2025 French Open: Roland Garros is Here!
by Tyler Doty
High Drama at the French Open in Paris
The biggest clay-court tournament of the tennis season is here: Roland Garros, also known as the French Open. In Paris, players will battle it out on the surface made legendary by Rafael Nadal for one of the sport’s four Grand Slam titles. This is one of those rare events where pride, glory and a massive prize purse are all on the line. On the men’s side, a few clear favorites have emerged.
The women’s draw is a bit more unpredictable, which makes French Open predictions trickier. Several players have shown they can thrive on clay, and the field is deep with talent. It could come down to the smallest details. One thing’s for sure: fans can expect high-quality tennis in both singles and doubles across the courts at Roland Garros.
Two Clear Favorites in the Men’s Draw
Looking at the odds from major sportsbooks, two names stand out at the top of the men’s field: Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Both have pre-tournament title odds under +200, a strong indicator of their chances to win. Their respective draws also look favorable, with no major early roadblocks in sight.
Alcaraz is a clay-court specialist whose athleticism plays right into the demands of the surface. He looked sharp in the lead-up tournaments and put in some strong performances. Sinner, meanwhile, brings raw power to the court. He’s the kind of player who can fight his way into a rhythm and then suddenly dominate a match.
Novak Djokovic, surprisingly, comes in as more of a dark horse. The veteran remains a threat at any major, but he’s lost a bit of his edge. Still, if any of the top contenders falter, don’t be surprised to see the “Djoker” right there in the mix for the title.
Plenty of Contenders in the Women’s Field
As mentioned, the women’s side is a different story. Multiple players have a legitimate shot at lifting the trophy. Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Jessica Pegula are among the top seeds. Sportsbooks favor Sabalenka and Gauff, but Iga Swiatek and Mirra Andreeva are also among the frontrunners, with relatively low odds to win it all.
What makes things interesting is that several women in the field are very comfortable on clay, which could lead to some thrilling matchups in the later rounds. Daily form will play a major role, and it’ll be crucial to see who can win their early matches without too much drama.
Beyond the usual suspects, more players shouldn’t be overlooked. Jasmine Paolini is capable of beating anyone on a good day. The same goes for Elina Svitolina and Qinwen Zheng.
Americans in Paris
As far as US players are concerned, there are plenty of storylines to follow for American tennis fans this time around, on both men's and women's sides. For the men, we'll be looking at Lerner Tien who drew an unlucky top 5 matchup in the first round where he'll take on Zverev. Despite his current run of mediocre form, Zverev is likely to take the match. Reilly Opelka takes on Australia's Hijikata in the first round in a matchup that could go either way.
For the top-ranked players, Fritz, Nakashima, Tiafoe, and Paul are all expected to advance to at least the second round, given their respective draws. None of these players are particularly favored on clay courts, however, which is something to keep in mind for your predictions.
For the women, as mentioned, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula are both top seeds and despite not being particularly favored on clay courts, like their male counterparts, are expected to make deep tournament runs. The women's field is much more open than the men's and we are bound to see some surprises.
