Day 3 of the French Open men’s draw closes out the first round at Roland Garros with 20 more matches, highlighted by No. 6 seed Daniil Medvedev’s meeting with Adam Walton. The day’s preview focuses on several first-round contests and features predictions from Tope, Ilemona Onekutu, and Cizu Harbor, each weighing form, clay-court pedigree, and head-to-head history.
Stefanos Tsitsipas opens as the clear favorite against Alexandre Muller. Muller enters the match in poor form, having lost six straight and seven of his last eight, while his clay swing has largely unraveled. Tsitsipas, though also below his peak and ranked outside the top 80, still carries far more experience on clay and has dominated the matchup historically, leading 3-0. The general view is that Tsitsipas’ variety, one-handed backhand, and ability to control longer rallies should help him advance, with predictions ranging from a straight-sets win to a four-set battle.
Tallon Griekspoor versus Matteo Arnaldi shapes up as one of the more competitive matches of the day. Griekspoor has dealt with injuries and inconsistent clay form, limiting his momentum on the surface. Arnaldi, meanwhile, arrives with confidence after a Challenger title in Cagliari and a seven-match winning streak, suggesting strong timing and fitness. While Griekspoor may have the higher overall ceiling, the consensus is that Arnaldi’s steadiness, movement, and comfort on clay could carry him through a long, physical contest.
The all-Argentine meeting between Sebastian Baez and Roman Andres Burruchaga is projected as a tense, scrappy encounter. Both players come into Paris searching for rhythm, with Baez struggling through the European clay stretch and Burruchaga losing four of his last five matches. Baez is still viewed as the more established clay-court specialist, relying on heavy topspin, defense, and consistency. Burruchaga, however, is expected to fight hard from the baseline and may force a drawn-out match. Even so, Baez’s experience and previous wins over his compatriot on clay make him the safer pick.
Medvedev’s clash with Adam Walton is framed as a matchup between recent momentum and established pedigree. Walton has worked his way through the Challenger circuit and showed he can be dangerous, having beaten Medvedev in Cincinnati last year. But Medvedev comes in with stronger form, including a deep run in Rome where he pushed Jannik Sinner in a rain-delayed semifinal. Although clay remains his least favorable major-surface environment, his improved movement, deep returning, and defensive quality make him the overwhelming favorite. Walton may have early resistance, but Medvedev is expected to outlast him in four or fewer sets.
Overall, Day 3’s previews suggest that experience and clay-court adaptability should decide many of the opening-round battles as Roland Garros continues to settle into its rhythm.
