The 2025 French Open draw was unveiled Thursday, delivering one of the most highly anticipated outcomes for men’s singles: in-form world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic have been placed in opposite halves of the bracket, meaning the two title favorites will not face off before the tournament’s final match on Sunday, May 25. As the sport’s second Grand Slam of the year prepares to kick off this Sunday, the draw also set up tantalizing potential matchups in the women’s draw, including a potential semifinal clash between defending champion Coco Gauff and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, while a simmering pay dispute between players and Grand Slam organizers has cast a shadow over pre-tournament festivities.
For Sinner, who enters Roland Garros as the odds-on favorite to claim his first French Open crown following the withdrawal of injured Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, his title run will get underway against French wildcard entry Clement Tabur, the world-ranked 165th player who earned his spot through domestic qualifying. The Italian has been on a historic hot streak as of late: earlier this month, he claimed his sixth consecutive ATP Masters 1000 title at the Italian Open, becoming just the second men’s player in tennis history — after Djokovic himself — to win all nine active Masters 1000 events over his career. If Sinner advances as seeded, he is projected to face fifth-seeded American big hitter Ben Shelton in the quarterfinals, with a potential semifinal showdown against Russian star Daniil Medvedev, who pushed Sinner to three tight sets in the Italian Open semifinals earlier this month before ultimately falling.
On the opposite side of the men’s bracket, third-seeded Djokovic will begin his bid for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam singles title against French home player Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. The 38-year-old Serb, who turns 39 the day after the tournament kicks off, is tied with Margaret Court for the most Grand Slam singles titles in tennis history, and has not won a major since the 2023 US Open. Projected to meet Djokovic in the semis is second-seeded Alexander Zverev, who will open his campaign against Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi. Zverev has fallen to Djokovic in French Open quarterfinals twice before — in 2019 and 2024 — and is still chasing his first career Grand Slam title after multiple deep runs in majors.
The draw also featured emotional storylines for veteran players set to retire after the tournament. The standout opening-round men’s match pits in-form French No. 1 Arthur Fils against 41-year-old former champion Stan Wawrinka, who will play Roland Garros for the final time before hanging up his racket. Fan-favorite Frenchman Gael Monfils, a 2008 Roland Garros semifinalist, will also play his farewell tournament, opening against compatriot Hugo Gaston.
In the women’s draw, defending champion and fourth-seeded Gauff will open her title defense against American compatriot Taylor Townsend, looking to repeat her 2024 final upset victory over Sabalenka. For Sabalenka, who has never claimed the French Open singles title, the draw handed her one of the toughest paths to the final in the field. A potential third-round matchup against four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka is on the cards, even though Osaka has never advanced past the second week of Roland Garros in her career. Fifth seed Jessica Pegula or rising Canadian prospect Victoria Mboko could await Sabalenka in the quarterfinals, with a projected semifinal against Gauff if both advance.
Other key women’s projected matchups see third-seeded four-time champion Iga Swiatek of Poland potentially facing Italian Open winner Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals, while second-seeded Elena Rybakina — the 2025 Australian Open champion — is projected to meet Swiatek in the semis. Swiatek opens against 17-year-old Australian wildcard Emerson Jones, while Rybakina starts her campaign against Slovenia’s Veronika Erjavec. A rare all-Southeast Asian second-round matchup is also on the cards, between Indonesia’s Janice Tjen and the Philippines’ Alexandra Eala, with the winner set to potentially face Osaka in the third round.
Beyond the on-court draw projections, the pre-tournament period has been marred by unrest, as a group of players has threatened to boycott select media obligations over an ongoing pay dispute with Grand Slam organizers. Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo pushed back on the threats Thursday, saying organizers would not change their stance on the issue. “We are not going to budge,” Mauresmo told reporters at the draw ceremony in Paris, adding that she was “a little saddened” by the player unrest. She noted that Grand Slam prize money has doubled over the last 10 years and has seen significant increases in recent years, pushing back on player claims that compensation for media work and player support is inadequate.