Taylor Fritz knocked out of French Open in early upset

Daniel Altmaier, ranked 66th in the world, stunned No. 4 seed Taylor Fritz in the first round of the 2025 French Open on Monday. Altmaier clinched his fifth career Top 10 win as a result, and his third Top 10 win at the French Open.

Fritz hit a troubling 41 unforced errors to only 34 winners, and largely seemed rattled as Altmaier was on fire with his one-handed backhand. In a 7-5 6-3 3-6 6-1 win, the German clinched the match with a powerful forehand return winner.

The turning point in the match took place early on. Fritz led 5-4 in the first set, claiming a set point after Altmaier hit consecutive unforced errors. The German hit an ace to swat away the opportunity, and struck a couple more strong serves to escape the game. Once Altmaier saw a break point opportunity arise for himself, he hit a forehand winner to end a thrilling 22-shot rally. Altmaier wrapped up the first set 7-5 with a backhand winner.

The second set started like a serving duel, with aggressive shots dictated by serves. Later in the set, the German hit a couple of costly unforced errors in the eighth game, dropping serve for the first and only occasion. After Fritz won the set 6-3, he lost serve early in the third set and was never close to regaining the momentum. The American’s backhand, never one of the World No. 4’s strengths, could not handle the slower Parisian conditions. Fritz also hit 10 crucial unforced errors off his forehand in the last two sets.

Altmaier controlled the long rallies, winning a majority of the rallies lasting over nine shots. Meanwhile, Fritz, known for his towering serves, only won 53% of first serve points throughout the two-hour and 41-minute match.

What’s Next?

Fritz is the first Top 5 seed to fall at the 2025 French Open, and his loss marks the first big upset of the tournament. His defeat is the culmination of a tough clay-court season after early losses in Madrid, Rome, and Geneva. As of Monday, he sits at 19th in the ATP Race, with more substantial ranking points to defend at Wimbledon and the US Open in the summer.

Altmaier will face Vít Kopřiva in the second round. The German reached the second week of the French Open in 2020, and the tournament has historically been his most successful Grand Slam.