Britain’s Henry Patten and Finland’s Harri Heliovaara saw their hopes of a third major title dashed in the French Open men’s doubles final, losing 6-4, 6-2 to top seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.
The second-seeded pair, who triumphed at Wimbledon in 2024 and the Australian Open earlier this year, entered the championship match at Roland Garros without having dropped a set.
But the experienced Spanish-Argentine duo—aged 40 and 41 respectively—successfully defended their crown in just one hour and 16 minutes.
Patten, 30, admitted afterward it was a “tough day” on the clay. Had he and the 37-year-old Heliovaara won, Patten would have become the first British man in the Open era to claim the French Open doubles title.
Despite the defeat, the pair will share the world No. 1 ranking when the updated standings are released on Monday.
“It’s the first time we’ve ever made a Roland Garros final, so that’s a big positive and something to be proud of,” Patten said.
“It was a disappointing match. In doubles, if you’re a little off your game, you can get exposed, especially on clay.
“We’ll be back playing in a week and trying our best again. I think we can leave with our heads held high.”
