The French Open, set to be played between May 25 and June 8 this year, is the only Grand Slam to be played on clay.
The red clay of the Roland-Garros Stadium has been one of the toughest tests for players due to its slowness and bounce, requiring players to generate their own pace.
Last year, Carlos Alcaraz was crowned men’s singles champion after beating Alexander Zverev in a thrilling five-set encounter: 6–3, 2–6, 5–7, 6–1, 6–2.
Here, we take a look at the top contenders for the men’s singles title at the 2025 French Open.
Carlos Alcaraz
The defending French Open champion is looking in great form to retain his title this year. Alcaraz will go into Roland-Garros on the back of consecutive clay-court finals — runner-up at the Barcelona Open and winner at the Monte-Carlo Masters. Although he couldn’t defend his title at Indian Wells and suffered a first-round exit at the Miami Open, he has looked confident and in form since returning to clay.
The 21-year-old is one of the fastest players on the court. Exceptional agility, an all-round game, and the ability to generate pace from his racquet make him one of the most dangerous opponents on clay.
The Spaniard will have more preparation time as he participates in the ongoing Madrid Open and then the Italian Open before the French Open, which could be a significant advantage that will give him ample opportunity to adjust and address any weaknesses.
Jannik Sinner
The World No. 1 is another contender for the French Open title, though things will be slightly difficult for him due to his return to the game after a three-month doping ban. The clay courts in Rome should offer some valuable practice as he makes his return at the Italian Open.
Sinner is one of the most complete players on the ATP Tour right now. Making it to the French Open semi-finals last year should give him the confidence to go further this season. The only concerning factor would be his lack of exposure to tennis and clay courts due to the ban.
Having said that, Sinner’s well-rounded game, mental strength, and on-court relentlessness mean one must not take him for granted.
Alexander Zverev
Even in his earlier days as a pro, Alexander Zverev was widely considered someone who would become a Grand Slam winner at least once.
Though he hasn’t won any Grand Slams yet, Zverev has come close on three occasions — the 2020 US Open final where he lost to Dominic Thiem in five sets, the 2024 French Open final where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set thriller, and the recent Australian Open where he lost to Jannik Sinner in straight sets.
The 28-year-old is another player who is comfortable playing on any surface. He has one of the best serves in the game and is adept at playing both from the baseline and at the net.
Looking at his preparation for the French Open, Zverev recently won the BMW Munich Open (ATP 500), which was played on outdoor clay. However, he was ousted in the second round of the Monte-Carlo Masters. Yet to compete at the Madrid Open and the Italian Open, Zverev could definitely use more practice to boost his chances of going all the way at Roland-Garros.
Holger Rune
Holger Rune announced his arrival to the tennis world in superb fashion, but apart from a few decent outings he hasn’t been able to live up to the hype.
That could change this season, as the 21-year-old has been performing well on the ATP Tour. He was runner-up to Jack Draper at Indian Wells and won the Barcelona Open, beating the favourite—Carlos Alcaraz—to the title, though he had to retire during the Monte-Carlo Masters due to illness.
Rune reached the quarter-finals of the French Open in 2022 and 2023 and is quite capable of an improved showing at Roland-Garros this year. He still has the Madrid Open and the Italian Open ahead of him, both of which present great opportunities to improve his game. A strong run in either tournament could give him a significant confidence boost heading into the French Open.
Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic is a name that needs no introduction. The 24-time champion is unsurprisingly another prime contender for the French Open crown this time around.
Even at his age and with his injury issues, Djokovic remains a formidable opponent because of his indomitable will. He may not have been doing well in ATP tournaments of late, but when it comes to the Grand Slams, he always manages to bring out his best level.
The Serb was unfortunate at the French Open last year, having had to give a walkover to Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals due to an injury sustained in the previous round. He faced a similar situation at the Australian Open earlier this year, where he had to retire in the semi-finals.
That said, if he is fit, Djokovic knows what it takes to win the French Open, given he has won it three times. The slow clay surface does not require too much agility, which favours the 37-year-old, though it does require more stamina and strength to win five-setters, which could make things difficult.
However, ruling out Djokovic from Grand Slam contention would be blasphemous, as he still possesses the skill and mental resolve needed to beat anyone on his day. If he can stay fit, there’s every chance he gets his record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title in Paris this year.
Casper Ruud
Casper Ruud has proven several times that clay is his most preferred surface. Even though the Norwegian has gone down the pecking order in recent years, his record at the French Open remains admirable.
Ruud made it to the French Open final in consecutive seasons—2022 and 2023—and lost to Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, respectively. He reached the semi-finals last year, where he lost to Alexander Zverev.
The 26-year-old has ample experience on the Roland-Garros red clay. His preparations coming into the tournament this year have been decent as well: he reached the quarter-finals of the Barcelona Open and the fourth round of the Monte-Carlo Masters. He has two more clay tournaments to compete in, which should help with the preparations.
Although Ruud has dropped down the rankings in recent years, he is still a seasoned clay-court performer; for this reason alone, he has a good chance of winning the French Open.
Lorenzo Musetti
Another Italian player who has been doing well on the ATP Tour is Lorenzo Musetti, who has taken massive strides with his Grand Slam performances in the last year and could be a dark horse at this year’s French Open.
Though Musetti hasn’t got past the fourth round at Roland-Garros in the last three years, his performances in other Grand Slam and ATP Masters tournaments ought to give him a lot of confidence to perform on the biggest stage.
The 23-year-old also reached the final of the recently concluded Monte-Carlo Masters, where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz. He is yet to compete at the Madrid Open and the Italian Open, which should provide him the opportunity to face the best clay-court players. If he goes deep in these Masters tournaments, he could prove to be a tricky opponent come May.
Alex de Minaur
The current World No. 7 could be another surprise winner of the French Open this year.
The 26-year-old is an energetic player with great agility, strong baseline play, and the ability to perform well on all surfaces. In addition, he has been a consistent performer at Grand Slams, having reached the quarter-finals of the last four Grand Slams.
De Minaur has also done well in clay-court tournaments in recent weeks. He reached the semi-finals of the Barcelona Open and the quarter-finals of the Monte-Carlo Masters. His preparations seem to be going well, and with the Madrid Open and the Italian Open left to play, he will get more opportunities to get ready and be a force to be reckoned with at Roland-Garros.
Though it’s a long shot, given de Minaur hasn’t reached a Grand Slam final or won a Masters 1000 title yet, men’s tennis has become highly competitive, and on his day the Australian is capable of beating anyone.
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