French Open Tennis Day 8 Picks 2025 (Sunday 1st June)

We are into the second week at the French Open and my thoughts on the Day 8 action can be read below.

Amanda Anisimova + 5.5 games v Aryna Sabalenka: The World Number 16 has made it through to the Fourth Round at the French Open as she has been Seeded to do, but there is still so much more to come from Amanda Anisimova. This is her career best World Ranking mark, but the focus is back on the tennis after some personal issues held her back and the American is definitely capable of cracking the top ten.

She is the underdog as expected in this Fourth Round match, but Amanda Anisimova has always given Aryna Sabalenka problems and actually holds a 5-2 head to head advantage. Backing up the match up advantages is the fact that Sabalenka has been Ranked Number 11 or higher in all of their previous matches and Amanda Anisimova's highest Ranking has been Number 32, yet it is the latter who has come out on top more often than not.

Their last meeting was at the Canadian Masters last year and Amanda Anisimova won that, while the former French Open Semi Finalist has also earned a win over Aryna Sabalenka right here in Paris.

She has been playing well through the first week of the tournament, although Amanda Anisimova showed little form in the build to the French Open. Early losses in Madrid and Rome would have hurt, even if the American was hugely competitive in those defeats, and the feeling is that she can push Aryna Sabalenka more than anyone has done previously at the French Open 2025.

The World Number 1 has played every bit like the favourite to win the title, and Aryna Sabalenka will take plenty of confidence from the fact she has dropped just ten games in three wins. However, this is an opponent who has caused Aryna Sabalenka plenty of difficulties in the matches on the Tour and it should be competitive at the very least.

Last year Aryna Sabalenka did crush Amanda Anisimova at the Australian Open, where the World Number 1 has a very strong record in recent years. That was also a Fourth Round match, but one that was played very soon after Anisimova's return to the main Tour as she held a Ranking outside of the top 400.

It is a match that is the outlier in their previous head to heads and the win later in the year in Toronto is just a reminder of how well Amanda Anisimova plays when seeing Aryna Sabalenka across the net.

MY PICKS: Amanda Anisimova + 5.5 Games