John Isner disagrees with what he’s been hearing about Aryna Sabalenka ahead of the French Open starting

Follow us on Google Discover

Aryna Sabalenka recently added another trophy to her collection with her latest win in Madrid.

The 27-year-old traveled to the Spanish capital with a healthy lead as world number one, further extending her advantage when Sabalenka beat Coco Gauff, 6-3, 7-6.

Gauff was no match for the Belarusian star, as she produced some stellar tennis on her way to a second WTA 1000 title of 2025, following her win in Miami.

She’s now in Rome for the Italian Open, the final warm-up tournament before the French Open gets underway later this month.

Speaking ahead of the year’s second Grand Slam, two former ATP stars have discussed whether the three-time Major champion will be the favorite in Paris.

John Isner disagrees with Steve Johnson’s Aryna Sabalenka French Open prediction, ‘She has never won’

Speaking on the Nothing Major podcast, Steve Johnson shared his thoughts on Sabalenka after her latest win in Madrid.

“If you look at her tennis in the finals of Australia this year, the only person that beat her was Maddie Keys in that event, who basically hit it harder and more precise than [Aryna] Sabalenka did in the big moments,” he said.

“Sabalenka is somebody who stands in the middle of the court. She dominates the flow of the match and how the match is played from serve, from return, from the first ball. 

“It is not surprising that she wins Madrid in dominant fashion because that court is going to be faster, but her tennis, by ranking and by how well she has done in the past 12 months, is head and shoulders above everyone else in the women’s game at the moment.”

Former Wimbledon semi-finalist John Isner weighed in, disagreeing with Johnson, highlighting what Sabalenka has ‘never’ done in Paris.

“I am personally going to pump the brakes on that,” said Isner.

“I think I am going to put her co-favorite at the French with Iga [Swiatek].

“It has been a really happy hunting ground for Iga. Sabalenka has never won this one, so I think there is a lot of intrigue on the women’s side at the French Open.

“She is going to be the number one seed and probably will be the odds maker’s favourite, but she has never won the French Open, so let’s see if she can get over the hurdle there.”

Sabalenka was a losing quarterfinalist at last year’s French Open, coming up short against Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva in three sets, 7-6, 4-6, 4-6.

The Pole, on the other hand, was victorious, as Swiatek beat Jasmine Paolini in the final, to extend her winning run in the French capital.

Iga Swiatek’s French Open dominance throughout her tennis career

Sabalenka’s dominance in 2025 may have some picking her to win Roland Garros, but Swiatek’s historical performances at the French Open shouldn’t be understated.

The five-time Major champion has lost just two of her 37 matches at the event, winning four titles along the way.

Swiatek last lost a match at the sole clay court Slam, 1,427 days ago, winning her previous 21 French Open contests.

She came closest to defeat in the final of the 2023 French Open, when Czech star Karolina Muchova pushed her all the way to a deciding set.

Since the Pole last lost at the French Open, she has won more matches in Paris than Sabalenka, a player four years her senior, has won throughout her entire career.

• Iga Swiatek wins at French Open (2022-2024) – 21
• Aryna Sabalenka career wins at French Open (2018-2024) – 16

Sabalenka’s game has, of course, developed significantly recently, but perhaps those picking her as a favorite over Swiatek are jumping the gun ever so slightly.

Only time will tell if either Swiatek or Sabalenka can come away with the Suzanne-Lenglen Cup in 2025, but it’ll certainly be worth tuning in for.

The 2025 French Open gets underway on Sunday, May 25.