{"id":105928,"date":"2026-05-30T15:09:48","date_gmt":"2026-05-30T19:09:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/?p=105928"},"modified":"2026-05-30T15:09:48","modified_gmt":"2026-05-30T19:09:48","slug":"french-open-day-8-predictions-ruud-fonseca","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2026\/05\/30\/french-open-day-8-predictions-ruud-fonseca\/","title":{"rendered":"French Open Day 8 Predictions Including Casper Ruud vs Joao Fonseca"},"content":{"rendered":"

The fourth round of the 2026 French Open kicks off on Day 8 with four scintillating matches on the men’s side. A now-wide-open draw<\/a> has reverberated through the locker room. Everyone who takes the court on Day 8 will believe they can lift the trophy next Sunday.<\/p>\n

Zain Mustafa, Harsh Bhoot, Jordan Reynolds, and Nurein Ahmed offer their insights on what should be a terrific day of tennis. But who will advance to the French Open quarterfinals?<\/p>\n

French Open Day 8 Predictions<\/h2>\n

Alexander Zverev vs Jesper de Jong<\/h3>\n

Zain<\/strong>
\nIs this finally the time when Alexander Zverev\u2019s chase<\/a> for an elusive Grand Slam title materialises? Well, the draw certainly suggests so. There was no Carlos Alcaraz to start the tournament, and after the first six days, both Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic have also exited. But before the German starts dreaming big, he will first need to take care of Jesper de Jong, who, after entering the main draw as a lucky loser, has been on a remarkable run, reaching the second week in Paris for the first time in his career.<\/p>\n

The Dutchman serves big and looks to use his court coverage to win points. Unfortunately for him, that is more or less what Zverev excels at too. On top of that, Zverev is the more consistent baseliner in this matchup and also the better returner by a clear margin. While time will tell whether he finally wins his first Slam here or not, he should be able to come through this match without too many issues.
\nPrediction: Zverev in 3<\/em><\/p>\n

Harsh<\/strong>
\nThis is Zverev’s tournament to lose. Unfortunately, the German hasn’t handled pressure well throughout his career, so it will be interesting to see how he fares in the fourth round. His opponent, De Jong, has certainly made the most out of the lucky loser slot. Zverev has won both their previous meetings, including a second-round match at last year’s French Open. Zverev has looked pretty solid, while De Jong will definitely be tired after the five-setter against Khachanov. Expect Zverev to fight through nerves and post good numbers on his serve.
\nPrediction: Zverev in 4<\/em><\/p>\n

Jordan<\/strong>
\nZverev has become the tournament favorite after Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic\u2019s exits. Whether he can handle the pressure of knowing this is a golden opportunity to win his first Grand Slam is a legitimate concern. However, that fear, if realized, is more likely to crop up in the final few rounds rather than against De Jong.
\nPrediction: Zverev in 3<\/em><\/p>\n

Nurein<\/strong>
\nThere is now enormous pressure on Zverev to win his first Major. And the draw has opened up nicely for him. While he has not played his best tennis, Zverev continues to find ways through matches and looks increasingly comfortable, as he did in the previous round. De Jong has enjoyed an excellent run, though Zverev\u2019s superior serve and ability to control rallies with his backhand should become decisive as the match progresses.
\nPrediction: Zverev in 4<\/em><\/p>\n

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Andrey Rublev vs Jakub Mensik<\/h3>\n

Zain<\/strong>
\nA couple of days earlier, it looked like it would be a miracle if Jakub Mensik even played his match against Alex de Minaur after his body froze up due to severe cramps. Now, the Czech finds himself in the second week of the French Open against an opponent in Andrey Rublev, whom he has had success against before.<\/p>\n

Time and again, Mensik has been able to use his big serve and trap the Russian into backhand-to-backhand exchanges, which have often tilted their matches in his favour. On clay, though, Rublev will have more time from the baseline to load up on his shots, and he should also do a much better job of returning serve. From the forehand side, Rublev has the clear edge. If he utilises that weapon effectively, he has the pedigree on this surface to grind out a hard-fought win and make yet another Major quarterfinal.
\nPrediction: Rublev in 4<\/em><\/p>\n

Harsh<\/strong>
\nA tight match from the get-go. Rublev has started strong this week at the French Open as he generally does before hitting a wall in the quarterfinals. Mensik fought hard in his second round, but his win over De Minaur in the third round should instill a lot of confidence. Both players will be very aggressive from the baseline, and the match could very well be decided by who can better protect their backhands. Mensik has won both of their previous matches, and if he recovers well, the Czech looks likely to be more solid from the baseline, especially from the backhand side.
\nPrediction: Mensik in 5<\/em><\/p>\n

Jordan<\/strong>
\nThis is a fascinating matchup between two powerful baseline hitters. Despite Mensik\u2019s impressive performance against Alex de Minaur, I favor Rublev slightly more on clay. Mensik\u2019s huge serve, being slightly less effective on the surface, could make the difference.
\nPrediction: Rublev in 4<\/em><\/p>\n

Nurein<\/strong>
\nThis is one of the more intriguing matchups of the French Open fourth round. Mensik has already defied the odds after his physical struggles earlier in the tournament. He possesses the firepower to match Rublev from the baseline and has looked increasingly confident on big stages. Still, Rublev\u2019s clay-court experience is something I cannot ignore here, and the Russian is flying under the radar in this section.
\nPrediction: Rublev in 4<\/em><\/p>\n

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Rafael Jodar vs Pablo Carreno Busta<\/h3>\n

Zain<\/strong>
\nThis all-Spanish clash at the French Open sees the experienced Pablo Carreno Busta take on the youngster Rafael Jodar. Carreno Busta has made this deep run on the back of a first-round upset victory. After a couple of years plagued by physical issues, the Spaniard has finally managed to string together a solid run again. Meanwhile, Jodar, who had to come through a tough five-set match in the third round, now has the joint-most wins on the ATP Tour on clay this season.<\/p>\n

Both players will look to stay on the baseline and dictate the tempo of the match. Carreno Busta should be the fresher player, and he has shown that he can still hold his own from the back of the court. However, Jodar\u2019s clay-court form has been so exceptional that against an opponent who is not quite the player he once was, I expect the younger Spaniard to prevail in yet another potentially long battle.
\nPrediction: Jodar in 5<\/em><\/p>\n

Harsh<\/strong>
\nJodar is living up to the expectations so far<\/a>. He faces fellow countryman Carreno Busta, who is an unlikely fourth-round opponent. Carreno Busta has made the most out of a weak section of his draw, but this will be a tough test. Despite Jodar in form, Carreno Busta is looking like his vintage self, and it just feels like experience will triumph over youth this time around. Expect Carreno Busta to be highly consistent against a fatigued Jodar.
\nPrediction: Carreno Busta in 4<\/em><\/p>\n

Jordan<\/strong>
\nCarreno Busta has already done really well to reach this stage at 34 and after so many injury issues. The talented Jodar cannot afford any complacency against his compatriot. Overall, though, he is the more complete player and likely winner.
\nPrediction: Jodar in 4<\/em><\/p>\n

Nurein<\/strong>
\nJodar was a heavy favorite to reach the French Open second week in this section, but nearly succumbed to defeat against Michelsen. But the Spaniard showed supreme serving ability and heavy power to overcome the American. He now faces countryman Carrreno Busta, who has rolled back the years this week. If this comes down to consistency and physical endurance, I will happily back Jodar.
\nPrediction: Jodar in 4<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n

Casper Ruud vs Joao Fonseca<\/h3>\n

Zain<\/strong>
\nBoth players made the fourth round after coming back from two sets down in their previous encounters. Casper Ruud did so against Tommy Paul, while Joao Fonseca landed the biggest win of his career by defeating Novak Djokovic for a signature victory.<\/p>\n

Fatigue could be a major factor here, as both players have already endured multiple five-set matches in the Paris heat. Beyond that, this is another matchup where Fonseca can rush and outhit Ruud, but the Norwegian remains the more stable baseliner. Ruud can use the heavy topspin on his forehand to push the Brazilian well outside the court, an area from where he should control most rallies, given that Fonseca\u2019s movement can still be exploited at times. Ultimately, in a match where the legs are likely to feel heavy, I expect a natural letdown from Fonseca after his emotional win over Djokovic, with Ruud using his serve and forehand effectively enough to reach the final eight in Paris once again.
\nPrediction: Ruud in 4<\/em><\/p>\n

Harsh<\/strong>
\nThis match is all about who recovers better. Ruud and Fonseca both came back from two sets down in their third round in two amazing French Open matches. Considering both players recovered in time, Fonseca showed his peak tennis by going for shots whenever he got the chance, and it feels like he would be able to do so again more easily against Ruud’s groundstrokes. Fonseca serves bigger as well, and he should be able to gain early control of the rallies. Expect Ruud to put up a valiant effort as he knows the pressures of the French Open better, but Fonseca looks stronger at the moment.
\nPrediction: Fonseca in 4<\/em><\/p>\n

Jordan<\/strong>
\nBoth players will need to recover from five-set battles. Fonseca\u2019s triumph from two sets down against Novak Djokovic<\/a> was remarkable viewing and showed his huge potential. Yet, I am backing Ruud here. Whether the more inconsistent Fonseca can reach that level again is uncertain, while Ruud rarely produces a bad performance on clay.
\nPrediction: Ruud in 4<\/em><\/p>\n

Nurein<\/strong>
\nWith both men coming off five-set epics, this will now be the survival of the fittest. Right now, I will take the young legs of 19-year-old Fonseca. His talent is obvious, and he has shown throughout his young career that he can challenge elite players on clay.
\nPrediction: Fonseca in 5<\/em><\/p>\n

Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane – Imagn Images<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The fourth round of the 2026 French Open kicks off on Day 8 with four scintillating matches on the men’s side. A now-wide-open draw has reverberated through the locker room. Everyone who takes the court on Day 8 will believe they can lift the trophy next Sunday. Zain Mustafa, Harsh Bhoot, Jordan Reynolds, and Nurein […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4067,"featured_media":98815,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[85,15615,511,15413,43822,811,204,2942,18805,19130,16099,17753,18636,18637,91,15553,43245,43459,2373,2369],"class_list":["post-105928","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-predictions","tag-alexander-zverev","tag-alexander-zverev-predictions","tag-andrey-rublev","tag-andrey-rublev-predictions","tag-caper-ruud-predicitons","tag-casper-ruud","tag-french-open","tag-french-open-predictions","tag-jakub-mensik","tag-jakub-mensik-predictions","tag-jesper-de-jong","tag-jesper-de-jong-predictions","tag-joao-fonseca","tag-joao-fonseca-predictions","tag-pablo-carreno-busta","tag-pablo-carreno-busta-predictions","tag-rafael-jodar","tag-rafael-jodar-predictions","tag-tennis-picks","tag-tennis-predictions"],"modified_by":"Shane Black","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105928","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4067"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105928"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105928\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":105933,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105928\/revisions\/105933"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105928"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=105928"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=105928"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}