Rasmus Gemke arrived in Paris full of confidence after he reached the quarter-finals of the 2026 Denmark Open. He scored a major upset by defeating world No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the first round, before eventually losing in a three-set quarter-final match to Canada's Victor Lai.
However, he struggled to settle into his usual stylish stride in the first round of the French Open against the World No. 21, Japan's Yudai Okimoto who won the first set 21-16 after trailing 10-2. In the second set the two players traded blows in a very even set, where Okimoto looked set to qualify for the quarter-final when he had match-point at 20-19.
However, Gemke survived and managed to turn the tide in his favour to win the 23-21. Okimoto never recovered from that mental blow and in the third set Gemke left no doubt of the outcome winning 21-10.
