The second slam of the year is upon us as the 2025 French Open gets started on Sunday with 20 men’s main draw singles matches. This set of predictions is paced by No. 8 seed Lorenzo Musetti vs Yannick Hanfmann. Our other prediction articles feature Tommy Paul vs Elmer Moller, Ben Shelton vs Lorenzo Sonego, Tomas Machac vs Quentin Halys, and Frances Tiafoe vs Roman Safiullin. Predicting this set of matches is Ilemona Onekutu, Damian Kust, and Tope Oke. Who will advance to round two?
French Open Day 1 Predictions
Jenson Brooksby vs Jaime Faria
Ilemona
Jenson Brooksby’s recent Houston title and clay-court form give him the clear edge. Jaime Faria is promising but inconsistent, and his recent injury issues may hold him back. Brooksby should advance.
Prediction: Brooksby in 4
Damian
Faria has been injured a lot recently, but typically, he’s a stronger red clay player than Brooksby. This is tough to say as the Portuguese also has a very risky playing style, so he’ll definitely keep smashing his groundstrokes despite his opponent’s uncomfortable game. If he’s in the right rhythm, he wins this, but it’s an opportunity for Brooksby to do something in Paris for the first time, too.
Prediction: Faria in 5
Tope
American Jenson Brooksby is resettling well after his lengthy suspension, winning the title in Houston before adjusting his schedule to prepare for Paris. He has a favourable opening draw against Jaime Faria, who is the more experienced clay court player and arrives in shaky form. In a match that could go either way, I’ll rely on Brooksby’s booming service to get him through.
Prediction: Brooksby in 4
Daniel Elahi Galan vs Valentin Royer
Ilemona
Daniel Elahi Galán, entering as a lucky loser, faces French wildcard Valentin Royer in the first round. While Galán brings Grand Slam experience, Royer has been in strong form, winning back-to-back Challenger titles earlier this year. On home soil and with recent momentum, Royer could edge out a tight contest.
Prediction: Royer in 5
Damian
Galan gets a second chance and while he earned two Challenger titles earlier in the season, his recent form hasn’t been impressive. Royer on the other hand will have the crowd behind him and has been flying so high on confidence almost all year. Galan will have to find something quickly, but maybe he can just pull it off with Royer seemingly starting to cool down recently.
Prediction: Galan in 5
Tope
Valentin Royer went on a 14-match win streak earlier in the season, winning the two titles in Kigali to earn a main draw berth in Paris as a wildcard. He faces the more experienced Elahi, who replaces Roberto Carbelles Baena, who pulled out because of injury. With the home fans behind, and having not lost consecutive matches since January, this is a winnable one for the Frenchman.
Prediction: Royer in 4
Marton Fucsovics vs Tristan Schoolkate
Ilemona
Marton Fucsovics’ experience and physical game make him the favorite against wildcard Tristan Schoolkate. The Aussie has potential, but Fucsovics should be too solid and advance comfortably.
Prediction: Fucsovics in 3
Damian
Schoolkate won a round each at the previous two Grand Slams he competed in, but on clay it might be a much more difficult challenge. Fucsovics has the deadly slice to neutralize his weaponry and of course won’t be just standing there watching the Australian hit powerful shots past him either. With very little experience on the surface, this looks like a tricky one for Schoolkate.
Prediction: Fucsovics in 4
Tope
Tristan Schoolkate’s solid performances on the Challenger circuits have earned him yet another wild card entry to a major after his debut at the Australian Open earlier in the year. Though he crossed the first hurdle in Melbourne, it will be a tough ask for him in this one. His opponent, Fuscovics, holds a 5-2 record in his first-round matches, with the losses coming against former top 20 players. The Hungarian may not be at his best, but he is experienced enough to see this through.
Prediction: Fuscovics in 4
Lorenzo Musetti vs Yannick Hanfmann
Ilemona
Lorenzo Musetti enters the French Open in strong form, having reached a final and two semi-finals on clay in recent weeks. Although Yannick Hanfmann holds a 2–1 head-to-head advantage, including a 2023 clay-court win in Madrid, Musetti’s recent performances and higher seeding suggest he’s poised to advance. Expect a competitive match, but Musetti’s current momentum gives him the edge.
Prediction: Musetti in 3
Damian
Musetti has had an excellent clay season, and it would be very disappointing if he let it go to waste at Roland Garros now. For the last four years, he was losing to the Top four seeds before the quarterfinals, so being a high seed himself now is a wonderful opportunity. We’ll see how he handles it, but Hanfmann isn’t in amazing form and shouldn’t be a big threat.
Prediction: Musetti in 3
Tope
Lorenzo Musetti has produced elite-level tennis over the past few months, and expectations for him in this year’s French Open are high. While Hanfmann leads there head-to-head, with all their matches being on clay, this is a different version of the Italian, and as long as he sustains the form that has propelled him into the top #10, the German stands no chance
Prediction: Musetti in 3
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke – Imagn Images
