In fact the forecast for the next several days in the French capital look like they are going to be extremely testing for everyone from those competing on the courts to those watching in the stands.
Getting into the second week with as little time spent on court is the key for those looking to win the Grand Slam and that is the challenge set out before we get into the second week where the temperatures are looking like they are going to be much more manageable.
We already saw some of the top names making sure they were able to win matches on Sunday without exerting too much effort and those going out on Monday will be looking to follow suit.
Alex De Minaur - 7.5 games v Toby Samuel: Untimely injuries can have a big impact on any athlete in any sport and that has certainly held back Toby Samuel.
The 23 year old British player has returned to the Tour in 2025, but he has mainly been operating at a lower level before taking part and winning three Qualifiers to earn a spot in the French Open main draw. This is the first time Toby Samuel has been able to do this and he has a win over David Goffin in the Qualifiers, which has to be hugely respected, but all of this is going to feel like a new experience and the World Number 159 is operating at a career high mark.
The wins in the Qualifiers will have done Toby Samuel the world of good, but he had lost his previous three clay court matches prior to the run here in Paris.
Now he has to take on a top ten Seeded player in Alex De Minaur, although one that has not played nearly as well on the clay courts in 2026 compared with the last couple of years on the surface.
Alex De Minaur can take some belief from the fact he reached the Semi Final in Hamburg last week, but his numbers have been down across both serve and return in 2026 compared with the lsat couple of years. The manner of the Second Round defeat at the French Open twelve months ago may have dented the confidence, but the Australian is right to be set as a strong favourite and you have to believe the best of five set format gives him a chance to warm into the task at hand.
The added edge comes from the experience the World Number 9 has put together in his time on the Tour compared with Toby Samuel who has never played a top 100 Ranked opponent before on any surface.
Having nothing to lose could make Toby Samuel dangerous, but this is a long format and eventually you have to believe Alex De Minaur will show his superior experience to break down and overwhelm the young Qualifier who will be hoping to build on this run in Paris.
Andrey Rublev - 1.5 sets v Ignacio Buse: Winning the title in Hamburg is the career highlight for Ignacio Buse and it will push the 22 year old into a career best World Number 31 when the Rankings are released during the French Open.
Unfortunately that means missing out on a Seeding for this Grand Slam, but it also makes Ignacio Buse a very tough First Round match for a Seeded player.
Andrey Rublev is the player who has to go against Buse, but the World Number 13 is a solid clay courter and he will certainly believe he has the experience to give the youngster all he can handle.
This has been a decent, if unspectacular, clay court season for Andrey Rublev, but the numbers have remained steady and certainly strong enough to win a match like this one. His run in Rome was ended by Jannik Sinner, but Rublev is still playing steadily behind serve and on the return and he will believe there is still some room for improvement when arriving in the French capital for the second Grand Slam of the season.
His experience is going to be important, while Ignacio Buse will have had a long week in the build up to the French Open, which can work against some players.
Ignacio Buse has had some successes against top 100 Ranked opponents, but his numbers have been very similar to those produced by Andrey Rublev in 2026 and that is where the experience edge can become a real factor in the outcome of the match.
The opening set could set the tone, but Frances Tiafoe dropped that before rolling past Ignacio Buse in Rome and Andrey Rublev is capable of winning this one in four, especially if the youngster is just feeling the tennis he needed to play to win the title in Hamburg.
MY PICKS: Alex De Minaur - 7.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)
Andrey Rublev - 1.5 Sets @ 1.80 William Hill (2 Units)
French Open Update: 1-0, + 1.44 Units (2 Units Staked, + 72% Yield)
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