PARIS, FRANCE (MPG) - The main draw of the French Open began on May 25, but on May 22, Ethan Quinn, a 21-year-old Fresno native, fought his way to a win that took him to his first match of the main draw.

Ethan Quinn won his match against Argentinian player Thiago Agustin Tirante in the third qualifying round of the French Open. Quinn won his match in a third-set tiebreaker that ended with a score of 10 to 5.

This match had the audience on the edge of their seats as it is Quinn’s first time competing in the French Open. 

On May 27, Quinn played Bulgarian player Grigor Dimitrov. Dimitrov was forced to withdraw from the match due to a thigh injury. Because of this, Quinn will move on to the second round of the main draw.

Throughout the game on May 22, the audience saw Quinn experiencing some mental blocks. 

“Sometimes, the battle with yourself is tougher than the battle with the opponent,” said Quinn’s coach, Brian Garber.

Garber stated that this is not a common occurrence with Quinn, but he believes it stems from the pressure of the French Open. Because this match would determine whether or not Quinn would move on to the main draw, Garber said they both felt that there was a lot on the line. 

Garber could be heard from the stands shouting encouraging and constructive phrases at Quinn. Garber frequently told Quinn to stay positive, focus and quiet his brain during the match.

“It only gets harder from here, but I think that final round of qualies at slams is one of the hardest matches you can play in professional tennis,” said Garber.

“He’s earned his way into the main draw, so whoever he plays, it’s not like he’s just there, placed in the draw; he earned it.”

At the French Open, all matches are played on clay courts. Most courts in the United States are hard courts. 

Because Quinn did not have access to clay courts in California, he and his coach traveled to Europe seven weeks before the qualifiers to prepare.

“We came over here last year, too. Even though he didn’t play, we came and played in the red clay,” said Garber. 

“So, I think he’s embraced the surface, and actually, this is one we think he can be pretty good on.”

Before this match, Quinn came out of his first and second rounds of qualifiers victorious in just two sets. These matches were played against Estonian player Mark Lajal and German player Bernard Tomic.

Quinn has only been playing professional tennis since 2023, and he is currently ranked 106 for men’s singles.