Six British players reach round two at Roland Garros, with Norrie overcoming Medvedev in a thrilling five-set battle.

Jack Draper and Cameron Norrie spearheaded a historic day for British tennis at the French Open, as six British players advanced to the second round — the best showing in 52 years at Roland Garros.

Norrie’s thrilling victory over former world No 1 Daniil Medvedev was the highlight. The 29-year-old Brit overcame a tense five-set encounter 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 1-6, 7-5, surviving a late comeback when trailing 3-5 in the decider. This marked his first win against Medvedev after four straight losses and stands as one of the best victories of his career.

Norrie’s early dominance set the tone, combining his trademark discipline with newfound aggression on his forehand. Medvedev fought back strongly in the middle sets, but Norrie’s resilience in the final moments proved decisive. He now faces lucky loser Federico Gomez in round two.

Meanwhile, Draper secured his first ever French Open match win by defeating Italy’s Mattia Bellucci 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 on Court Suzanne-Lenglen. Draper showed remarkable composure after a shaky start, recovering from losing the opening set 6-3. His performance reflected a breakthrough on clay this season as he reached a top-five seeding at a Grand Slam for the first time. Draper’s next challenge is former French Open finalist Gaël Monfils, who staged a dramatic comeback of his own to advance.

Alongside Draper and Norrie, Sonay Kartal impressed with a commanding 6-0, 6-2 victory on her main-draw debut. Coupled with wins by Katie Boulter, Emma Raducanu, and Jacob Fearnley earlier in the tournament, Britain has never before had three men and three women reach round two at Roland Garros in the Open era. The last time six British players advanced this far was in 1973.

Reflecting on the collective success, Draper praised his compatriots, saying, “I think it’s great and it shows that we’re not afraid of playing well on the clay. All of them work really hard and they’re all great players. I’m not surprised, either.”

Norrie described his win over Medvedev as a career highlight. “Outside of Alcaraz, Sinner and Novak, Medvedev would be probably the fourth toughest draw for me. Beating him in five sets at a Slam is impressive for me, especially considering my record against him,” he said.

The victory is particularly significant for Norrie, who has faced a challenging few years. After reaching a career-high ranking of No 8 and memorable performances at Indian Wells and Wimbledon, injuries and form dips had seen him drop to No 91 just weeks ago.

Norrie credited a mindset shift for his recent resurgence. After a disappointing early exit at the Miami Open, he took time to reassess, easing pressure and focusing on enjoying tennis again. “I started winning straight after that. I looked more like myself on court and thought, why not just enjoy it and compete? Looking back, you’re going to miss competing and those tough moments. I don’t want to regret that,” he reflected.

As Draper and Norrie prepare for their next matches, the confidence of a strong British presence at Roland Garros is palpable. This historic opening round marks a renewed optimism for UK tennis on clay, a surface that has long presented challenges for British players.