The second major of the year is the French Open, also known as Roland Garros. We’re in for a fortnight of excellent tennis, after which we’ll find out which gentleman and which lady will lift the trophy. With 2,000 points up for grabs and the chance for tennis immortality, many players will be eager to make their mark in the only major played on red clay.
Men’s French Open draw
A total of 128 men will compete for the French Open title over seven rounds, with no seeds receiving byes, as this is a major tournament. Here’s how we expect it to unfold. The WTA draw can be found further down.
Quarter one
Seeds
- Jannik Sinner (1)
- Jack Draper (5)
- Alex de Minaur (9)
- Arthur Fils (14)
- Andrey Rublev (17)
- Jakub Mensik (19)
- Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (26)
- Hubert Hurkacz (30)
Matches to watch
- Joao Fonseca vs Hubert Hurkacz (first round)
- Jannik Sinner vs Richard Gasquet (second round)
Top seed Jannik Sinner has a favorable draw in this first quarter, as no player here stands out as someone who could seriously challenge him. There were significant questions about whether Sinner would be able to rediscover his best tennis so quickly upon his return.
Those concerns were quickly put to rest at the Italian Open, where a ‘cold’ Sinner found his rhythm and advanced to the final against Carlos Alcaraz. He had chances to win that match, and although he didn’t, it was clear that Sinner will be a major threat in Paris.
There are strong players in his quarter, including Jack Draper, Arthur Fils, Alex de Minaur, and Andrey Rublev. Any of them could pose a challenge, but none seem likely to defeat him.
Draper isn’t as effective on clay and can struggle against a stronger hitter. De Minaur lacks the necessary weapons. Fils might not be ready for the moment yet, and his form has been questionable. Rublev, meanwhile, has been struggling and hasn’t been able to beat a top-50 player recently, which further strengthens Sinner’s chances.
Our prediction: Sinner to beat Draper
Quarter two
Seeds
- Alexander Zverev (3)
- Novak Djokovic (6)
- Daniil Medvedev (11)
- Grigor Dimitrov (16)
- Francisco Cerundolo (18)
- Ugo Humbert (21)
- Denis Shapovalov (27)
- Felix Auger-Aliassime (29)
Matches to watch
- Novak Djokovic vs Mackenzie McDonald (first round)
- Alexander Zverev vs Learner Tien (first round)
Novak Djokovic is on Sinner’s side of the draw, which he won’t be too happy about, as the Italian has caused him major problems in the past. However, before he even gets there, he’ll have to get past Alexander Zverev, which won’t be an easy task.
Overall, though, it’s a favorable draw for Djokovic since there aren’t too many players who he should be worried about. He has looked poor for most of the season, especially on clay.
He showed improvement in Geneva, but time will tell how he fares. His draw could have been much tougher. Zverev, on the other hand, will be pleased with it because, technically, he has a clear path to the semifinals—who is going to stop him?
The German has been outstanding in Paris for years now, and even Djokovic at his best might not be enough to beat him. Overall, he should feel confident about his chances. It’s not the strongest quarter, but there are players who could surprise, such as Francisco Cerundolo.
He’s a player capable of making a deep run, as he excels on clay and proved last year that he can perform well in Paris too.
Our prediction: Zverev beats Djokovic
Quarter three
Seeds
- Taylor Fritz (4)
- Lorenzo Musetti (7)
- Holger Rune (10)
- Frances Tiafoe (15)
- Tomas Machac (21)
- Sebastian Korda (23)
- Brandon Nakashima (28)
- Alex Michelsen (32)
Matches to watch
- Sebastian Korda vs Luciano Darder (first round)
- Holger Rune vs Roberto Bautista Agut (first round)
This is a pretty interesting quarter that should give both Fritz and Musetti a good chance of advancing. Musetti is arguably the strongest player in this section, as the Italian has significantly improved in recent years and demonstrated last season that Paris suits his game.
His clay-court form this year has also been impressive, and it seems like he’s ready to take the next step. Fritz is also a favorable matchup for him, having beaten him before, which should give him confidence.
However, Holger Rune is a player who could complicate things for both of them. He’s excellent on clay, having grown up on the surface, but his form has been inconsistent. He won Barcelona, which was impressive, but he’s also dealing with a series of minor injuries that have hindered his progress.
If he finds his best tennis, he could be a dangerous contender, but he faces Bautista Agut in the opening round—an opponent capable of beating him. Rune will need to stay composed in that matchup, but overall, this is a quarter Musetti should dominate.
Our prediction: Musetti beats Fritz
Quarter four
Seeds
- Carlos Alcaraz (2)
- Casper Ruud (7)
- Tommy Paul (12)
- Ben Shelton (13)
- Stefanos Tsitsipas (20)
- Karen Khachanov (24)
- Alexei Popyrin (25)
- Giovanni Mpetschi Perricard (31)
Matches to watch
- Carlos Alcaraz vs Kei Nishikori (first round)
- Casper Ruud vs Nuno Borges (second round)
This is arguably the best quarter out of the four, certainly stronger than the second and third. Not only do we have reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz, who just won the Italian Open, solidifying his bid to win this tournament as well, but we also have Casper Ruud, who has been in excellent form over the past few weeks. The Norwegian just won the Madrid Open, and is also a two-time finalist here.
Then there’s a group of players who could cause some trouble, like Stefanos Tsitsipas, a former finalist, though not in the best shape at the moment. Karen Khachanov has never been an easy opponent, and he plays well on clay, having had success in Paris before.
The American duo of Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul could also be tricky to deal with, even on clay. Additionally, players like Nuno Borges and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard have the potential to make a deep run, making this an exciting quarter to watch unfold. It’s possible that the eventual finalist could emerge from this section.
Our prediction: Alcaraz beats Ruud
Final weekend predictions for men’s French Open
- Semi – Sinner beats Zverev
- Semi – Alcaraz beats Musetti
- Final – Alcaraz beats Sinner
Sinner showed in Rome that, outside of Alcaraz, nobody can really challenge him, and he should be able to handle most opponents. That should be the case when he faces Zverev in the semifinals, as we expect him to manage the match just as he did earlier this year in the Australian Open final.
Alcaraz demonstrated in Rome that Musetti can’t really trouble him—at least not when he’s playing his best tennis. We expect him to carry that form into Paris and secure another final, setting up the dream showdown between the two best players right now.
In the final, Alcaraz should be able to overpower Sinner much like he did last year in the semi-finals and again recently in Rome. He’s simply the stronger player when it comes to competing in a best-of-five format. Sinner will make it a challenge, but he’s unlikely to come out on top.
Women’s French Open draw
The women’s event in Paris follows the same format as the men’s, featuring a 128-player draw across seven rounds, with the top 32 seeds receiving no byes into the second round. Here’s our analysis:
Quarter one
Seeds
- Aryna Sabalenka (1)
- Qinwen Zheng (8)
- Diana Shnaider (11)
- Amanda Anisimova (16)
- Liudmila Samsonova (19)
- Clara Tauson (22)
- Leylah Fernandez (27)
- Peyton Stearns (28)
Matches to watch
- Danielle Collins vs Aryna Sabalenka (third round)
- Qinwen Zheng vs Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (first round)
The first quarter is an interesting one where top seed Aryna Sabalenka won’t have an easy task. While she’s considered the favorite leading up to this event, largely due to Iga Swiatek’s inconsistency, she doesn’t have an easy draw.
She might have to face Danielle Collins, who is by no means an easy opponent. Then there are players like Diana Shnaider, who can be tough to handle. Qiwen Zheng hasn’t troubled Sabalenka in the past, but on clay, things could get interesting.
Zheng famously won the gold medal last year at the Olympics, which were played on these courts, so she certainly knows how to perform well here. It’s shaping up to be a very intriguing quarter, packed with solid players who could make things more challenging than Sabalenka would have liked.
Our prediction: Sabalenka beats Zheng
Quarter two
Seeds
- Jasmine Paolini (4)
- Iga Swiatek (5)
- Elena Rybakina (12)
- Elina Svitolina (13)
- Donna Vekic (18)
- Jelena Ostapenko (21)
- Marta Kostyuk (26)
- Linda Noskova (29)
Matches to watch
- Linda Noskova vs Anastasia Potapova (first round)
- Ajla Tomljanovic vs Maya Joint (first round)
This is a spectacular quarter, not only because it includes Iga Swiatek, who won the event last year, but also last year’s finalist, Jasmine Paolini. It’s simply a section packed with outstanding players, all capable of making deep runs. Swiatek won the event last year, and while she remains one of the favorites, her form has been quite poor lately. Read more about Swiatek’s racquet.
It’s been so rough that almost nobody expects her to actually win the tournament this year. Then we have Paolini, fresh off her Rome victory and last year’s final. She’s going to be a major factor, and at the moment, she would probably beat Swiatek in a head-to-head match.
Elena Rybakina also has title-winning potential in her racket, even though her form has been struggling for a while. She’s always capable of putting together a strong run, though. Donna Vekic is another player who consistently picks up a few solid wins.
Jelena Ostapenko won this event many years ago and has the ability to do so again. The most significant part of her draw is that she might end up facing Iga Swiatek later on, which is crucial because she holds a dominant 6-0 record against the Pole, including 1-0 on clay.
Overall, it’s a fantastic quarter with plenty of potential for surprises.
Our prediction: Swiatek beats Paolini
Quarter three
Seeds
- Jessica Pegula (3)
- Mirra Andreeva (6)
- Paula Badosa (10)
- Karolina Muchova (14)
- Daria Kasatkina (17)
- Elise Mertens (24)
- Magdalena Frech (25)
- Yulia Putintseva (32)
Matches to watch
- Karolina Muchova vs Alycia Parks (first round)
- Magdalena Frech vs Ons Jabeur (first round)
This is another strong quarter with plenty of great players. We have major finalist Jessica Pegula here, and while her clay game isn’t the best, she’s so consistent that she will likely have a good run.
Mirra Andreeva made the semifinals last year and has been playing superbly this season. Her form has been a bit lackluster in recent weeks, but overall, she’s a player to watch because she’s likely to make a deep run.
Paula Badosa is a fantastic tennis player who thrives on clay and has shown strong performances in the past. She’s another contender for a great run, alongside Karolina Muchova, a former finalist.
With Muchova, it’s mostly a question of whether she’ll be healthy enough to compete at her best. Elise Mertens is a solid player, Magdalena Frech has the potential to be dangerous, and there’s also Ons Jabeur, who, at her best, is capable of winning a major.
Our prediction: Andreeva beats Pegula
Quarter four
Seeds
- Coco Gauff (2)
- Madison Keys (7)
- Emma Navarro (9)
- Barbora Krejcikova(15)
- Ekaterina Alexandrova (20)
- Beatriz Haddad Maia (22)
- Anna Kalinskaya (30)
- Sofia Kenin (31)
Matches to watch
- Coco Gauff vs Olivia Gadecki (first round)
- Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Hailey Baptiste (first round)
Coco Gauff is by far the best player in this quarter and should be expected to perform well. Considering she just made the Rome final, she’s the most likely candidate to advance from this section of the draw. More on Coco Gauff’s racquet and gear.
Emma Navarro is another fantastic clay player who could make an impact, but it seems unlikely that she could overcome Gauff in a direct match. Madison Keys isn’t particularly strong on clay, though she’s always capable of pulling off surprises.
There are a couple of other solid players in this part of the draw who could spring an upset, such as Ekaterina Alexandrova or Beatriz Haddad Maia.
Our prediction: Gauff beats Navarro
Final weekend predictions for women’s French Open
- Semi – Swiatek beats Sabalenka
- Semi – Gauff beats Andreeva
- Final – Swiatek beats Coco Gauff
Many expect this year’s French Open to be different from last year’s, but we still see Swiatek as the most likely winner. This court is simply where she plays her best tennis, and while her form has been poor, she can turn it around.
Sabalenka has yet to demonstrate that she can win on a slow clay court, and until she does, we’re going to stick with Swiatek. Gauff has struggled against Andreeva, whose form has been rather unpredictable as well.
We think she’ll overcome her but is unlikely to do the same against Swiatek, even though she dominated her in Madrid. The Paris clay is slow and demanding, which benefits Swiatek.
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