Casper Ruud defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7–6, 1–6, 6–3, 4–6, 6–3 in the first round of Roland Garros on clay, confirming his status as the heavy pre-match favourite. The Norwegian navigated a competitive opening set that went to a tie-break before asserting control in the second, though Fokina rallied to take the fourth set and force a decider. Ruud ultimately prevailed in the fifth, demonstrating the consistency expected of a player seeded high at the French Open and one of the tour's most accomplished clay-court competitors. The victory sets up a second-round encounter that will test whether Ruud can maintain this form throughout the tournament.