Paul Annacone may already be regretting what he publicly said about Casper Ruud after what happened in the Italian Open quarterfinal

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Paul Annacone has grown a reputation as one of the top coaches in men’s tennis, having worked with some of the sport’s greatest players.

The American began his coaching career in 1995 alongside Pete Sampras, guiding him to several Grand Slam titles before his retirement in 2002.

Annacone then joined forces with British star Tim Henman, helping him secure his sole Masters 1000 crown in Paris 22 years ago.

His most recent Grand Slam victory as a coach came during his time with Roger Federer, when the Swiss won Wimbledon for a seventh time in 2012.

Now working with Taylor Fritz in a part-time role, Annacone often shares his thoughts on tennis as a pundit.

As is often the case with that line of work, things you say can quickly come back to bite you, something Annacone may have just found out in Rome.

Paul Annacone may be regretting picking Casper Ruud to win the French Open after his heavy defeat in Rome

Appearing on the Tennis Channel Live podcast recently, Annacone picked Ruud to win the 2025 French Open.

“Casper Ruud has been playing with so much confidence these days,” he said.

“I am telling you right now that is the man who is winning the French Open. I am calling it right now.”

His pick didn’t seem all that outrageous at the time, as Ruud had just won his ninth consecutive match, a run that saw him pick up the biggest title of his career in Madrid.

Unable to carry that momentum forward to his quarterfinal match in Rome, the Norwegian suffered one of the biggest defeats of his career, as Ruud lost to Jannik Sinner, 0-6, 1-6.

Sinner utterly outclassed the Madrid Open champion, dropping just the one game as he advanced to the semi-finals.

Ruud fought bravely but couldn’t keep up with the world number one, expressing his disbelief at the tennis his opponent was producing during a changeover.

The match highlighted the gulf in quality between Sinner and some of his ATP Tour rivals, as first-time viewers would’ve struggled to believe that of the pair, it was Ruud who had won a title just 11 days earlier.

With Sinner’s French Open title-winning credentials growing stronger by the match, perhaps Annacone is already regretting picking Ruud to come away with the trophy.

The 62-year-old will have to hope Ruud can lean on his Roland Garros pedigree when he takes to the court in Paris, having reached two of the last three finals.

How well has Casper Ruud performed at the French Open during his tennis career?

The world number seven has grown a reputation for producing his best tennis in the French capital, reaching the last four of the previous three French Open tournaments.

His record at Roland Garros speaks for itself, performing far better in Paris than he has in Melbourne, London, or New York over the years.

Ruud reached his first French Open final in 2022, losing out to record 14-time champion Rafael Nadal in straight sets.

He returned to the final one year later, losing to another tennis great, Novak Djokovic, 6-7, 3-6, 5-7.

Failing in his bid to reach three consecutive French Open finals, Ruud lost to Alexander Zverev in the 2024 semi-finals, having led by a set to love.

Ruud’s victory in Madrid secured him a top-eight seeding for Roland Garros in 2025, which will see him avoid the likes of Sinner, Djokovic, and Carlos Alcaraz during the first week.

A quarterfinal berth doesn’t seem all that unlikely, at which point, perhaps his experience in Paris could help him find the edge he was missing in Rome.

Only time will tell whether or not Annacone’s prediction will come true, but it’ll certainly be worth tuning in for.

The 2025 French Open is scheduled to begin on Sunday, May 25.