Key quotes from the second day of the French Open at Roland Garros on Monday:
Order of Play | Win with SPAR | Watch Live on DStv
"I just focus on myself, but of course, if you can win and not stay in the heat for longer, it's better to finish the job quicker, but it doesn't mean that you need to rush."
– Second seed Elena Rybakina after easing past Veronika Erjavec in 74 minutes in oppressive heat.
"Today it was really tough. It's never easy to say goodbye to something you love so much and you dedicate all your life for it, so of course it was and it will be difficult to leave Roland Garros."
😢#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/ahTYzZfdyA
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 25, 2026
– Former champion Stan Wawrinka after playing his last-ever French Open match.
"Yeah, I'm going to watch it straightaway, unless I play the next day, because I will cry."
– Iga Swiatek on the upcoming documentary about Rafael Nadal.
"Honestly, I don't remember the last time it was so hot at Roland Garros, you know? Maybe one day, but we're going to have it, like, for the whole week or something."
– Daria Kasatkina on the scorching conditions in the French capital.
"I would say it's very Gen Z of us. I think we honestly don't take things too seriously, which is a great thing. Yeah, honestly I love it, and I really like to see the shift that I've seen, because obviously I've been on tour for a really long time. When I first came on at 16, it was very different, the energy and the atmosphere. It wasn't as warm or as social."
– Amanda Anisimova on being friends with her competitors and the change in social dynamics on the tour.
"If it's the case, I'm willing to do that, as long as I'm having fun and I like to compete. You know, it's tennis. That's how it is. Sometimes you have to work your way back."
– Matteo Berrettini on the prospect of having to play the qualifiers for Wimbledon, where he was runner-up to Novak Djokovic in 2021.
"It's pretty tough to see getting them first round in a Grand Slam. I think it's also really special, though, to get to play them at a young age. I mean, not many 17-year-olds get to say they've played both of them... But, I think getting to see the level, like, when I'm so young, I think it's really great. Definitely to learn a lot of things and, you know, when I come up against them next, I'll be more prepared in how they play."
– Australian teenager Emerson Jones on drawing top-three players in Rybakina and Swiatek in two of her three Grand Slam appearances.