“Even when the crowd was against me, I was grateful”: Machac beats Jacquet to set up a first meeting with Fils in Paris
The Czech qualifier hit 15 aces and held all 10 service games to beat French wildcard Kyrian Jacquet 7-6 (7), 6-1, and said playing against the Paris crowd helped him grow. Sixth seed Arthur Fils awaits him in the second round.
Thomas Machac, 2026 | © Fröhlich Pascal/Psnewz
Qualifier Tomas Machac hit 15 aces and did not drop serve to beat French wildcard Kyrian Jacquet 7-6 (7), 6-1 in 1 hour 22 minutes in the first round of the Paris Masters 1000 on Monday. The Czech will face sixth seed Arthur Fils in the second round, as the draw had set up.
“Even when the crowd was against me, I was grateful that I could be in this position, to face these kinds of tough conditions, because that’s how I grow as a player,” Machac said to Tennis Majors after having lost three months of competition this year because of a foot injury.
It was their first meeting. Machac came through two rounds of qualifying, in which he knocked out the top seed Sebastien Baez, and has now won three matches in a row for the first time since his title in Adelaide in January. “My level is growing and feeling greater and greater,” he said.
How Machac beat Jacquet in Paris
Neither player dropped serve in the first set. Machac saved the only two break points he faced and took the tiebreak 9-7 after 56 minutes. He then broke Jacquet twice in the second set, which lasted 26 minutes, and served out the match on his first match point. The Czech won 82% of the points behind his first serve. Jacquet, ranked No. 85, hit 11 aces but won only one of his four service games in the second set.
“It’s not like I’m sailing through my service games,” Machac said. “What is great is that I manage to focus and to find the serve on the right spot, or the right forehand, when it’s most important.”
Machac on facing Fils for the first time
Machac will face Fils, the highest-ranked Frenchman, for the first time. “I’m looking forward to playing Fils, because I didn’t play him yet,” he said. “Physically I feel great, mentally I feel good, I feel the tennis is there.”
Jacquet was the second of the four French players in action on Monday to play, after Luca Van Assche, who beat Mariano Navone 6-3, 7-5.
Rolex Paris Masters 2026 first-round results
Lorenzo Musetti d. Hubert Hurkacz 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10)
Luca Van Assche d. Mariano Navone 6-3, 7-5
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Learner Tien (15) (Tuesday)
Novak Djokovic (10) vs Valentin Vacherot (Tuesday)
Rinky Hijikata (Q) d. Luciano Darderi 6-2, 6-2
Andrey Rublev vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry (Tuesday)
Cameron Norrie d. Matteo Arnaldi 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
Mattia Bellucci (Q) d. Lorenzo Sonego (Q) 6-4, 6-3
Arthur Rinderknech vs Francisco Cerundolo (16) (Tuesday)
Tommy Paul (12) vs Holger Rune (PR) (Tuesday)
Daniel Merida d. Sebastian Baez (LL) 6-4, 6-2
Quentin Halys vs Arthur Fery (Tuesday)
Jan-Lennard Struff (SE) vs Arthur Gea (WC) (Tuesday)
Casper Ruud d. Juan Manuel Cerundolo (Q) 6-3, 6-2
Rafael Jodar (9) d. Alejandro Tabilo 6-2, 6-3
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (13) vs Moise Kouame (WC) (Tuesday)
Denis Shapovalov vs Karen Khachanov (Monday)
Ignacio Buse d. Zizou Bergs 6-2, 6-4
Tomas Machac (Q) d. Kyrian Jacquet (WC) 7-6 (7), 6-1
Alex Molcan (Q) vs Titouan Droguet (WC) (Monday)
Benjamin Bonzi (Q) vs Taylor Fritz (11) (Tuesday)
Brandon Nakashima (14) vs Matteo Berrettini (Tuesday)
Ugo Humbert vs Botic van de Zandschulp (Monday)
Alex Michelsen vs Jiri Lehecka (Tuesday)
