
“I think as Aussies we really do cheer each other on,” she told media in Paris. “When you see someone have a result like [Walton’s], it does give you a little bit of a pep in your step.”
Kasatkina, meanwhile, extended her enviable record of never having lost in the first round of the claycourt Grand Slam, after defeating rising Turk Zeynep Sonmez.
The 2022 Roland Garros semifinalist will next battle Swiss qualifier Susan Bandecchi, who upset Cristina Bucsa in the first round.
Kasatkina looks to continue her red-hot claycourt form, having made the final eight in Strasbourg after lifting the WTA 125 Catalonia Open title earlier in May.
Meanwhile, De Minaur has already secured passage to the third round after opponent Alexander Blockx withdrew hurt on Tuesday.
The result means this year’s tournament is already ‘Demon’s’ second-best performance at the French Slam, having only progressed past the second round once during his 2024 quarterfinal run.
The Australian No.1 will battle either world No.27 Czech Jakub Mensik or No.38 Argentine Mariano Navone.
AUSSIES IN ACTION: ROLAND GARROS
COMING UP
Men’s singles, second round
[WC] Adam Walton (AUS) v Zachary Svajda (USA)
James Duckworth (AUS) v [27] Rafael Jodar (ESP)
Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) v Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP)
Women’s singles, second round
Daria Kasatkina (AUS) v [Q] Susan Bandecchi (SUI)
Kimberly Birrell (AUS) v Oleksandra Oliynykova (UKR)
Men’s singles, third round
[8] Alex de Minaur (AUS) v winner of [27] Jakub Mensik (CZE) and [38] Mariano Navone (ARG)
You can watch the Australians in action on the channels of the Nine Network and Stan Sport.