The 9th edition of the French Riviera Open, a flagship event in the world of wheelchair tennis, kicked off its 2025 tournament on the courts of the Mouratoglou Academy with a thrilling opening day. Featuring upsets, breakthroughs and plenty of sporting emotion, the public witnessed top-level tennis that promises an exciting week ahead.

Cayulef stuns Heath Davidson

The first big shock came from Chile’s Francisco Cayulef, who overturned Australian favourite Heath Davidson in the quad draw. After conceding the opening set, Cayulef found the resources to shift the momentum and claim victory in a gripping battle: 4/6 6/3 6/3.

Jin Woodman, the teenage prodigy making waves

At just 16 years old, Australia’s Jin Woodman continues to impress. Fresh from back-to-back titles at the Open de l’Île de Ré (ITF2) and the Sardinia Open (ITF1), he confirmed his immense potential by knocking out third seed Ahmet Kaplan of Turkey.
Despite losing the first set, Woodman showed remarkable maturity for his age, storming back to take the match in a genuine thriller: 3/6 6/3 6/2. A clear statement to the rest of the draw: the next generation has arrived – and Woodman is one to watch.

Sasson cruises, Bos wins in women’s singles

In the lower half of the quad draw, Israel’s Guy Sasson gave a flawless performance to dispatch 20-year-old Argentine Gonzalo Enrique Lazarte 6/1 6/0. France’s Justin Michel was less fortunate, bowing out against Australia’s Wenzel.
In the women’s singles, the only match of the day before the top seeds join the action tomorrow saw the Netherlands’ Jinte Bos defeat France’s Charlotte Fairbank. Bos, one of the circuit’s in-form players, will now face the ultimate challenge against world No.1 Yui Kamiji of Japan.

Mixed fortunes for the French team

It was a day of mixed results for the French contingent. Guilhem Laget fell to Brazil’s Daniel Rodriguez (4/6 6/1 6/4), while Gaëtan Menguy and Geoffrey Jasiak also exited the tournament. Jasiak was beaten by compatriot Frédéric Cattanéo in an all-French clash.
Meanwhile, Marseille’s Nicolas Charrier fought hard but eventually bowed out against China’s Ji, the recent champion of the Île de Ré Open. It was a spirited display, but ultimately not enough to progress.

Tomorrow, the spotlight will be on the French stars as world No.6 Ksénia Chasteau and world No.6 Stéphane Houdet begin their campaigns, cheered on by the Riviera crowd.

A promising week at the Mouratoglou Academy

With such an electric start, the French Riviera Open once again looks set to be one of the highlights of the sporting autumn. On the iconic courts of the Mouratoglou Academy, the world’s best players will battle for glory and deliver a spectacle of pure sporting emotion.

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