The Mexican night served up contrasts for the French. Revival, confirmation, disappointment — Acapulco handed down its verdict.
Four Frenchmen started the first round of this ATP 500. Two survive. Two head home. And one result felt bigger than the rest.
Monfils stops the slide and gets the engine running
At 39, Gaël Monfils has nothing left to prove. Still, he needed a spark.
A wild card, he arrived on a six-match losing run since summer 2025. Against Damir Dzumhur, he had to win. Simple.
Mission accomplished.
6-4, 7-6 in 1h51. A tidy, no-nonsense performance — well-timed bursts and steady tie-break play. Monfils bossed the Bosnian for the fourth time in five meetings and earns a second-round date with Valentin Vacherot.
It’s only round one. For him, it feels twice as important.
Atmane hits big against Dimitrov
On paper it looked uneven: Terence Atmane versus Grigor Dimitrov, a former champion and seasoned pro.
On court, the Frenchman called the shots.
6-3, 6-3 in 1h22. Strong serving, aggressive returns, breaks taken at the right moments. The world No.63 stayed composed, played smart, and made the opportunities count.
Next up, Rafael Jodar for a spot in the quarters. A clear chance to take.
Zverev too strong for Moutet
For Corentin Moutet the task was steep. Standing across the net: Alexander Zverev, top seed and world No.4.
Moutet mixed things up, hunted angles, fought. The German was ruthless. 6-2, 6-4 in 1h30, and not a single break point conceded.
Zverev now leads 3-0 head-to-head and marches into the last 16 to face Miomir Kecmanovic.
Mannarino tripped up by Shimabukuro
Last French player left, Adrian Mannarino hoped for an easy draw against Sho Shimabukuro — a qualifier ranked outside the top 100.
The Japanese played with freedom. 6-3, 6-4 in 1h16. Few marathon rallies, plenty of precision, and Mannarino couldn’t flip the script.
Shimabukuro will meet Wu Yibing, who dumped Casper Ruud.
A mixed night, but reasons to be upbeat
Two wins, two exits. Even score.
But beyond the raw numbers the image that sticks is Monfils raising his arms in Mexico. His first victory of 2026. Maybe the start of one last strong run.
In Acapulco the night ran long. For some, it finally lit up.
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