The French Open is set to get underway on Sunday, with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz widely considered to be the two favourites to take the crown.
Sinner has recently made his return to take to the court again, while Alcaraz has had a very impressive clay season, most recently taking the title in Rome.
As a result there are plenty of things to predict ahead of the French Open and The Tennis Gazette’s writers have shared what they think is going to happen.
French Open Men’s Singles Predictions
Winner
Matthew Johns: After watching Carlos Alcaraz’s performance in the Italian Open final, it is hard to look past him defending his title. If Alcaraz can stay fit during the fortnight in Paris, he will have the edge over rivals Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, and Novak Djokovic, particularly over best-of-five sets.
George Patten: Heading into Roland Garros, there are two real contenders on the men’s side: Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. In Rome, it was the Spaniard who prevailed, but things could very well go the other way in Paris. The world number one has been unbelievable since the beginning of 2024, and it may now be time for him to add the French Open title to his impressive trophy cabinet.
Peter Lynch: Despite a lack of match action, I think Jannik Sinner will have gained enough fitness and indeed confidence from his Italian Open run to win at Roland Garros.
Lee Clarke: From the men’s side of things, I can’t look beyond Carlos Alcaraz winning once again. He’s the dominant force at the moment in professional men’s tennis and he’s going to take some serious stopping.
Big name to flop
Matthew Johns: Alexander Zverev was the runner-up at Roland Garros last year, and will have ambitions to better that in 2025. But his recent form has suggested that he is vulnerable to an upset result so he will be hoping for a favourable draw.
George Patten: World number five Jack Draper has enjoyed a stellar 2025 campaign, winning his first Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells before reaching the final in Madrid. Those results have led many to suggest Draper could be ready for a deep run at the French Open, but that may be just a little premature. After all, the Brit has never won a match at the event, and while that should change in 2025, fans expecting him to reach the second week could be setting themselves up for disappointment.
Peter Lynch: Alexander Zverev reached the French Open final in 2024, losing to Carlos Alcaraz, but I think the German is in for a rude awakening this time around.
Lee Clarke: Novak Djokovic. Injuries are stacking up, he’s entering ATP 250 events and I’m just not getting a good vibe from the former winner.
How will Novak Djokovic perform?
Matthew Johns: Djokovic’s preparation for Roland Garros has been far from ideal, so, interestingly, he has decided to play in Geneva again. This could be a crucial tournament to gain some confidence heading into Roland Garros. I don’t expect Djokovic to go out really early, as he usually raises his level for Grand Slams, but cannot see him going past the quarter-finals.
George Patten: Three times a champion in Paris, Djokovic has rarely travelled to Roland Garros with lower expectations than he will in 2025. The Serb failed to win a match at either of the two clay Masters 1000 events he played, losing to lower-ranked players Alejandro Tabilo and Matteo Arnaldi. It’s unlikely he’ll lose in the French Open first round, but even the most optimistic of Djokovic fans would be cautious of picking him to go much further than the quarterfinals.
Peter Lynch: Novak Djokovic has understandably found it difficult to recreate his form of old, and I think that scenario will play out once more, with a few wins secured before a relatively early exit.
Lee Clarke: He will win a few rounds probably but he certainly won’t get beyond the quarters if he gets there at all.
How will Jannik Sinner do?
Matthew Johns: Sinner returned to tennis in a similar vein that he left off in Rome, suggesting that he should be a real contender for the Roland Garros title. I think that the world number one will at least get to the semi-final, and would probably back him to reach the final.
George Patten: Returning from suspension in Rome, Sinner picked up right where he left off, dominating everyone… not named Carlos Alcaraz. If Sinner and Alcaraz were to face off in the French Open final, the Italian would likely be the underdog, but the real question is whether or not they will make it to the final two in Paris. Over the past five or so months, we’ve seen Alcaraz struggle to maintain his concentration at times, and it wouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to see the Spaniard slip up against a game opponent en route to the final. Against anyone else, Sinner will be the favourite and therefore could be ready to pick up the pieces and win his first French Open title.
Peter Lynch: Sinner both surprised and didn’t surprise people in his first tournament back, with many fans having been unsure how he would perform in Italy after his break. He finished as runner-up, but I think he’ll go one further now.
Lee Clarke: The world number one should be a strong bet for the final, but given his three-month spell out of the game, I just don’t fancy him to win it this time.
Top American
Matthew Johns: After his performance in Rome, I have been sold by Tommy Paul and can see him being the best-performing American. Taylor Fritz is still yet to find his feet so far this year and Paul will probably be the American star to look out for.
George Patten: Will 2025 finally be the year an American man breaks the curse and reaches the quarterfinals of the French Open? Probably not… But that’s not to say they don’t have several players capable of doing so. Tommy Paul could be the nation’s best hope, having impressed at various points on clay this year, and if the draw opens up for him, he could have as good a chance as anyone to reach the second week.
Peter Lynch: Tommy Paul is probably the American to keep an eye out for in France, both given his impressive displays on the court in recent times and also because of the struggles of many of his compatriots.
Lee Clarke: I think I will go for Tommy Paul. He played superbly well at the Italian Open and was perhaps unlucky not to go further.
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