As the French Open 2025 begins this Sunday, several rising stars will be aiming to challenge for the men’s singles title at Roland Garros.
Jack Draper (Great Britain) – World No. 5
After two early exits at previous French Opens, Draper comes into this year’s tournament in top form. The 23-year-old won his first Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells and reached the final in Madrid, losing to Casper Ruud. He also made the quarter-finals in Rome. Draper believes this could be his breakthrough in Paris, saying: “Roland Garros is a good opportunity for me to carry on with the momentum.”
Casper Ruud (Norway) – World No. 7
Ruud has twice been runner-up at the French Open and is known for his strong performances on clay. He recently won the Madrid Masters and has claimed more clay court titles than any other player since 2020. Confident in longer matches, he said: “In best-of-five sets I’ll be even tougher to beat.”
Lorenzo Musetti (Italy) – World No. 8
After a semi-final run at Wimbledon and winning an Olympic bronze in Paris, Musetti has shown his clay court ability this season. He reached the final in Monte Carlo, beating Stefanos Tsitsipas on the way, and followed up with semi-final appearances in Madrid and Rome.
Holger Rune (Denmark) – World No. 10
Rune won the Barcelona Open by defeating Carlos Alcaraz, returning to the top 10 in the process. However, he’s struggled with illness and injury since then, retiring early in Monte Carlo and Madrid and suffering a loss in Rome. The Dane hopes to recover his form in Paris, where he has twice reached the quarter-finals.
As the tournament kicks off, these players are seen as strong contenders behind the favourites like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
