In a suddenly up-for-grabs French Open, third-round action kicks off with seeds Rafael Jodar (No. 27) and Andrey Rublev (No. 11) taking the court on Friday. They are going up against Alex Michelsen and Nuno Borges, respectively.
Alex Michelsen vs. (27) Rafael Jodar
With Jannik Sinner having lost to Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the French Open second round, the title is wide open — and Jodar is certainly among the crop of realistic contenders. The 19-year-old Spaniard reached back-to-back Masters 1000 quarterfinals in Madrid and Rome, building on an impressive 2026 campaign that already featured an ATP title in Marrakech. Showing no signs of slowing down, Jodar erased Aleksandar Kovacevic in straight sets and then got past James Duckworth in four.
Up next for the world No. 29 on Friday is a first-ever showdown against Michelsen. Speaking of openings in the draw, the 21-year-old faced Nishesh Basavareddy instead of Taylor Fritz on Wednesday and defeated his fellow American 7-6(5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. That was preceded by a 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 rout of Alexander Shevchenko. Still, Michelsen remains a bit of a clay-court novice and was 4-6 on the surface in 2026 prior to arriving in Paris. Based on Jodar’s current level and the court, this match will likely be one-sided.
Pick: Jodar in 3
Nuno Borges vs. (11) Andrey Rublev
Rublev and Borges will be going head-to-head for the fifth time in their careers on Friday. All four of their previous encounters have gone Rublev’s way — three in straight sets on hard courts before Borges finally took a set at last month’s Monte-Carlo Masters. The world No. 51 from Portugal figures to be competitive, because he is absolutely rolling so far at Roland Garros. Borges trounced Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 and then cruised past Miomir Kecmanovic 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2.
Although consistency is lacking, Rublev has produced plenty of positive results this season — including on clay. The Russian finished runner-up in Barcelona and reached the Rome quarters. So far this fortnight he has knocked off Ignacio Buse and Camilo Ugo Carabelli in tight four-setters. Those are solid clay-court victories, which should have Rublev well prepared to face Borges. The world No. 13’s dominance in this matchup cannot be overlooked, but this is probably going to be a long, physical contest.
Pick: Rublev in 5