French Open Tennis Day 2 Picks 2025 (Monday 26th May)

Let's be honest, the French Open could not have begun any worse.

The opening selection lost the first set 6-0, and Peyton Stearns will be really disappointed with her overall defeat.

Diana Shnaider had a stronger end than beginning to her match, but never got close to the cover either.

As the song goes, things can only get better.

The First Round matches continue on Monday with three selections that can be read below.

Iga Swiatek - 7.5 games v Rebecca Sramkova: The defending three time French Open Champion and a winner in four of the last five seasons in Paris will be opening her 2025 bid as the Number 5 Seed.

That underlines the kind of year that Iga Swiatek has been having and she has admitted that the confidence is not where it should be. In recent years, the Pole has dominated this portion of the Tour, but that has been far from the case for Iga Swiatek over the last couple of months.

However, Iga Swiatek has been in better mood after arriving in Paris and the draw will give her the chance to build into the tournament, which can be important. The familiarity of winning matches on the Roland Garros dirt is another factor and Iga Swiatek may still have some of her aura when she steps out here.

It is clear that the serve has not been as dominant as it has been in recent years and that has put pressure on the return, which has been operating at a level where Iga Swiatek has won 45% of return points compared with the virtual 50% mark set in each of the last three seasons.

An opportunity to make a strong start in Paris is right in front of the World Number 5 as she prepares to face Rebecca Sramkova in the First Round.

The 28 year old has slipped back out of the top 40 in the World Rankings having compiled a 2-3 record on the clay in 2025.

Rebecca Sramkova will at least point out that a couple of those defeats have been in competitive matches and that will give her some belief. She took a set from Jelena Ostapenko in Rome, a former French Open Champion, but this is a significant step for Sramkova who had to Qualify for this Grand Slam last season before losing in the First Round.

These two players met at the Australian Open back in January and Rebecca Sramkova managed to win just two games.

Everything worked for Iga Swiatek that day, but this should be a little bit more competitive even if the dominant clay courter of recent years is able to still cover what is a very big number for a best of three set match.

Naomi Osaka v Paula Badosa: These two players will be familiar of one another, but they have not played on the Tour before with Naomi Osaka's best tennis being played a couple of years before Paula Badosa really started to make waves on the Tour. They were supposed to meet during this clay court season, but Badosa was not able to make it onto the court and instead this 'popcorn' match is to be played in the First Round at the French Open.

Injuries have been something of an issue for Paula Badosa over the last seventeen months, but she does arrive in Paris as the World Number 10.

However, this is going to be just the third match played on the clay courts having played a couple of matches last week in Strasbourg and you do have to wonder if Paula Badosa is perhaps a little undercooked. She did not play badly in her defeat in Strasbourg, which will give the Spaniard some confidence, but Badosa only holds a 7-6 record on the clay courts since the beginning of 2024.

Encouragement can be taken from the fact that she is set to face Naomi Osaka on the least favoured surface of the former World Number 1, but there have been some positive signs from the Japanese star. She won her first title since returning to the Tour after becoming a mother during this clay court season, much to Osaka's own surprise, and she did reach the Fourth Round in Rome.

Twelve months ago, Naomi Osaka should have ended Iga Swiatek's run in the Second Round at the French Open and she has the game to be very competitive on the surface. The key is whether Osaka can show some of the patience that is needed to come through some of the tougher moments, but there has been enough to like from her tennis to think she can edge past Paula Badosa in this strong First Round match.

Naomi Osaka has to take advantage of the cheap points she can generate behind the very good first serve and she may be able to keep the higher Ranked player under some pressure. Both players will have their moments, but Osaka looks capable of getting the better of Paula Badosa on Monday.

Elena Rybakina - 6.5 games v Julia Riera: Off court issues and two pretty early defeats in Madrid and Rome will have seen many write off the chances of Elena Rybakina winning the second Grand Slam of the season. She has looked out of sorts as she has slipped out of the top ten in the World Rankings, but Rybakina may feel much better all around after winning the title in Strasbourg in the last tournament to prepare for the French Open.

The serve has continued to be an effective weapon for Elena Rybakina, even on the clay courts, and she has been a solid competitor on the surface.

However, the poor record prior to the tournament in Strasbourg was largely down to the disappointing return numbers being produced and they are considerably below the standards that have been set in recent years. Make no mistake, Elena Rybakina is going to have to improve on that side of her tennis if she is going to have a big impact in Paris, especially being set on the tougher side of the draw.

It all begins with a Qualifier and there has to be a respect for Julia Riera after the three wins posted to make the main draw. This should mean the familiarity with the conditions offers Julia Riera a potential route towards an upset and even more so when you think that Elena Rybakina will have been travelling from winning a tournament this past weekend.

Julia Riera is going to be very comfortable playing on the clay courts as an Argentinian, while the confidence will be improved after dropping just a single set in three Qualifying wins.

She reached the Semi Final of a tournament played in Bogota on the surface, but a defeat in that Round sparked a run of four losses in five matches for Julia Riera and at a level considerably below what she will be facing in the First Round here.

Eleven losses have been suffered in succession on the clay courts when facing top 100 Ranked opponents and the real concern for Julia Riera is that none of those have been against anyone Ranked inside the top 40.

Credit has to be given to Julia Riera for showing a real competitive spirit in those defeats, but she may be put under pressure by the Elena Rybakina serve and that could see the Seeded player eventually roll through the gears. This could lead to a relatively comfortable win in the First Round, but there are expected to be some considerable tests ahead for the former World Number 3 and Wimbledon Champion.

MY PICKS: Iga Swiatek - 7.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Naomi Osaka @ 1.80 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Elena Rybakina - 6.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

French Open Update: 0-2, - 2 Units (2 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)