reString at the French Open 2026

When Nick and I started reString, almost every conversation happened over a screen.

Six years later, we found ourselves standing together on the clay at Roland Garros, watching one of the most unpredictable weeks the French Open has ever produced.

Most people picture co-founders working side by side every day.

For Nick and me, that has never been the case. We work across time zones with an ocean between us, and in a normal year we see each other once.

When your whole working relationship lives online, it can start to feel a little distant.

Sitting down together, sharing a meal, and talking through the business face to face is what keeps the friendship and the partnership strong.

We have been building reString from opposite sides of the world for years, so this trip meant a lot before a single ball was struck.

Here is how our first French Open together unfolded, on and off the court.

Our First Time at Roland Garros

This was my first time in Paris and my first French Open. For Nick, it had been close to eight years, and the grounds have changed a lot since his last visit.

The site has grown, with new courts added over the past few seasons.

What links them to the rest of the grounds is a stretch of garden that feels less like a tennis venue and more like a quiet corner of the city. You almost forget you are at a Grand Slam.

As an ATP and WTA hitting partner, I have spent years inside tour events like the DC Open, so I have a decent feel for how these tournaments are run.

Roland Garros sits in my top three in terms of experience, and for my money it beats nearly every US event I have attended.

The attention to detail on the courts stood out the most. Before each practice, crews come out to sweep the clay, brush the lines, and hand the players a fresh can of balls.

The surface stays in beautiful condition all day long. Watching that work happen between sessions told us everything about how much care goes into the event.

Normally I am the one out on the practice court warming up a player. This time I took it all in as a fan, and from that side the tournament is just as strong.

You can get close to the players, watch practice, catch matches across the grounds, and there is no shortage of booths to keep you busy.

A Week of Upsets on the Clay

The tournament we walked into was already being defined by who was falling.

Jannik Sinner arrived chasing history. He had swept Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome, leaving him one title from becoming only the second man after Rafael Nadal to complete the Clay Slam.

Then the clay did what clay does. Sinner was beaten in the second round by Juan Manuel Cerúndolo, ending a 30-match winning streak and his run at the Clay Slam in a single afternoon.

It was the first time since 2000 that a reigning world No. 1 failed to reach the third round.

He was not the only big name to go. Novak Djokovic was stunned by 19-year-old João Fonseca, who climbed out of a two-set hole to send another favorite home early.

With Carlos Alcaraz already sidelined by injury, the men's draw blew wide open.

Alexander Zverev was one of the players who stood to gain, and we got to watch him up close in his fourth round match against Jesper de Jong, which he won 7-6(3), 6-4, 6-1.

Clay is the most demanding surface in the sport, and weeks like this are the reason.

No lead is safe, no ranking guarantees a result, and the players who thrive are the ones who grind through long rallies and stay patient under pressure.

Seeing it play out in person reminded us why we fell for this game in the first place.

Conclusion

Getting together for the first time in a year at the French Open was special.

The level of organization, the care taken with every detail, and the drama on court made Roland Garros one of the best events either of us has experienced.

If this week has you thinking about your own clay game, our flagship string reString Zero is built for the heavy spin and bite the surface rewards.

We had an unforgettable time, and we are already hoping to do it all again next year.

About the Author: Juan is the co-founder of reString. He was born in Argentina, raised in Japan, and moved to the US to pursue college tennis. He now plays as an ATP & WTA hitting partner.