Major upsets continued to shake up the 2026 French Open as No. 5 seed Ben Shelton suffered an unexpected loss in the second round, following world No. 1 Jannik Sinner out of the tournament. His opponent, Raphael Collignon, was overcome with emotion after the stunning victory and later revealed the reason behind his heartfelt reaction.
Raphael Collignon Explains Emotional Reaction to Shocking Ben Shelton Upset
Despite entering the second-round showdown as the underdog, Collignon produced a commanding display to secure a 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 victory over Shelton. The world No. 62 committed just 13 unforced errors while striking 30 winners, notching up the first top-5 win of his career.
The magnitude of the moment overwhelmed the Belgian, who cried tears of joy before his post-match interview. Collignon’s emotional state prompted the crowd to loudly show their support as he tried to regain his composure.
Tears of joy 🥹#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/xWALGjFy7v
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 28, 2026
Speaking to Caroline Garcia once he had collected himself, Collignon explained that his emotional reaction stemmed from achieving his lifelong dream of competing at Roland Garros and earning such a memorable win in front of his loved ones.
“It was incredible [atmosphere]. It’s very emotional because being Belgian, I used to come here to Roland Garros quite regularly. So, just being able to play on this court was a dream. And then to win in front of my loved ones, in front of my family, it’s incredible,” he said.
The Belgian also shed light on his plans for Friday, May 29, saying he would turn his attention to his second-round doubles clash with partner Zizou Bergs and enjoy a relaxing day before his third-round encounter on Saturday.
“Well, I have a doubles match with Zizou who’s here too. So, yeah, try to take good care of myself, try not to stay up too late, and then have fun playing doubles tomorrow and prepare well for Saturday’s match. So, it’s going to be pretty relaxed tomorrow. We’re going to have a good time and I hope to be ready for Saturday,” he added.
With Shelton joining Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, and Alexander Bublik in crashing out of the clay-court Major, No. 4 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and No. 10 seed Flavio Cobolli are now the only top-10 players remaining in the top half of the draw.
Up next, Raphael Collignon will lock horns with Matteo Arnaldi, who defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 in the second round. If he triumphs in their third-round encounter, the Belgian will face either Frances Tiafoe or Jaime Faria in the round of 16.
Meanwhile, Ben Shelton will look to bounce back stronger during the upcoming grass-court swing. The American is scheduled to compete at the Boss Open in the lead-up to Wimbledon, joining Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, and Tommy Paul on the entry list for the ATP 250 event in Stuttgart.
