French Open 2025: What to know before the draw
Some players have already arrived at Roland-Garros and have been intensifying their practice sessions on the Parisian clay. Others are taking advantage of one last warm-up tournament to fine-tune their game before the main event. But every competitor at the French Open, which officially begins on Sunday, May 25, will have their eyes on the Orangerie d'Auteuil in Paris, where the draw will take place on Thursday at 2 pm.
Two names stand out in both the women's and men's draws
Reigning French Open champion and winner of the Monte-Carlo and Rome Masters 1,000 tournaments, Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz seems well positioned to defend his title if he is able to limit the inconsistency that slowed him at the start of the season. His main rival is undoubtedly world number one, Italian Jannik Sinner. Although Sinner served a three-month suspension after testing positive for an anabolic steroid in two anti-doping controls, he immediately reminded everyone why he is the player to beat by reaching the final in Rome on his return. "I think Alcaraz is going to be monstrous and Sinner even stronger than in Rome," said French former tennis player Fabrice Santoro, commentator for Amazon Prime Video.
In the women's draw, Iga Swiatek could have been considered the overwhelming favorite. Winner of the last three French Open tournaments, she seemed right at home in Paris. But the Polish star has not won a single tournament since her last triumph at Roland-Garros and has surrendered her world number one ranking to Aryna Sabalenka. While the powerful Belarusian shines above all on hard courts – she won the last five Grand Slam finals played on that surface – she seems to be getting better and better on clay. With Swiatek's drop to fifth in the WTA rankings, both players could end up in the same quarter of the draw.
The moment for long shots
Behind the favorites, there are plenty of challengers, each with their own weaknesses. Norwegian Casper Ruud won the Madrid tournament, but was then soundly defeated (6-0, 6-1) by Sinner in Rome. Denmark's Holger Rune could boast about being the only player to beat Alcaraz on clay in 2025, but he has failed to build on that success since. As for world number three, German Alexander Zverev, and 24-time Grand Slam champion, Serbian Novak Djokovic, they are both far from their best form. The surprise could come from Italian Lorenzo Musetti or Britain's Jack Draper, who have both racked up many wins in recent weeks.
In the women's draw, the favorites seem to have less of an advantage over the chasing pack, led by Coco Gauff (ranked second). The American has just played in two consecutive finals, in Madrid and Rome, establishing herself as a serious title contender, as is Italian Jasmine Paolini, who triumphed in Rome a year after reaching the Roland-Garros final. China's Zheng Qinwen will also be closely watched, as she has a particular affinity for the clay in Roland-Garros, where she won Olympic gold in singles at the Paris 2024 Games.
French tennis is banking on the men
With only one representative in the top 100 – Varvara Gracheva, ranked 68 th – French women's tennis looked to be facing a tough year. "Expectations are low for them, to say the least," observed former world number 61 Camille Pin. The French delegation could consider it a success if any of its players reached the 3 rd round, especially since their usual standard-bearer, Caroline Garcia, has barely played any matches in eight months due to a combination of a planned break and physical issues.
On the men's side, there is room for hope. Arthur Fils (ranked 14 th) has reached a new level this season and could legitimately aim to make it through to the second week. The problem: Fils has always stumbled at Roland-Garros and has yet to win a match there. He will not have to shoulder all the expectations alone, thanks to Ugo Humbert – who is not at his best on clay but was a finalist at Bercy on indoor courts in November 2024 – Corentin Moutet, who reached the round of 16 at Roland-Garros in 2024, and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. At 38, Gaël Monfils, whose career has been hampered by physical issues, remains one to watch, as he always dazzles when he steps onto the court.
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