PARIS — Rafael Nadal has advice for the kids dreaming about winning the French Open.
“The main thing is, don’t think about winning Roland Garros,” the 11-time champion said after reaching the third round with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 win over German qualifier Yannick Maden.
The stands at Roland Garros are traditionally filled with children on Wednesdays, the traditional midweek day off for schools in France. Nadal was asked during his post-match interview if he could give some tips for success on the Parisian clay to the children who watched him dispatch his opponent.
“Have fun, enjoy, and try your best every single day,” Nadal said. “I never thought about (winning Roland Garros). I’ve just tried my best, enjoyed the process. Think about your personal feeling, the most important thing is to finish your career knowing you gave your best every single day.”
Corentin Moutet, meanwhile, produced the biggest win of his burgeoning career in front of his home crowd to reach the third round at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time.
Aged 20 and ranked 110th, the Frenchman defeated 19th-seeded Guido Pella of Argentina 6-3, 6-1, 2-6, 7-5.
Moutet will next play countryman Richard Gasquet or Juan Ignacio Londero of Argentina.
Sixth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas also made it to the third round at Roland Garros for the first time, overcoming a slow start to beat Hugo Dellien of Bolivia 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 7-5.
Tsitsipas, who is 20 too, achieved his best performance at a major in January at the Australian Open, losing in the semifinals. In the buildup to the French Open he reached the final in Rome and the semifinals in Madrid.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.