Roland Garros 2025: French Open – The most important questions about the largest tennis tournament on sand

The second Grand Slam tournament of the year is pending. The sports show provides information on favorites, shape and draw. And naturally asks the question of all questions.

Alexander Zverev finally wins his first in Paris Grand Slam title?

Can we do something easier?

Okay, let’s start with the ladies. Who wins?

The question would have been answered very easily with IGA Swiatek until last year. But everything is different this year. The four-time French Open winner is completely off the role, especially in the head. It was crashed in both Masters tournaments on sand, in Madrid and Rome and thus slipped to 5th place in the world rankings. Her last tournament won her exactly a year ago, just here in Paris.

Does Swiatek still have a chance to win again?

Clear. Overall, the women’s competition is too unpredictable. Aryna Sabalenka, the world ranking, is certainly the first candidate to win the Masters in Madrid, but then showed a mysterious performance against the Chinese Qinwen Zheng in Rome. A self -runner will definitely not. Zheng herself can be trusted, after all, she is the Olympic champion of Paris.

Otherwise anyone in the raffle, for example Coco Gauff?

Not with the serve. There is still euphemistic. Against Zheng in the semi -finals of Rome, she produced 16 double errors, in the final against Jasmine Paolini. Paolini itself should also be mentioned. The little Italian impressively won the title in her home country and is in time for the tournament in top form, in which her star opened last year.

Oh yes, how did it go in Paris again last year?

Jasmine Paolini delighted the tennis world not only with her open laughter but also with her power game, her tactical clever and her fighting spirit. Her triumphal march went to the final, where she had no chance against Iga Swiatek. Carlos Alcaraz won the men in the final against Alexander Zverev. The German led 2-1 in sentences, but then had nothing more to do in sentences 4 and 5 and in the end lost clearly. For Alcaraz it was the third Grand Slam title (now he has four), the first in Paris on sand. For Zverev it was the second defeat in his second Grand Slam final (now he is three).

But now: what are the chances that Zverev wins?

Rather bad. Unfortunately, you have to state that Zverev’s season was – after the Australian Open – so far to forget. With false decisions on and next to the square, diseases like now in Hamburg, and with unfortunately too often below average tennis. Zverev is currently separating a bigger piece from the top of the world when its ranking place 3 expresses it. The victory at the tournament in Munich, where he was the only top 10 player, cannot hide it. His Masters record on sand: in Monte Carlo in the sixteenth finals, in Madrid in the round of 16 in Rome in the quarter-finals. Zverev’s old suffering: he always wobbles when it comes to the sausage. And his body language is not that of a winner.

Does the draw at least mean well?

On the contrary. In the 1st round it goes against the American youngster Learner Tien, against whom he recently lost in Acapulco at the only meeting so far. In the round of 16, Zverev could then meet his fear opponent Francisco Cerundolo, a clay court specialist against whom he has a balance of 0: 3. In a possible quarter -finals, either Novak Djokovic would wait or Daniil Medvedev, which Zverev could only beat once in the last seven matches. It looks different.

Can you ever engrave the name Carlos Alcaraz into the cup?

Not necessarily. But anything but a final Alcaraz against Sinner would be a Beckerfaust thick surprise. Alcaraz is the defending champion and the outstanding clay court player, also this season. Monte Carlo won, Rome won, pointed out the apparently overpowering Jannik Sinner. Sinner himself is fully in the juice after his doping lock, has played an almost terrifyingly good tennis in Rome, and in Roland Garros the title only leads over him. Everyone else behind the two of them, as well as they may be on it, only have outsiders. Above all, Lorenzo Musetti, who once had finals and twice semi-finals in this sandplace season, as well as Casper Ruud, who won the Masters in Madrid. However, when Alcaraz was injured and Sinner was still closed. And then there is Novak Djokovic, everything is possible.

Back to Zverev again, is there trouble with the balls again?

Counter question: When did the French Open not be trouble with the balls?! Feels a few players every year over too hard, too soft, too big, too heavy, too slow. The game has been played since 2020 with Balls of the Wilson brand, most recently in Rome it was Dunlop balls that caused resentment at Zverev. Clumplage tennis is not a laboratory tennis, everyone has to go through.

After all, there will be no trouble in Paris about the Hawk Eye …

No, because in contrast to the “ordinary” tournaments, in which electronic monitoring is now mostly the standard, there is still real lines in Roland Garros. The “decisions” of the HAWK-Eye recently repeatedly caused a lack of understanding on sand in comparison with the ball impression. You remember Zverev’s cell phone photo. In Paris, people still cries “out!”, And if in doubt, the referee climbs from his chair and looks at the imprint himself. Old School Paris. As a Grand Slam tournament, you can just make your own rules.

Which German players are there?

In addition to Alexander Zverev, Daniel Altmaier and Jan-Lennard Struff, alongside Alexander Zverev. For women Eva Lys, Laura Siegemund and Tatjana Maria. The hardest lot caught Altmaier, he meets Taylor Fritz directly in the 1st round. It should be exciting to see how Germany’s number 1 number 1, Eva Lys, strikes against the American Peyton Stearns, who has just broken into the world tip and was only stopped by Jasmine Paolini in the semi -finals in Rome. In addition, four Germans are currently playing in qualification.

From when to when is played?

It starts on Sunday, May 25th with the 1st round and 128 players each. It then continues in the KO system to the final. Finale women is on Saturday, June 8th, the final men on Sunday, June 9th. If it rains, the roof can be closed in the two largest stages “Philippe Chatrier” (15,000 spectators) and “Suzanne Lenglen” (10,000 spectators).

How much money and how many points are there to win?

The winners each receive 2.55 million euros. If you leave the 1st round, you still get 78,000 euros. There are twice as many points for the world rankings as for the Masters 1000 (as in Madrid or Rome), namely 2000 points for the winners. The finalists get 1200 points, and then always about half less per round.

Where can you follow the French Open?

Live at Eurosport or Discovery+, News and Stories is long and wide on Sportschau.de and in the sports show app.