Matt Ebden and John Friends are again on the scene of their Olympic triumph – they usually’re not ruling out an excellent reprise after advancing to the Roland Garros quarterfinals.
Paris, France, 3 June 2025 | Ian Chadband, AAP
No matter occurs in the remainder of their distinguished tennis careers, Matt Ebden and John Friends swear they’ll at all times have Paris.
However again within the Metropolis of Gentle, the veteran Australian doubles duo are nonetheless adamant that, even when their Olympic triumph within the French capital will perpetually be unattainable to high, they nonetheless haven’t given up on including extra Grand Slams to their distinguished resumes.
Their project continues on the Roland Garros clay courts the place they nonetheless get a tingle when serious about that superb day on Courtroom Philippe Chatrier final August, once they turned solely the second Australian Olympic tennis champions in Video games annals.
> MORE: Golden celebrations for Ebden and Friends in Paris
“It nonetheless is the place for us. And that’s the nice factor, perpetually extra it will likely be the place,” Ebden stated because the pair reminisced about their nice day in an interview with AAP.
“It’s at all times good to return again to a spot the place you’ve had success, and for Matt and I, it’ll at all times be wonderful coming again right here, irrespective of what number of years move,” Friends added.
The veteran duo – Friends, 36 and Ebden, 37 – have thus far negotiated three rounds on their return to Roland Garros because the Fifteenth-seeded pair, subsequent dealing with British eighth seeds Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski on Tuesday in a quarterfinal showdown.
All three matches have been on outdoors courts, and the pair nonetheless haven’t ventured again to Chatrier to revisit their most interesting hour once they beat People Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram within the Olympic gold medal match. Nonetheless, their journey to Courtroom Simonne Mathieu on Tuesday edges them nearer to the scene of their success.
“You’ve acquired to earn your method again up there to Chatrier. Yeah, we’ve acquired to struggle, struggle, struggle via,” smiled Ebden.
Their one-off Olympic victory proved the precursor to the pair, who’re nice mates and reside just some kilometres away from one another in Perth, deciding to make a go of it this season as a full-time partnership on the tour.
> READ: Ebden and Friends awarded Order of Australia medals
“I had a long-term companion for the final two years (Rohan Bopanna) that was most likely going to return to an finish on the finish of final 12 months, so I used to be then going to search for a companion for this 12 months,” Ebden stated.
“John had a little bit of a partnership going late final 12 months (with Jamie Murray), and after we spoke on the finish of the 12 months, the timing wasn’t fairly proper.”
“So we began the 12 months with totally different individuals after which, funnily, teamed up once more at Davis Cup, so we put in additional follow there, received our match there and practised collectively at residence. And we thought perhaps we should always take this on to the tour and have a crack, and since Indian Wells (in March), we’ve been preventing via collectively.”
Their partnership is greater than only a reunion, although, with their ambition so as to add to their trophy cupboard remaining robust.
“We need to see what number of extra Masters and Slams we are able to win, principally till, properly, who is aware of how lengthy we’ve acquired left,” Ebden stated.
“Is it one 12 months? Is it seven years? Or someplace in between? I don’t know the way lengthy. Components of me and my physique really feel like I can play one other 10 years, different components really feel like I might be joyful to retire! So truthfully, I don’t know, however hopefully a number of extra years at the least. Let’s see – one 12 months at a time.
“We’re not right here to make up numbers, we’re right here to go deep and win.”
Ebden and Friends be part of three different Australians in motion on Day 10.
Junior world No.1 Emerson Jones headlines the junior contingent taking to the court docket as she continues her ladies’ singles run in Paris. The 16-year-old banked her first victory at Roland Garros 2025 with a 6-1 1-6 6-2 win over American Capucine Jauffret.
She faces Wimbledon 2024 semifinalist Vendula Valdmannova within the second spherical.
You possibly can watch the Roland Garros 2025 motion reside in Australia on the 9 Community and Stan Sport from 7pm AEST.
AUSSIES IN ACTION
COMING UP – ROLAND GARROS DAY 9
Males’s doubles, quarterfinals
[15] Matt Ebden [AUS]/John Friends [AUS] v [8] Joe Salisbury [GBR]/Neal Skupski [GBR] – Second match, Courtroom Simonne Mathieu
Women’ singles, second spherical
[1] Emerson Jones [AUS] v Vendula Valdmannova [CZE] – First match, Courtroom 9
Women’ doubles, first spherical
[1] Emerson Jones [AUS]/Hannah Klugman [GBR] v Eva Bennemann [GER]/Sonja Zhenikhova [GER] – Fourth match, Courtroom 6
Boys’ doubles, first spherical
Ty Host [AUS]/Karim Bennani [MAR] v Linus Lagerbohm [FIN]/William Rejchtman [SWE] – Third match, Courtroom 9
Cruz Hewitt [AUS]/Joao Pedro Didoni Bonini [BRA] v [8] Oliver Bonding [GBR]/Jack Leach [USA] – Fourth match, Courtroom 9
Discover your option to play: Go to play.tennis.com.au to hit the court docket and have some enjoyable!
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