Paris, May 31: The upsets continue at the French Open 2026. France’s Diane Parry defeated sixth-seeded Amanda Anisimova in a gripping three-set match, securing her first-ever spot in the fourth round of a Grand Slam.
Before this year’s French Open, Parry had reached the third round of a Grand Slam five times but had never advanced to the last 16. Playing in front of a lively crowd at Court Philippe-Chatrier, Parry triumphed over Anisimova with a score of 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 after a grueling 2 hours and 44 minutes.
In the third set, both players fought hard to hold their service games. Parry broke Anisimova’s serve to take a 4-3 lead, but Anisimova quickly responded with a break of her own. The match remained tightly contested, ultimately leading to a tiebreak. Parry showcased her skills in the tiebreak, winning decisively 10-3 to claim victory.
After her win, Parry told reporters, “I feel like I can win every match and compete for three sets. I was feeling physically good. I sensed that my game was troubling her to some extent, so I tried to keep that in my mind to win the match in the end.”
This victory marked only Parry’s second win against top-10 ranked players in her career, ending a streak of seven consecutive losses against such opponents. It was her eighth win in the main draw of the French Open, marking her best performance in any Grand Slam tournament to date.
As the last remaining French player in the women’s singles draw, Parry has recently incorporated a two-handed backhand into her game. She mentioned that she is still working on fully adapting to this new shot.
She added, “I started using the double-handed backhand again before the season began. Its use depends on my opponent’s serve, court conditions, and playing style. Here, it’s a bit tricky because the ball bounces quite high, making it hard to judge the right distance. It also depends on how I feel that day. Every day is different, as it’s not yet a fully established shot for me. I have to adapt to the player and the conditions.”
Next, Parry will face Poland’s Maja Chwalinska, who defeated former world number three Maria Sakkari in another three-set match on Saturday. For Anisimova, this marks her first third-round loss in a Grand Slam since the 2020 French Open, where she was defeated by Simona Halep. After withdrawing from the Madrid and Rome tournaments due to a wrist injury, the American player was competing in her first clay-court tournament of the season.
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