2023 NCAA singles champion Ethan Quinn advanced to the third round of the 2025 French Open after a dramatic four-hour, 14-minute comeback win over Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko.
Quinn’s girlfriend, Sidney Fitzgerald, who watched the thrilling match from Court 12, later shared a heartfelt celebration with him and posted about the victory online.
Ethan Quinn’s French Open 2R Triumph Echoes in Celebrations from Sidney Fitzgerald
Quinn showed resilience from the start, winning the opening set 6-4. The Kazakh fought back, taking the second set 6-4 and edging the third in a tense 7-6(5) tiebreak. Undeterred, Quinn claimed the fourth set 7-6(3), forcing a decisive fifth.
In a tight final set, Quinn saved two break points at 5-5 before closing it out 7-5 to seal the match.
Ethan Quinn moves on to Round 3 at #RolandGarros after a 5-set epic vs Shevchenko 💥
With the win, our 2024 Hurd Award Champion has positioned himself in the ATP Top 💯
📸: @Reginacortina_ pic.twitter.com/UOJZnyUQNc
— UTR Sports (@UTR_Sports_) May 29, 2025
The former University of Georgia star unleashed 92 winners—more than double Shevchenko’s 43—and won 45 of 63 net approaches. Watching from Court 12 was Fitzgerald, a collegiate gymnast and fellow Georgia athlete.
She shared a photo from the court showing Quinn about to serve. After the match, Fitzgerald warmly embraced her boyfriend as they celebrated the win. She also posted Quinn’s official French Open victory poster to her Instagram story.
“I Didn’t Expect Myself To Get This Far”: Quinn Opens Up on His French Open 2R Win
Speaking after the match, Quinn described his second-round victory as ‘surreal’ and admitted that, given his current form, he hadn’t expected to advance that far at the French Open.
“The whole experience has been surreal. I didn’t expect myself to get this far. Honestly, through the seven weeks I’ve been in Europe on the clay, I wasn’t really expecting to play as many matches as I’ve played. To be now in the third round is pretty amazing,” he said.
The 21-year-old added that his team uses humor to ease pressure by focusing on one match at a time, helping him stay calm and handle each challenge confidently.
“My team, we’ve been talking about it the whole time, is just like each day is just talking about another match. ‘Let’s get to 17 matches here’. It’s just kind of like a small little joke to maybe take the pressure away from it. Just putting every match as if it’s just another day, another match. I think that’s really helped me get through each and every match that I’ve played, not putting any pressure on it,” he added.
With his win, Quinn became the fifth American man in the 2025 French Open to reach the third round. He joins 13th seed Ben Shelton, 23rd seed Sebastian Korda, 12th seed Tommy Paul, and 15th seed Frances Tiafoe. It also marks a significant milestone for the United States, with its five men reaching the Roland Garros third round, the highest since 1996 (6).