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Emma Raducanu will arrive in Paris in confident mood - Getty Images/Clive Mason
Emma Raducanu was just one of several British players to receive a real facepalm of a French Open draw as she faces a possible second-round match against defending champion Iga Swiatek.
This was not the outcome British tennis had been hoping for, especially after an encouraging six-week period in which numerous players – not only Raducanu but also Jack Draper, Katie Boulter and Sonay Kartal – have recorded career-best results on clay.
If there is an upside to being near Swiatek in the draw, it is that this might be a good time to play her. Swiatek, who has not lost at Roland Garros since 2021, is on a run of four defeats in her past 10 matches. In her most recent tour appearance – which, like Raducanu’s last match, ended in defeat at the hands of Danielle Collins – she looked thoroughly out of sorts.
But if Swiatek is going to rediscover her confidence anywhere, it will probably be at Roland Garros: a venue she has made her own in a manner reminiscent of Rafael Nadal. Her record here stands at 35 wins from 37 attempts, with the only defeats coming against Maria Sakkari (2021) and former champion Simona Halep (2019). Plus, she has won all four of her previous matches against Raducanu without dropping a set, including a 6-1, 6-0 thrashing at January’s Australian Open.
Mind you, both Raducanu and Swiatek need to win their first-round matches in order to set up this potential fifth meeting. Assuming that she does not suffer any more complications from the back issue that bothered her against Collins on Wednesday, Raducanu is due to begin her campaign against Wang Xinyu, the Chinese woman who sits one place above her on the rankings chart at No 42.
Reassuringly, Raducanu’s management say that she travelled to Paris on Thursday and is in position to begin preparations for that match against Xinyu, which could take place as early as Sunday.
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Draper on course for Sinner quarter-final
As for Draper, who is comfortably the best prospect among the British contingent, he will play world No 62 Mattia Bellucci in round one. It is a match that should not test him too much – even if we said the same thing last year when he drew world No 176 Jesper de Jong, and still came badly unstuck.
That painful five-set defeat proved to be a turning point in Draper’s career. Feeling devastated by his poor performance, he rebooted his game, won his very next tournament on the grass of Stuttgart, and began the swift ascent of the rankings ladder which has carried him to No 5 in the world.
Draper’s high seeding protects him from the worst sort of surprises, but he still did not come off brilliantly in this draw. His potential early opponents include Gael Monfils, the veteran who will have every French fan in the same postcode shouting his name, and Brazilian teenage sensation Joao Fonseca. And then, if he should reach the quarter-finals, he would probably run into world No 1 Jannik Sinner.
Tough gigs for other Britons
Among the other British names, Katie Boulter comes in on a run of five straight wins on the clay of Paris, even if they took place not at Roland Garros but at the 125-point “super-Challenger” at nearby Racing Club de France. Boulter has drawn an as-yet unknown qualifier, and if she were to reach the second round – which would be a career first at this event – she would probably face Australian Open champion Madison Keys.
Jodie Burrage will play Collins, who has been in destructive form recently, while Cameron Norrie, who has been struggling for purchase on the tour this season, has drawn 11th seed Daniil Medvedev and the improving Jacob Fearnley is to play former champion Stan Wawrinka, with 22nd seed Ugo Humbert potentially lying in wait thereafter.
Finally, Sonay Kartal – who has arguably been the surprise British package this season with two Masters 1000 wins on clay – has collected the most favourable draw in the whole group against world No 101 Erika Andreeva. It should be said, though, that Kartal retired from her most recent match – also at the Racing Club de France – with an injury.
Djokovic’s route opens up
If we leave our parochial British perspective behind for a moment, Novak Djokovic, who turned 38 on Thursday, was perhaps the biggest winner of these draws.
Now that Djokovic has dropped down the rankings to No 6, he could have landed one of the new “Big Two” – Sinner or defending champion Carlos Alcaraz – as a scheduled quarter-final opponent. But instead he wound up in the same quarter as third seed Alexander Zverev, who has struggled to beat rank-and-file opponents since losing to Sinner in the final of January’s Australian Open.
Djokovic has been in woeful form himself, losing three matches in a row until Wednesday’s restorative victory over Marton Fucsovics in Geneva. But he always finds it much easier to get up for the majors than he does for regular tour events. Plus, despite his age, Djokovic seems to prefer the longer best-of-five-set format to a best-of-three shootout. Even after the recent termination of his short-lived coaching experiment with Andy Murray, it would not be a surprise to see him reach the business end of the tournament.
What is the first round draw in the men’s singles?
What is the first round draw in the women’s singles?
Predictions
Who will win?
‘Alcaraz is the best clay-court player in the men’s draw’
Simon Briggs: Alcaraz and Swiatek
Men: Given that Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have carved up the last five majors between them, it would be a surprise if one of them didn’t lift the trophy here. A first grand-slam final between these great rivals looks a solid bet. Should the dream scenario come to pass, Alcaraz would start with the edge, having defeated Sinner in straight sets in the Rome final.
Women: Iga Swiatek has the history, having won 21 straight matches at Roland Garros since 2021. But she doesn’t have the form, with her last title of any kind coming here 12 months ago. That leaves world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka as the bookies’ favourite, but I’m going to go a little off-piste and pick teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva.
Sonia Twigg: Alcaraz and Sabalenka
Men: It might be the obvious choice, but it is hard to look past Carlos Alcaraz to repeat his feat from 2024. On that occasion he took on Alexander Zverev in a five-set thriller, but this year it could be Jannik Sinner he will have to face to lift the trophy.
In Rome against Sinner, Alcaraz won in straight sets, but before that he was forced to withdraw from the Madrid Open with an injury that he will hope does not cause him any problems in Roland Garros.
Women: Although Iga Swiatek is the defending champion, her form has not been the dominant force it has previously. Instead, this year Aryna Sabalenka has been the dominant force in women’s tennis after losing the Australian Open final at the start of the year. She beat Coco Gauff in the final at Madrid, but is in the same half of the draw as Swiatek so would have to beat the defending champion to reach the final.
Uche Amako: Alcaraz and Gauff
Men: Carlos Alcaraz. The way he dismantled Jannik Sinner at the Italian Open was an ominous sign for his rivals. The Spaniard is coming into form at just the right time and appears to have an easier path to the final. He is the best clay-court player in the men’s draw and looks to be in the mood to prove it.
Women: Coco Gauff. A finalist in Madrid and Rome, the second seed has had a very strong clay season. She has also managed to avoid Iga Swiatek till the final which is a big boost. If the American can come through the early rounds unscathed, the 21-year-old’s incredible athleticism can get her over the line.
Oliver Brown: Alcaraz and Swiatek
Men: Carlos Alcaraz looked irresistible in Rome, achieving a level of dominance over Jannik Sinner to suggest a convincing title defence in Paris.
Women: While Iga Swiatek has fallen to fifth in the world, you cannot look beyond her at Roland Garros, where she has swept to the title four times in five years. I envisage a repeat of last year’s final against Jasmine Paolini.
Who are the dark horses?
‘Ostapenko will be a handful for any player’
Simon Briggs: Paolini and Musetti
As the recent Rome champion, and last year’s French Open finalist, Jasmine Paolini is perhaps a little mainstream to be considered a dark horse. But there is something about her diminutive stature (she stands just 5ft 4in tall) and ever-smiling demeanour that makes her easy to underestimate.
On the men’s side, another Italian – the charismatic Lorenzo Musetti – has had a magnificent clay-court season, winning 13 of 16 matches and only losing to Alcaraz (twice) and Draper.
Sonia Twigg: Ostapenko
Jelena Ostapenko could be finding the form to upset the top players, although not completely a dark horse as she has won the French Open title before, although that was back in 2017. She has found form this clay swing with a win in Stuttgart and a pension for high-risk tennis that can cause an upset to some of the top players, and she will be a handful for any player if her desired style comes off.
Uche Amako: Rune and Ostapenko
Holger Rune.Inconsistency is what is preventing the Dane from a breakthrough moment at a grand slam. If he lost in the first round it wouldn’t be a shock but his best results in the majors have come in Paris and he did beat Alcaraz in Barcelona last month. So anything is possible with him.
Jelena Ostapenko.The ball crushing Lativan won the tournament in 2017 so she knows how to get it done. One of the most eye-catching results of the clay-court season was her victory over Swiatek in Stuttgart, which meant she is now 6-0 over the Pole. The pair are projected to meet in the fourth round, which will not please the defending champion.
Oliver Brown: Musetti and Ostapenko
Lorenzo Musetti could go deep at this tournament, perhaps reaching the semi-finals. The Italian, who has twice taken Novak Djokovic to five sets in Paris, is a fearsome proposition on clay.
On the women’s side, do not bet against Jelena Ostapenko mounting a remarkable comeback. The Latvian fell far and fast after taking the title in 2017 but has shown signs of a resurgence of late, beating world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets in Stuttgart.
Outsider to reach second week?
‘Stearns’s shot-making could take her a long way’
Simon Briggs: Stearns
Peyton Stearns is an American with a huge forehand. Up until recently, she had an equally huge propensity to choke in tight matches. But Stearns’s epic run to the semi-finals of Rome – where she won deciding-set tie-breaks against the notable trio of Madison Keys, Naomi Osaka and Elina Svitolina – suggested that she is beginning to get her head together. If she stops throwing away winning positions, her shot-making could take her a long way.
Sonia Twigg: Fonseca
Joao Fonseca, is a highly-rated Brazilian talent who will be making his Roland Garros debut. Although should he get that far he will come up against Jack Draper in the third round, he has already won his maiden ATP Tour title on clay earlier this year in Buenos Aires.
He has also impressed against some of the top players, beating Andrey Rublev in straight sets in Australia.
Uche Amako: Tsitsipas
Stefanos Tsitsipas I will disagree with my esteemed colleague and back the Greek to reach the last-16 at least, which is when his tournament will end with defeat to Alcaraz. Tsitsipas, a French Open finalist in 2021, has been way off it over the last 18 months. His game hasn’t improved and he lacks focus. However, his side of the draw looks decent enough to get a few wins.
Oliver Brown: Monfilsand Azarenka
Gaël Monfils never fails to electrify the Parisian crowd with his pyrotechnics and is primed to mount one last charge at 38. Victoria Azarenka is also in the twilight of her career at 35 but there is no disputing her pedigree on this surface, given her run to the semi-finals in 2013.
Big name to exit early
‘Djokovic could struggle in Paris’
Simon Briggs: Tsitsipas
A former finalist here in 2021, Stefanos Tsitsipas has slipped down the pecking order and is now only the 20th seed. A first-round meeting with Tomas Martin Etcheverry, an athletic Argentine, is already looking like a dangerous start.
Sonia Twigg: Djokovic
As age continues to catch up with him, despite his record, Novak Djokovic could struggle in Paris. He lost three matches in a row at the start of the clay season and recently brought an end to his coaching relationship with Andy Murray.
Uche Amako: Hurkacz
Hubert Hurkacz. The 30th seed faces rising star Joao Fonseca in the first round. The teen from Brazil is the next big thing in men’s tennis and there’s no better way to show that than taking out Hurkacz.
Oliver Brown: Zverev and Pegula
Alexander Zverev enters as last year’s runner-up but constantly confounds. He was dumped out of Hamburg in the second round this month by France’s Alexandre Müller. Jessica Pegula, a US Open finalist just eight months ago, has been struggling with injuries of late and looks vulnerable.
What I’d love to see…
‘More than one British player in the second week’
Simon Briggs
Perhaps it’s too much to ask after this balmy spring, but warm weather would be a bonus. In the old days, it never mattered too much if you got a cold and drizzly French Open: the inimitable style of Roland Garros, with its flower displays and Lacoste uniforms, still shone through. Since then, however, the authorities have introduced night sessions to drum up extra cash. On the brisker evenings, it gets cold enough to bother Sir Ranulph Fiennes.
Sonia Twigg
More than one British player in the second week. Jack Draper has impressed on clay so far this year, but it would be great if there would be another one, more likely on the women’s side to reach the second week.
Emma Raducanu looked impressive, but has an unfavourable draw that could pit her against Iga Swiatek in the second round, but Katie Boulter has also won a clay title this year.
Uche Amako
Naomi Osaka go on a run. The Japanese won her first title on clay earlier this month and is growing in confidence on the surface. She is still searching for the level that took her to four grand slam titles but you get the feeling it is coming.
Oliver Brown
Novak Djokovic to win his 25th major title. It has been the same with each of the Big Three: the older they become, the more it means. The Serb’s tie with Margaret Court on 24 Grand Slam triumphs is all but immaterial given the vastly different eras, but I would love to see one final statement of his supremacy. His remarkable win this year over Alcaraz in Melbourne suggests it is possible.
When does the French Open start and finish?
The tournament starts on Sunday and concludes with the men’s final on June 8.
When do the French Open finals take place?
The women’s final will be played on June 7 and the men’s final takes place on the following day.
How to buy French Open tickets
You can buy tickets for the French Open here.
How to watch the French Open on TV and streaming in the UK
TNT Sports replaces Eurosport as the broadcaster for the French Open.
There will be comprehensive multi-platform live coverage with every match available to stream live on discovery+. Fans will have the option to watch every court, plus live timeline markers will enable a seamless transition between key moments to re-live the action.
A star-studded lineup of match and studio analysts has been assembled, including: Mats Wilander, Alex Corretja, Tim Henman, Boris Becker, John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Chris Evert and Caroline Wozniacki.
Laura Robson and Craig Doyle will present from an on-site studio across the two-week tournament.
How to watch the French Open on TV in the US
In the United States, the French Open will also be shown on TNT Sports.
The likes of Venus Williams, Andre Agassi, Lindsay Davenport, Sloane Stephens, Chris Eubanks and Darren Cahill will provide analysis for US viewers.
What is the French Open prize money?
The total prize money for this year’s tournament comes to £47.4 million, up 5.21 per cent on last year.
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Which British players will be involved?
Seven British players have direct entry into the main draw: Jack Draper, Katie Boulter, Emma Raducanu, Sonay Kartal, Jacob Fearnley, Jodie Burrage and Cameron Norrie.
Billy Harris, Jan Choinski, Harriet Dart and Heather Watson lost in the first round of qualifying while Dan Evans lost in the second round.
Who are the defending champions?
Carlos Alcaraz claimed his third major title when he stormed back from two sets to one down to beat Alexander Zverev in five sets.
Iga Swiatek claimed her fourth French Open title when she overcame Jasmine Paolini in straight sets, dropping just three games.
The French Open trophies
The men play for the Coupe des Mousquetaires (Musketeers’ Cup), named in honour of the four Musketeers of French tennis: Jean Borotra, Jacques Brugnon, Henri Cochet and René Lacoste.
The women play for the Suzanne-Lenglen Cup, named after the woman who won the title six times.
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The Musketeers' Cup (left) and the Suzanne-Lenglen Cup - Getty Images/Mustafa Yalcin
Latest odds
To win the men’s title
- Carlos Alcaraz 6/4
- Jannik Sinner 2/1
- Alexander Zverev 14/1
- Novak Djokovic 16/1
To win the women’s title
- Aryna Sabalenka 5/2
- Iga Swiatek 11/4
- Coco Gauff 7/1
- Mirra Andreeva 8/1
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