Ben Shelton ousted by Belgian debutant in round 2, shock exit for Tsitsipas

The second round of the French Open brought another big upset as two of the tournament’s biggest names were dispatched on Friday, May 29. Fifth seed Ben Shelton and former Roland Garros finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas suffered shock exits, leaving the men’s singles draw open.

Belgium’s Raphael Collignon secured the biggest win of his career to date, stunning world number five Shelton in straight sets 7-5, 6-4, 6-4. It was his first appearance in a Roland Garros main draw and the 24-year-old showed remarkable composure against the American.

Collignon’s strategy focused on neutralizing Shelton’s explosive submission. The Belgian broke Shelton at crucial moments in all three sets and wrapped up the victory in just over two hours.

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A visibly emotional Collignon later reflected on his tactical discipline, noting that staying calm and focused on his own service game was key to unsettling the American star.

“I knew I had to try to stay focused on my return, that his real strength was his serve and that I had to really focus on my own service game – that was key,” Collignon told reporters.

“I tried to wait for the opportunities and whenever they came I ended up staying pretty calm because I broke serve at the right moment every time,” he said.

ARNALDI WILL GET REVENGE ON TSITSIPAS

Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi added to the day’s upsets on the neighboring court by beating 2021 finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2.

For Arnaldi, the victory was sweet revenge after losing to the Greek star on the same courts in 2024. Arnaldi showed incredible athleticism to defeat his opponent to reach the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time since the US Open.

The defeat marks another painful chapter in Tsitsipas’ ongoing struggles on the biggest stage. Once a dominant force on clay, Tsitsipas failed to advance to the second round in his last seven Grand Slam appearances, a baffling slump that dates back to mid-2024.

GIANT KILLER SHOWDOWN

With the two front-runners knocked out, attention now turns to an unexpected clash in the third round.

Collignon and Arnaldi will now battle it out for a spot in week two. Both players go into the match full of confidence after producing two of the biggest hurdles of the tournament, setting the stage for a fascinating match between two formal underdogs.

– The end

Issued by:

Amar Panicker

Published on:

29 May 2026 08:14 IST