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Sabalenka to Paolini: 6 women's tennis players to watch at French Open 2025
As the French Open 2025 will kick-off on Sunday, the women's draw features an intriguing mix of dominance, redemption, and rising stars. While Aryna Sabalenka has been in commanding form this year, with a 34-6 record and three titles, USA's Coco Gauff enters Roland-Garros after a season of highs and lows.
Meanwhile, Jasmine Paolini shocked the tennis world last year by reaching the finals of both the French Open and Wimbledon. This season, she made history by winning Rome and has grown in both confidence and maturity. As she puts it, 'I believe more in myself.'
Moreover, Iga Swiatek, a four-time French Open winner, hasn't lifted a trophy since last year's triumph in Paris. Though her form has dipped and she served a suspension in November, she remains undefeated in Grand Slam finals.
Seeding: 1
Career-Best Ranking: 1
Country: Belarus
Age: 27
2025 Record: 34-6
2025 Titles: 3
Career Titles: 20
Grand Slam Titles: 3 Australian Open (2: 2023, 2024), U.S. Open (1: 2024)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-Lost in Quarterfinals, 2023-SF, 2022-3rd, 2021-3rd, 2020-3rd
Sabalenka achievements
Was the runner-up at the Australian Open in January.
She's the first woman since Serena Williams in 2013 to win the titles on hard courts at Miami and clay courts in Madrid in the same season.
Was 6-0 against opponents ranked in the top 10 winning every set, too in 2025 until losing to Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in Rome this month.
Replaced Iga Swiatek at No. 1 late last season.
Sabalenka's top quote:"It's trophy or nothing. Nobody remembers the finalist, you know? Nobody puts next to the winner, (the) finalist's name. I mean, at this point, I go for titles."
Coco Gauff
2. Coco Gauff
Seeding: 2
Career-Best Ranking: 2
Country: United States
Age: 21
2025 Record: 24-8
2025 Titles: 1
Career Titles: 10
Grand Slam Titles: 1 U.S. Open (2023)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-SF, 2023-QF, 2022-Runner-Up, 2021-QF, 2020-2nd
Coco Gauff's achievements
Produced a 6-1, 6-1 win over Swiatek en route to reaching the final at the Italian Open, showing how good she can be on clay, but has had an up-and-down season overall.
Closed 2024 by winning the WTA Finals for the first time, her biggest title since the 2023 U.S. Open.
Has won a Grand Slam championship in doubles last year at the French Open to go alongside her major singles triumph in New York.
Started her own management firm, Coco Gauff Enterprises.
Gauff's quote:"You can't miss a bunch of tournaments just to practice. I mean, you can, but I didn't want to do that. ... So I just decided to be willing to accept the losses and wins while working on things."
Jasmine Paolini. Photo: Instagram
3. Jasmine Paolini
Seeding: 4
Career-Best Ranking: 4
Country: Italy
Age: 29
2025 Record: 22-8
2025 Titles: 1
Career Titles: 3
Grand Slam Titles: Zero Best: Runner-Up, French Open (2024), Wimbledon (2024)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-RU, 2023-2nd, 2022-1st, 2021-2nd, 2020-2nd
Paolini's achievements
First woman from Italy to win the title in Rome in 40 years.
Was 3-5 at the French Open for her career, never making it past the second round, until last year's breakthrough run to the final. Then she followed that up by getting to the Wimbledon final, too.
Each of her initial 16 Grand Slam appearances resulted in losses in the first or second round.
Last season, paired with Sara Errani to win gold for Italy in doubles at the Paris Olympics and helped the country win the Billie Jean King Cup.
Paolini's quote:"I grew up as a player, but also, as a person, I think I'm more mature. I believe more in myself than three, four years ago."
Iga Swiatek French Open 2024 Women's Singles winner. Photo: X
4. Iga Swiatek
Seeding: 5
Career-Best Ranking: 1
Country: Poland
Age: 23 (Turns 24 on May 31)
2025 Record: 27-9
2025 Titles: Zero
Career Titles: 22
Grand Slam Titles: 5 French Open (4: 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024), U.S. Open (1: 2022)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-Won Championship, 2023-W, 2022-W, 2021-QF, 2020-W
Iga Swiatek's achievements
Not only hasn't she won a title since last year's French Open, Swiatek hasn't even reached another final in that span.
Out of the top two in the rankings for the first time since July 2022.
Accepted a one-month suspension in November after testing positive for a banned substance she said came from a contaminated supplement.
5-0 in Grand Slam finals.
Swiatek's quote: "On a tennis court, you kind of need to be ruthless."
Mirra Andreeva. Photo: Instagram
5. Mirra Andreeva
Seeding: 6
Career-Best Ranking: 6
Country: Russia
Age: 18
2025 Record: 27-7
2025 Titles: 2
Career Titles: 3
Grand Slam Titles: Zero Best: Semifinals, French Open (2024)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-SF, 2023-3rd, 2022-Did Not Play, 2021-DNP, 2020-DNP
Andreeva's achievements
Announced herself as a leading player by winning Masters 1000 titles at Dubai and Indian Wells this year.
She beat Swiatek in the semifinals and Sabalenka in the final at the latter to become the event's youngest champion since Williams in 1999.
This will be just her ninth Grand Slam appearance; got to the semifinals in Paris a year ago.
Won a 2024 Olympic gold medal in doubles.
Coached by 1994 Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez.
6. Madison Keys
Seeding: 7
Career-Best Ranking: 5
Country: United States
Age: 30
2025 Record: 23-5
2025 Titles: 2
Career Titles: 10
Grand Slam Titles: 1 Australian Open (2025)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-3rd, 2023-2nd, 2022-4th, 2021-3rd, 2020-1st
Madison Keys' achievements:
Captured her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January, upsetting No. 2 Swiatek in the semifinals and No. 1 Sabalenka in the final.
Said some of the credit went to a new mindset in which she no longer felt the need to win a major to consider her career successful. Also credited a racket change last season.
Her best French Open showings: semifinals in 2018, quarterfinals in 2019.
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