It has been quite the last nine months for Lebanese tennis. And Benjamin Hassan certainly seems to enjoy his stays in Paris.
In the French capital last summer, Hassan became the first representative of Lebanon to compete in tennis at the Olympic Games. Moreover, he recorded the first victory for his nation, triumphing over Christopher Eubanks of the United States.
With a 6-2, 7-6 (5) qualifying finals win over Japan’s James Trotter on Friday, the German-born Hassan doubled down, becoming the first Lebanese player to qualify for the main draw of the French Open.
Hassan, ranked No. 177 in the world, is one of 11 qualifiers to qualify for the main draw at Roland-Garros.
Former World No. 16 Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia also qualified, but 2014 U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic of Croatia was denied, falling 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 to South Africa’s Lloyd Harris.
In between Hassan’s triumphs, Lebanon celebrated another milestone when Hady Habib won a first-round match at the 2025 Australian Open to earn his country’s first-ever Grand Slam match victory.
Hassan is scheduled to face fellow qualifier Italian Matteo Gigante in the first round of the French Open, which begins on Sunday.
–Field Level Media
