The second Grand Slam of the season is upon us. The 2025 French Open will kick off on Sunday, May 25. The two-week spectacle in Paris promises plenty of storylines. The men’s tournament is fully stacked with three players who have hoisted the Coupe des Mosquetaires, part of this year’s field. But could we witness a new champion lifting that famous trophy? Here are our top five men’s favorites for the title.
Top 5 Men’s Favorites To Win the French Open
5. Novak Djokovic
There are quite a few murmurs upon seeing Novak Djokovic’s name on this list. But on name value alone, Djokovic would likely feature in every top five list of favorites at any tournament he plays in. He’s an all-time great, a 24-time Grand Slam champion and a three-time winner of the French Open. Yes, form and age are clearly not on his side, but here’s a fun fact: Djokovic has not lost at Roland Garros since 2022. He won the title the following year. Although he had to withdraw from the quarterfinals in last year’s tournament because of a knee injury, Djokovic returned to the same venue to clinch a historic gold medal at the Olympic Games. Djokovic is tuning up for this tournament in Geneva this week.
4. Jack Draper
Gone are the days when British tennis players feared the worst when they trudged on clay courts. Expectations were almost nonexistent. In Jack Draper, there’s a lot to be excited about clay-court tennis if you are a British fan. Draper sits at the dizzying heights of World No. 5, and he’s earned the right to dine at the top table of men’s tennis after an incredible season that has not even reached the halfway point. He won his first clay-court title in Madrid and reached the last eight in Rome. If we are talking about momentum, Draper has got it.
3. Holger Rune
Could this be Holger Rune’s Grand Slam breakthrough? It’s been years in the waiting, with the Dane long touted as the final piece of the new triumvirate alongside Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Rune’s best Grand Slam results included three quarterfinal finishes, two of which came at the French Open. When he’s healthy, he’s an unstoppable force. Rune is the only player to beat Alcaraz in this year’s clay swing. That said, he fully merits getting his name so high in this list.
2. Jannik Sinner
By now, we know the top two candidates. Jannik Sinner’s return from a three-month suspension couldn’t have been perfectly timed. Sinner lost his 26-match undefeated streak in the Rome final, but he’s still the World No. 1 and winner of the last two Grand Slams. If anyone is to win the French Open, they’ll most likely have to swat aside Sinner along the way. Sinner has an almost 30% chance in the odds to win the French Open.
1. Carlos Alcaraz
No guesses on who heads the list. Carlos Alcaraz was the French Open favorite long before the clay swing began. And his performances in recent weeks gave us a full demonstration of his talent. The champion of Rome and Monte Carlo, It’s almost like remaining clay-court dominance less than a year after Rafael Nadal’s retirement. Now, Alcaraz has a balance of experience and ambition, making him a sizable favorite to retain his title, current odds place him at around 46% probability.
Main Photo Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports
