Paris, France, 26 May 2025 | Matt Trollope

Alexei Popyrin is the first Australian into the second round at Roland Garros in 2025, advancing past an injured Yoshihito Nishioka on Monday.

The 25th seed was mostly in control throughout the first two sets on Court 6 before the Japanese lefty’s body gave way.

Despite the abbreviated match, signs were good for Popyrin, who struck 10 aces among 24 winners and won more than 80 per cent of his first-serve points.

Popyrin has now won seven of his 12 European clay-court matches this spring, after notching quarterfinals in both Monte Carlo and Geneva.

Monday’s result marks his first trip to the second round at Roland Garros since 2019, when he made his main-draw debut at age 19.

Now 25, he will next face either Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo or local Arthur Cazaux.

DRAW: Roland Garros men’s singles

Nishioka entered Roland Garros short on match play after an injury-riddled season; he had played just two matches since early February.

After losing a tense first set, he received treatment for what appeared to be a gluteal and lower back issue, yet forged on in what turned out to be a competitive second set.

Popyrin generated six break points across three separate games, before finally converting his seventh to lead 4-3.

Three games later, he had pocketed the second set and appeared on track to complete a commanding first-round performance.

Yet the finish line arrived sooner than he anticipated.

Early in the third set, Nishioka’s physical condition quickly went south; after three games he announced he couldn’t continue, sending Popyrin onto the next stage in Paris.

Eight years after his victory in the boys’ singles event here, Popyrin is targeting a first appearance in the third round of the men’s singles when he returns to the court on Wednesday.

His countrymen Jordan Thompson, Aleksandar Vukic and Christopher O’Connell will attempt to join him in the second round when they play later on Monday.