French Open Tennis Day 12 Picks 2025 (Thursday 5th June)

The Grand Slam events can see players create some magical stories, but the Lois Boisson one at Roland Garros is historic.

Emma Raducanu's success at the US Open in 2021 was an incredible story with the Qualifier coming through and winning the tournament, but it can be argued that Boisson's run is even more impressive.

For the first time in this event, Lois Boisson will be playing on consecutive days and it will be interesting to see how she continues to handle the increasing pressure, although the soon to be top 70 Ranked player may feel she has 'nothing to lose'.

It is the women Semi Final matches that will take centre stage in Paris on Day 12 of the tournament and both are going to be intriguing matches.

My thoughts on those matches can be read below as the first of the two Singles Finals at the French Open are set by the end of Thursday's action.

Iga Swiatek v Aryna Sabalenka: The only disappointment some tennis fans may feel is that this is a Semi Final rather than the Final when the World Number 1 takes on the three time defending French Open Champion.

For the first time in a long time, Iga Swiatek entered the tournament here in Paris with plenty of doubters around her after a mixed clay court season. Her World Ranking is in danger of suffering another drop and only holding onto her crown as the Queen of Clay would see Swiatek end the tournament as a top four Ranked player.

It has been tough.

However, Iga Swiatek has looked pretty comfortable back on the red dirt in the French capital and it has felt like her Fourth Round win over Elena Rybakina has just reminded the Pole about her own abilities. Winning that in the manner she did will have provided Iga Swiatek with a shot of confidence and belief and this is a Semi Final she can win.

Opposing Aryna Sabalenka is dangerous with the World Number 1 looking capable of winning Grand Slam titles on any surface, but who has yet to actually prove that by doing so at either the French Open or Wimbledon. That means there is still something to show as far as the Belarusian is concerned and this match up has still been a tough one for Aryna Sabalenka.

She did snap a three match losing run to Iga Swiatek by beating her in Cincinnati last year, but this is going to be played on the clay and Aryna Sabalenka has only won one of the previous six against the Pole on this surface.

Last year they had a very close match in Madrid that was won by Iga Swiatek and that was followed by a more comfortable win for the dominant clay courter in Rome.

There are more doubts around this Semi Final simply because of the form that both were showing prior to the start of the French Open, but the runs produced by both at the tournament suggests there is not much between them now.

Aryna Sabalenka has to take a huge amount from the Fourth Round performance of Elena Rybakina and that is going to be the blueprint she looks to follow. If she can just maintain that for a little longer than Rybakina did, Aryna Sabalenka could win this match, but we have seen the World Number 1 come up short at around this stage of multiple Grand Slams previously.

Ultimately she is going to have to break through some of the aura that Iga Swiatek has continued to hold on the clay courts and it can be tough for Aryna Sabalenka to do that.

The last couple of Rounds have been a bit more stressful for Aryna Sabalenka, even if she is still playing at a strong level, but this is a significant test for her. She will have to serve well and there is little doubt that Iga Swiatek is playing better than expected when this tournament began.

When all is said and done, it is difficult to see Iga Swiatek as the underdog in the Semi Final and it may be the defending Champion's serve that proves to be slightly more effective on the day.

Lois Boisson + 5.5 games v Coco Gauff: On paper you have to feel that there can only be one winner, but tennis in Paris is played on clay and Lois Boisson is riding a momentum that could be very, very difficult to stop.

She will soon be entering the top 70 of the World Rankings, but there had been nothing to suggest the French Wild Card was going to be having a tournament like this one when the French Open began. Inexperience should have been a factor and that is before considering the time Lois Boisson had to spend away from the court after the ACL injury suffered last year, but momentum and confidence is firmly with the 22 year old.

The win over Mirra Andreeva will have given her a huge amount of belief and this is the second top ten Ranked player that Lois Boisson has beaten at this tournament as she takes aim at the third.

The crowd certainly helped as Mirra Andreeva lost her way and reminded everyone that she is still a teenager, no matter how much talent she possesses.

Whether the same mental breakdown can be expected from an experienced player like Coco Gauff is a question to be answered and this could yet be a decisive factor.

In recent years, Gauff has spoken about the positive support she has received in Paris and she has clearly enjoyed playing here with the crowd getting behind her. However, she will not have experienced an atmosphere like the one that is expected for this Semi Final as she takes on a home player with the fans hoping for the first French Champion in Paris since Mary Pierce in 2000.

With a serve that is still looking vulnerable, Coco Gauff is going to have to deal with the cheers after Double Faults and missed first serves and that can wear down even the most experienced of players.

The World Number 2 showed her resiliency to come through in three sets her Quarter Final against Madison Keys and Coco Gauff is returning well enough to believe she can overcome shaky service games. She will likely put Lois Boisson under more consistent pressure than Mirra Andreeva was able to do and Gauff is also a strong defensive player who can make the less experienced player have to hit one more shot than she may expect.

Ultimately we should see the higher Ranked player come through, but it is unlikely that Lois Boisson will go quietly and the layers are putting a lot more respect on her in this Semi Final. That is highlighted by the handicap being below the mark set, by some layers, for Boisson's matches against Andreeva and Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff can be considered a stronger clay court player than both at this stage of their respective careers.

However, it is the vulnerable serve that may end up making this a very competitive Semi Final and Coco Gauff is going to have to get through some emotions if she is able to reach another French Open Final.

MY PICKS: Iga Swiatek

Lois Boisson + 5.5 Games

French Open Tennis Day 11 Picks 2025 (Wednesday 4th June)

The big Semi Final that most would have anticipated on the women's side of the French Open tournament has been set on Day 10 and the winner of that match between Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek will go into Saturday's Final as the favourite to win the second Grand Slam of the season.

At the time of writing, neither men's Quarter Final match from Day 10 has been completed, but the thoughts already turn to the other half of the draws.

We have the top Quarter Final of the Round set to round out the day on Wednesday as the tournament ticks into the final five days and my thoughts on three of the four Quarter Final matches to be played on Day 11 can be read below.

Madison Keys + 3.5 games v Coco Gauff: Winning the Australian Open earlier this year came as a surprise, despite the obvious qualities that Madison Keys has shown throughout her career. However, it felt her best days were now behind her and that winning a Grand Slam would be something that she missed out on.

Instead Madison Keys stunned everyone to take the title in Melbourne, and she is perhaps having an even more surprising push to take the title at Roland Garros.

In 2018 and 2019, Madison Keys did reach the Semi Final and Quarter Final respectively at the French Open so she has previous on the clay courts, but there has been just one Fourth Round run since then. A Quarter Final run at Madrid was the outlier in the build up to the French Open, but that is a tournament where you perhaps get the least form guide for the second Grand Slam of the season due to the unique conditions at the event.

The serve has been key for Keys, pardon the pun, at the French Open with at least 69% of points won behind the delivery and that is going to be a big factor in determining the outcome of this Quarter Final. Madison Keys will be well aware that she is going to have to serve well against Madrid Runner Up Coco Gauff, who has been returning really well in the tournament as she looks to add to the US Open title she has won previously.

Winning the title in New York City is the clear highlight of the career so far, but Coco Gauff's most consistent Grand Slam results have been earned in Paris- this is the fifth year in a row she has reached the Quarter Final at Roland Garros, although half of those previous runs have ended in this Round.

Coco Gauff is still having some issues with the serve, but she has won at least 60% of points played behind this shot in three of the four wins to move through the draw. The real advantage Coco Gauff has had over her opponents has been on the return of serve with at least 53% of return points won in each of the previous matches in the tournament and at least five breaks of serve per Round.

Of course it has to be noted that the Madison Keys serve is the best that Coco Gauff will have faced so far in the tournament, but the higher Ranked American will be confident in being able to put the Australian Open Champion under pressure.

It is Madison Keys who leads the head to head and the only previous clay court match between the two was won by Keys in Madrid last year.

This is expected to be another close fought contest though and the best approach may be backing Madison Keys with the start on the game handicap to at least keep this competitive, especially as she has a real opportunity to win this one outright.

Mirra Andreeva - 5.5 games v Lois Boisson: The French Open has been a disappointing event for those players that the public may have expected to see at the business end of the tournament, but Lois Boisson has surprised by making full use of her Wild Card to reach the Quarter Final.

Twelve months ago, Lois Boisson suffered an ACL injury on the eve of the French Open, which meant missing out on using her Wild Card and then spending several months on the sidelines rehabbing. She only returned in February and has been playing outside of the main WTA Tour in a bid to get up to match sharpness and also rebuild the Ranking points, which have seen her slip to World Number 361 as the French Open started.

Her peak World Ranking was Number 152 thirteen months ago, but Lois Boisson is already guaranteed to have a higher number at the end of the tournament.

Full credit has to be given to the 22 year old having beaten two Seeds in the four wins in Paris and both times having to do so in a final set decider to underline the grit and determination Lois Boisson has shown over the last year.

This is going to feel like another step up as she prepares to take on a younger player, but one who has shown massive potential and already sits inside the top ten of the World Rankings. Mirra Andreeva has every chance of finishing this tournament as a top four player, and her experience of reaching the French Open Semi Final last year will mean she should be able to handle the occasion.

Of course the atmosphere is going to be one in which the underdog is going to be receiving so much more support, but Andreeva will be happy to be going out second on Wednesday, which means the teenager can have a little more rest having admitted that she hates being first up.

The lower Ranked player has spent considerable more time on the court than Mirra Andreeva, which is a potential factor, and there have been signs that the Lois Boisson serve is beginning to become a vulnerability. As accumulated fatigue builds up, that serve is going to be come more and more appealing for Mirra Andreeva to attack and that may put the underdog in some pressurised spots.

Lois Boisson has continued to do enough on the return to stay in matches and that is going to be key for her here, but the feeling is that Mirra Andreeva is still playing at a level that may be tough for the World Number 361 to reach having invested so much into the tournament already.

Covering this handicap mark will not be easy, but the Mirra Andreeva level may see her pull away as the match develops and she may find the breaks needed to secure a relatively strong win on the scoreboard.

Alexander Zverev-Novak Djokovic over 39.5 games: As has been the case in recent years since the French Open added a Night Session to the schedule and sold the rights to that individually, there have been criticisms of the organisers for not placing a women's match in the 'limelight'.

It would be a complete surprise to all if people expected anything other than Alexander Zverev vs Novak Djokovic to have that scheduling spot on Day 11 at the French Open in what is the stand out Quarter Final of the last two days.

These two players faced off at the Australian Open Semi Final earlier in the year, but the match finished prematurely when Novak Djokovic was unable to play through an injury having dropped the first set. Last year, Djokovic's run at the French Open was ended in the Quarter Final due to another injury, but he did win the Olympic Gold here and the former World Number 1 looks to be peaking at the right time.

This is the SIXTEENTH year in a row that Novak Djokovic has at least made the Quarter Final at the French Open, which is an incredible achievement from a player who has had an incredible career. Two of the last four runs have ended without a Semi Final appearance, but the other two have finished with Djokovic lifting the trophy and his level over the last two Rounds will give him a lot of confidence.

Of course this is also a tournament in which Alexander Zverev has thrived and he will still be thinking about twelve months ago when leading Carlos Alcaraz in the Final. This has been the Grand Slam in which Alexander Zverev has played his most consistent tennis and he will be chasing a Semi Final spot for the fifth year in a row when taking the court on Wednesday.

He benefited from an early ending to his Fourth Round win, while Zverev has been producing at a consistently strong level as he has eased his way through the draw. Other players have taken the headlines, but that will not concern the World Number 3, even as he sits in the tougher half of the French Open draw.

The serve will be key for Alexander Zverev and it has been a strong weapon for him in this tournament- it has definitely felt like a more consistent shot for Zverev than Novak Djokovic's has felt for the former World Number 1 and it is imperative that the slight underdog serves well.

Both have produced solid returning numbers and that should make for a very good Quarter Final and one that goes potentially long, and certainly long enough to cover the total game line set.

Despite both being in the top ten of the World Rankings in recent years, Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic have missed one another at tournaments. This is only the third meeting since November 2021, which is pretty remarkable, and one of the previous two ended in Melbourne after just one set had been played.

They have met in the French Open Quarter Final before, in 2019, and it was Novak Djokovic who was a very comfortable winner on that day. However, six years later, this one has all of the hallmarks of being a much more competitive contest and the expectation is that we will see at least four sets, which should set the match on the road to surpass the total games line if Zverev and Djokovic continue to play to the level they have been as the tournament has progressed.

MY PICKS: Madison Keys + 3.5 Games

Mirra Andreeva - 5.5 Games

Alexander Zverev-Novak Djokovic Over 39.5 Games

French Open Tennis Day 10 Picks 2025 (Tuesday 3rd June)

Five days remain in Paris at the second Grand Slam of the season, but the Singles events have moved into the Quarter Final Round and that means the number of matches per day are down to four.

Two men's and two women's matches are scheduled for Day 10 at Roland Garros.

There is a narrow lean towards Carlos Alcaraz finding a way to wear down Tommy Paul and cover a big line, but Frances Tiafoe is playing well enough to believe he can push Lorenzo Musetti and get within the number set.

As has been the case over the last few days, my thoughts are an indication of where my Picks would have leaned, even though the Picks had been shut down for a few days.

Iga Swiatek - 4.5 games v Elina Svitolina: She may be the multiple time former French Open Champion, but Iga Swiatek is going to have to deal with what is expected to be a crowd that is fully behind honorary Frenchwoman Elina Svitolina in this Quarter Final.

Some players do want to feel the love from the crowd, but Iga Swiatek perhaps does not strike me as one of those and her Fourth Round win over Elena Rybakina will have given her a lot of confidence. This has not been the best of seasons so far for Iga Swiatek, and her clay court performances have been way below the kind of standards she has set on the surface, but that win over Rybakina is a real reminder of the kind of aura the former World Number 1 will continue to hold whenever she steps onto this court.

Elena Rybakina will be kicking herself, but Iga Swiatek can build on that victory having produced some solid, if unspectacular, tennis to move through the draw into the second week.

She had been serving well before being pushed all the way by a big hitting Elena Rybakina in the Fourth Round and there is a feeling that a match up like this one will suit Iga Swiatek so much more.

Instead of feeling like she is being powered off of the court, Iga Swiatek is likely going to be involved in more comfortable rallies and that should aid her in her bid to reach yet another French Open Semi Final. The serve will still be attacked by Elina Svitolina, but perhaps not as effectively as an aggressive Rybakina was able to do, and this should help the Number 5 Seed.

It also should be noted that nothing much has come easy for Elina Svitolina in her run in Paris and all of the tennis she has needed to play could produce some level of accumulated fatigue. In only one of the four wins produced in Paris has Svitolina created more Break Points compared with her opponent and she could have easily been beaten in straight sets in her Fourth Round win over Jasmine Paolini.

If she is going to earn the upset, the serve has to improve significantly, but that may be asking too much considering how much success Iga Swiatek has had on the return against Elina Svitolina. The second serve in particularly has been exploited by the former World Number 1 and the feeling is that Iga Swiatek is going to have all of the tools at her disposal to secure a relatively comfortable passage into the next Round.

The favourite will also feel there is room for improvement after the Fourth Round win, but this is a match up where Iga Swiatek is unlikely to feel the racquet is out of her hands as much as it did against Elena Rybakina and it should lead to the breaks needed to cover the line set.

Aryna Sabalenka - 3.5 games v Qinwen Zheng: A real rivalry in tennis can only be formed if it does not end up being a one-sided head to head and so it feels very important for Qinwen Zheng to have secured a victory over Aryna Sabalenka earlier this month.

That occurred in Rome, on the clay courts, and all of a sudden there will be plenty ready to back the Olympic Gold Medal winner to come through and earn her spot in the Semi Final at the French Open.

Big wins on this court are not unfamiliar to Qinwen Zheng having beaten Iga Swiatek right here on the way to winning the Gold Medal at the Paris Olympic Games last summer. That is about as big a challenge as anyone could face on the clay courts on the WTA Tour and so Qinwen Zheng is not going to be lacking for confidence.

She may feel she has nothing to lose after almost being beaten in the Fourth Round and the ability to battle through those difficult moments will help a player desperate to win a maiden Grand Slam title. Prior to the win over Liudmila Samsonova, Qinwen Zheng had been making her way through the French Open draw impressively and she will certainly not be afraid to beat Aryna Sabalenka for a second straight time on the clay.

However, Aryna Sabalenka has certainly been playing at a consistently high level in her run to the Quarter Final and the World Number 1 has yet to drop a set.

The Belarusian has not had to spend nearly as much time on the court as her opponent and Aryna Sabalenka's numbers on the serve and return have been impressive. She will expect to be given another stern test by Qinwen Zheng, but Aryna Sabalenka may feel she cannot be as poor as she was in Rome and will believe to be in better shape having played that tournament just days after winning the Madrid Masters.

Recent matches between these two top 10 rivals have been much more competitive on the court, if not the scoreboard, and that will offer the lower Ranked player confidence in her bid to earn the upset.

However, the overall performances of the two players here in Paris means the lean has to be with Aryna Sabalenka, just as long as she is a bit more composed when the Break Points come her way compared with the Fourth Round win.

MY PICKS: Iga Swiatek - 4.5 Games

Aryna Sabalenka - 3.5 Games

French Open Tennis Day 9 Picks 2025 (Monday 2nd June)

The second Grand Slam of the season is pushing on towards crowning another Champion and the Quarter Final lineup is set to be confirmed at the end of Day 9.

There is every chance that the end of this tournament is going to be a lot of fun for the fans with some top names still chugging along nicely and some of the quality of the matches being seen has already begun to pick up.

It is another busy day in Paris, but the four women's Fourth Round matches look tough to call.

Alexander Zverev may be given a significant test by Tallon Griekspoor and Andrey Rublev is underrated by the layers- he is being given plenty of games and could cover in a losing effort against Jannik Sinner.

But the main leans that I would potentially target may feature the matches involving the last British interest in Paris and you can read my thoughts below.

Novak Djokovic - 7.5 games v Cameron Norrie: You have to say that very little form had been shown by Cameron Norrie and Novak Djokovic before both decided to head to Geneva for the final clay preparation ahead of the French Open. It was Novak Djokovic who won the title in Geneva, but Cameron Norrie also enjoyed a strong run and the confidence has seen both ease their way through to the second week in Paris.

This time a Quarter Final place at the French Open is on the line following the Semi Final match played between these players in Geneva.

On that occasion Novak Djokovic came through with a three set win and he went on to lift the title and the World Number 6 has backed that up with three wins at the French Open without dropping a set. Before the title win in Geneva, Novak Djokovic had been really struggling for his best level on the clay, but he has looked pretty comfortable back in Paris where the Serb won the Olympic Gold Medal last summer.

The draw has been a kind one to allow Novak Djokovic to ease his way into the tournament and the veteran will know that his own level will need to be raised if he is going to win another French Open title.

Credit has to be given to Cameron Norrie after coming through a tough opening match in five sets having looked like he was heading out of the tournament when down a break to Daniil Medvedev in the deciding set. He has not dropped a set in the last two Rounds and Norrie is playing with real confidence, although he will have to do the same as the First Round and beat this opponent for the first time.

At least he has won sets from Novak Djokovic previously, unlike against Daniil Medvedev, and that includes Cameron Norrie winning the first set in the 2022 Wimbledon Semi Final before losing in four.

However, Novak Djokovic has dominated the numbers in the previous meetings and that includes in both previous wins on the clay.

Last week he was able to break the Cameron Norrie serve four times and the former World Number 1 was under little pressure when it came to protecting his own serve. This will likely be competitive at times, but Djokovic can exert his qualities over the Fourth Round match and he may eventually pull clear of the British player as he progresses with a cover of the line set.

Jack Draper - 6.5 games v Alexander Bublik: The build up towards Wimbledon will begin this month and there are going to be plenty of expectations shouldered by Jack Draper when playing at his home Grand Slam.

Players like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner may be leading the headlines on the ATP Tour, but World Number 5 Jack Draper is certainly capable of pushing those two and he has certainly developed well enough to look like a real contender here in Paris. Clay court tennis results over the last several weeks can only have given Jack Draper confidence and he should have enough to move past Alexander Bublik in this Fourth Round match.

Take nothing away from Alexander Bublik having already beaten a top player in Alex De Minaur and from 2-0 down in sets too. That will have given him plenty of confidence and it has only been twelve months since Bublik was right in amongst the top names on the Tour.

He used the momentum to cruise past Henrique Rocha in the Third Round and Alexander Bublik has a dangerous game when at his very best.

In reality that game is much more suited to other surfaces rather than the clay and so this has already been a very positive tournament for a player that had been sliding down the World Rankings. This is a step up compared with some of the players Alexander Bublik has beaten on the clay this year, Alex De Minaur aside, and even that Second Round match looked to have gotten away from him before the Australian's capitulation.

The last two matches between the players have been dominated by Jack Draper, although the Alexander Bublik serve has kept him in the match. However, they were also matches on grass courts and hard courts and those are much more likely to be aid the serve compared with the clay, which likely means Jack Draper can put Bublik under even more pressure.

This is a big line, but Jack Draper's Third Round win was impressive and he can back that up in his bid to reach the French Open Quarter Final for the first time.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 7.5 Games

Jack Draper - 6.5 Games

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

French Open Tennis Day 7 Picks 2025 (Saturday 31st May)

As mentioned previously, there are not likely to be any Picks from the French Open after a frustrating first week and it feels like that was a good decision after the results on Friday.

The two selections below is where I would target if I was still placing any units down, but it may be best to fade them on current form.

Alexander Bublik - 5.5 games v Henrique Rocha: Both of these players were perhaps thinking about their scheduling following the French Open when trailing Seeded players 2-0 in sets in the Second Round. To further that potential loss of focus is the fact that they had won a combined seven games across those four sets and there would not have been too many 'in play' backers of either Alexander Bublik or Henrique Rocha.

That has to be especially the case for Henrique Rocha, who had to battle through three Qualifiers to make the main draw in Paris but who had won just two of nine clay court matches prior to entering that Qualifying draw for the French Open. Only two of those matches had been played against top 100 Ranked opponents, which ended in relatively comfortable defeats, and the Portuguese player was in a desperate position in the last Round.

As stated, it has felt like a tournament in which really strange results have been occurring throughout the first week and Henrique Rocha's win in the Second Round has to be right up there with the strangest- he had shown nothing prior to the tournament to suggest he would be that competitive and then losing 6/2, 6/1 against a top 20 Seed should have ended all beiief.

With nothing to lose Henrique Rocha is potentially dangerous, but Alexander Bublik will be feeling confident after recovering to upset Alex De Minaur in the last Round.

He is an erratic player, which makes it hard to trust Alexander Bublik, and his form over the last twelve months has been pretty poor, which has resulted in the World Ranking dropping 45 places.

However, Alexander Bublik has at least shown some clay court form prior to the French Open- he reached the Fourth Round in Madrid and won a Challenger event, which were against opponents who are all Ranked higher than Henrique Rocha, at least prior to this event.

It would not be a major surprise if this does go at least four sets, but Alexander Bublik should still have the qualities to exert his strengths over Henrique Rocha and that can show up on the scoreboard. The tournament has been a funny one with not all numbers being backed up by the final tally on the board, but Bublik looks capable of moving into the second week behind a strong looking win.

Jack Draper - 1.5 sets v Joao Fonseca: There is a lot of hype around Joao Fonseca and there is little doubt that he is going to be a star on the Tour if he can steer clear of injuries and maintain his current progressive trajectory.

However, this is still early in his career and Joao Fonseca finished his preparation for the French Open with three straight losses on the clay courts. That has not stopped the layers asking for the Brazilian to perhaps cover lines higher than he should and they refuse to underestimate a player that will receive plenty of backing.

It can lead to some funny prices around Joao Fonseca matches and Jack Draper is capable of getting the better of this opponent for a second time this season.

A Final in Madrid and Quarter Final in Rome underlines the ability of Jack Draper on the clay and he had positive numbers last year too, despite the win-loss record being against him. The improvements being made by Draper has seen him become a real threat on all surfaces and the victory over Gael Monfils in the Second Round should be a reminder that he can come through hostile environments to win matches.

The fans are likely going to be behind the youngster making headlines, but Joao Fonseca has not been playing at his very best level on the clay in the lead to the French Open. Beating Hubert Hurkacz in the First Round is a positive performance and result, but Fonseca made hard work of the Second Round when set as a big favourite and he is still a work in progress when it comes to fulfilling all of the obvious potential he has.

Jack Draper has the edge in the serving and returning numbers on the clay courts, and that win in Indian Wells in March should give him confidence against this teenager. He might drop a set, but Draper should be strong enough to still get the better of Joao Fonseca and he can come through in four sets on his way to the second week at the second Grand Slam of the 2025 season.

MY PICKS: Alexander Bublik - 5.5 Games

Jack Draper - 1.5 Sets

French Open Tennis Day 6 Picks 2025 (Friday 30th May)

There are just some tournaments that seem to fly in the face of 'normal' and it really feels like something odd is happening at the French Open, especially through the first week of the tournament.

Regardless of how much the top players dominate a match, it is like the lower Ranked guys or underdogs have been given a boost in power and that they are able to play the big points that much better than those who have been picking up titles and operating in the higher echelons of the sport.

Case in point- Day 5 proved to be another awfully frustrating day in which nothing is seemingly as it should be.

Two massive favourites blew 2-0 lead to be downed in five sets (Alex De Minaur being one of those), while another, Arthur Fils, only just about hung on a fifth set decider having allowed his opponent to recover from two sets down as well.

Or how about two players winning 31 and 28 points more than their opponents, but going 1-1 in terms of covering the same line- Alexander Zverev managed a late break to do that, but Andrey Rublev crushed Adam Walton everywhere barring the scoreboard. While both struggled, Jannik Sinner won 29 more points than Richard Gasquet and covered his bigger line set, but for the Tennis Picks the 1-1 from those two players mentioned has added to the tournament following the 2024 Australian Open in finding a way to have losing selections when everything has pointed to the match ending on the winning side.

It has been the story of the French Open and it makes little sense to understand- the numbers, in this case, are not being backed up by the final scores and the frustration about that is setting in.

You can accept losing selections, that will happen over the course of a tournament and over the course of the year, but this has all of the hallmarks of what happened in Australia last year when the tournament just trended in a negative direction and against all sense or reason.

Over the last three or four days, there have been a number of matches that have drifted away from a strong position and that is not something that can continue to happen without thinking about shutting down the selections and clearing the mind for the grass court campaign and run through Wimbledon.

It was not only the 2-3 record, but what has really frustrated me over the last couple of days is the absolute hardship that any winner has had, and the shocking way some of the losers have come in.

To sum it up, Jack Draper's miss by a single game.

Not only did he have 22 Break Points compared with Gael Monfils, but in the fourth set those numbers were 13 and 3, but take a guess who struck first and who had to fight back and barely miss any covering opportunity?! It has been happening time and again in this tournament, and the fact is that he won 27 more points in the match and was still only able to win by a six game margin.

Ultimately that is just annoying me, like it did in Melbourne a little under eighteen months ago and the lesson has been learned that some tournaments simply do not make any sense and it is no point trying to work them out.

Even the winning selections are in matches where players have barely covered, despite absolutely crushing opponents, while the Andrey Rublev missed cover was another joke if I am being honest. He could not have been any more on top and that match would end with a much, much more comfortable winning margin if played the same way, but just on another day.

There is so much of a season to go and I will continue to have some thoughts on upcoming matches, which will be researched as normal, and perhaps this Bizzaro World of the Roland Garros tournament will begin to make more sense.

But the reality is I am not prepared to blow the season work when there is clearly something amiss right now and now with so much tennis left to play in 2025.

Sebastian Korda v Frances Tiafoe: Two American players meet in the Third Round at the French Open and with what will feel like a big opportunity to reach the second week at a Grand Slam where they perhaps hold the lowest expectations.

Neither Sebastian Korda nor Frances Tiafoe can really point to a lot of quality form on the European clay courts and the warm up events have been about what is to be expected from them.

Both had losing records on the European clay, but Sebastian Korda can at least say that three of his four losses have been against top 30 Ranked opponents, including against solid clay competitors in Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud. The exception was a loss to Jaume Munar, but Frances Tiafoe has also lost to the Spaniard since arriving in Europe and the World Number 16 had lost his previous three clay court matches to those Ranked Number 44 or lower.

With that in mind, Sebastian Korda may feel he has been a victim of poor draws rather than upsets and he has beaten Frances Tiafoe in three straight matches to give him belief in winning this Third Round match.

The only previous clay court match was won by Frances Tiafoe in 2022, but he was a fortunate winner on that day having created half of the Break Points that his compatriot had against him.

Credit has to be given to both players for the solid wins they have earned at the French Open in 2025, and that will give them the confidence to take into this match. It feels like one that will need four or maybe even five sets, but Sebastian Korda has had more recent success at Roland Garros and that may still be a factor.

In recent matches between the pair, Sebastian Korda has looked the stronger player and his pre-tournament form does feel like an edge in his favour.

Hamad Medjedovic - 3.5 games v Daniel Altmaier: The best win that either of these players have produced in the tournament is the one that Daniel Altmaier secured over Taylor Fritz. This upset has opened up this little section of the draw and the opportunity to earn a spot in the second week of a Grand Slam comes with huge Ranking points, as well as being a confidence builder.

That is the opportunity for Daniel Altmaier and Hamad Medjedovic with both outside of the top 60 in the World Rankings at the start of the French Open.

Pushing inside those positions lead to entry into bigger events and the feeling is that the 21 year old Hamad Medjedovic is going to be the player who came come through this match.

It is the younger player who has gotten a bit more out of serve on the clay compared with Daniel Altmaier and that could be key, especially with both having similar kind of levels on the return. There is plenty of experience that Altmaier can call upon, which is a huge help, but his clay numbers have taken a serious dent when only considering matches against top 100 Ranked opponents.

Unsurprisingly the same can be said for Hamad Medjedovic, but his numbers remain pretty significantly stronger than the opponent and he looks the right player to back in this tough Third Round of action on Friday in the French capital.

These players met on the hard courts earlier this season, also in France, and it was Hamad Medjedovic who came through in three competitive sets. However, it was a match in which he had 10 Break Points compared with 4 for Daniel Altmaier and the expectation is that the Serb will have the superior number in this one, which should eventually tell on the scoreboard, even if the tournament in general has flown in the face of the numbers produced by players.

MY PICKS: Sebastian Korda

Hamad Medjedovic - 3.5 Games

French Open Update: 5-14, - 9.56 Units (19 Units Staked, - 50.32% Yield)