French Open Week 1 Chaos Round Up!
Our CTC Live series continues from Roland Garros 2026! Host Dan Kiernan is joined by broadcaster Candy Reid and performance analyst Mike James to round up an extraordinary first week at the French Open.
From Fonseca's stunning comeback against Djokovic to Sinner's shock exit in the heat, the drama has been non-stop. Dan also gives us a first-hand account of being at the tournament with his players, including a brilliant moment with Landaluce after his 5hr 58 minute epic.
This is the place to go for a round-up of Roland Garros action from a coach's perspective.
Key talking points:
- Jannik Sinner's shock exit to Cerundolo in the heat, with Mike noting odds of 12,500 to 1 on that result, and Candy raising an interesting theory about redheads and the MC1R gene explaining Sinner's struggles in extreme temperatures.
- Fonseca's extraordinary comeback from two sets down to beat Novak Djokovic, with Dan sharing what it was like to witness that match in person sitting next to the Fonseca family, and the panel debating whether it was Novak's Roland Garros farewell.
- Rafael Jodar continuing his run and the unprecedented state of the men's draw, with no former Grand Slam champion remaining in the last 16 for the first time since 1968.
- The injury crisis gripping the tournament?
- Marta Kostyuk beating Iga Swiatek and her remarkable mindset, with Mike sharing a powerful insight about her playing on the same day she received a photo of her family home being destroyed back in Ukraine.
- The Vallejo umpire controversy, with the panel giving a balanced take and calling for the matter to be put to rest following his apology.
Each CTC Live episode streams on YouTube during the fortnight. Search Control the Controllables Podcast and follow our Instagram and Twitter for the latest live times!
Chapters 00:00 Welcome and tournament atmosphere from Paris
04:00 Sinner's exit, Hada's rise and the unprecedented men's draw
08:00 Fonseca vs Djokovic, a match for the ages
14:00 The injury crisis and the roof court debate
22:00 Marta Kostyuk's mindset and win over Swiatek
32:00 Women's draw quarter final preview
40:00 Sabalenka vs Osaka preview and what to expect
43:00 The Vallejo controversy
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