Pierre-Hugues Herbert loses to Lorenzo Sonego in five sets at Roland-Garros 2026

Paris – 25.05.2026: Pierre-Hugues Herbert, 35 years old and after a successful qualification for the main draw of Roland-Garros, showed an impressive performance on Sunday on the Simonne-Mathieu court. Despite his age and the long journey from the qualifying rounds, he faced the Italian player Lorenzo Sonego with great determination.

The first set started with intense rallies, where both players showed their strengths. Herbert, known for his precise serves and net skills, put pressure on Sonego early on. However, neither player managed to pull decisively ahead, so the set was decided in an exciting tie-break. There, Sonego prevailed 7-3 securing the first set.

In the second set, Herbert showed a strong reaction. Skillfully varying his playing style and using his experience to increasingly force errors from Sonego, the Frenchman took the set with a solid 7-5, leveling the match 1-1.

The third set began with an early break by Sonego, who continued with an aggressive attitude and dominated Herbert with a pressing game. Herbert fought bravely, but Sonego left him little room and won the set 6-2.

In the fourth set, Herbert regained his form. Intelligently varying his shots and putting pressure on Sonego with precise serves and net attacks, the Frenchman secured the set with a convincing 6-1, tying the match 2-2.

The decisive fifth set started with an early break by Sonego, who maintained his aggressiveness and dominated Herbert with intense play. Although Herbert fought courageously, Sonego left him little space and took the set 6-4. After 4 hours and 8 minutes, the final result was: Sonego defeated Herbert 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-2, 1-6, and 6-4.

Despite the defeat, Herbert showed an impressive performance and demonstrated that even at an older age he can compete at the highest level. His fighting spirit and technical skill were recognized by both the audience and the experts. For Sonego, the victory means advancing to the second round of the tournament, where he will face another strong opponent.

The match between Herbert and Sonego was a clear example of the tireless spirit and passion that characterize tennis. Both players offered an exciting duel that kept the spectators captivated until the last point.