PARIS/STARNBERG, May 30, 2026
Roland Garros delivered another dramatic day of action on Saturday, with upsets, marathon matches and emotional moments continuing to reshape the tournament draw.
Juan Manuel Cerundolo kept his dream run alive by advancing to the fourth round after an epic battle against Spanish teenager Martin Landaluce. The Argentine, who stunned World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the previous round, needed five hours and 57 minutes to prevail 6-4, 6-7(9), 7-6(4), 6-7(4), 7-6(10-8). Cerundolo saved himself from defeat in the deciding match tiebreak, winning the final four points after trailing 6-8 to complete one of the longest and most dramatic matches of the tournament.
¡VAMOS, JUANMA! 🙌🇦🇷
Heart, fight, survival 💪🎾 Juan Manuel Cerundolo edges Landaluce in five sets and moves on! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/0fQjC8joDN
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 30, 2026
Another memorable story came from US-American Zachary Svajda, who reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time with a hard-fought five-set victory over 25th seed Francisco Cerundolo. The 23-year-old prevailed 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3 in a match that carried deep personal significance, as it took place on what would have been his late father Tom’s 61st birthday. After securing the win, an emotional Svajda dropped to the clay before pointing to the sky in tribute to his father, who passed away from cancer in October 2024.
“It’s like I’m dreaming right now. It’s crazy,” said Svajda, who will face 10th seed Flavio Cobolli of Italy for a spot in the quarterfinals.
“Today was so special because it’s my dad’s birthday. I was thinking of that. I was nervous. I know he’s proud of me, and I wanted to perform well and win.”
The women’s draw also saw a major surprise as defending champion Coco Gauff was knocked out by Austria’s Anastasia Potapova. The unseeded 25-year-old fought back to claim a 4-6, 7-6(1), 6-4 victory and reach the fourth round at Roland Garros for the first time in her career.
“I’m cramping a little bit but it’s OK, it’s all good. I don’t have any words now, I’m extremely happy,” said Potapova.
“The fight we could show, both of us – Coco is such a champion and I respect her so much.
“I’m unbelievably proud of myself that I stayed there, that I was fighting until the last point.”
Gauff’s exit follows the earlier departures of top men’s contenders Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic, further underlining the unpredictable nature of this year’s tournament.
