(Credit: rolandgarros.com)
Before I shift my focus to Wimbledon and grass court tennis, I would like to take a look back on the two amazing weeks that were at the 2025 French Open on the grounds of Roland Garros. Okay, let's dive in!
#1. Carlos Alcaraz is the top clay player in the world: Carlos Alcaraz won his fifth grand slam and second straight French Open, defeating Jannik Sinner in a five-set thriller in the final: 4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6. Alcaraz had to dig deep to come out on top, but he proved that he is the top clay player in the world on the men's side by defending his title. In order to prove you're the best on a surface, I kinda think you need to at least win back-to-back titles and Alcaraz has now done that at the French Open.
#2. Coco Gauff finally cracks the code on clay: Coco Gauff has been knocking on the door to win her first French Open and she finally did it, defeating Aryna Sabalenka 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 in the final. She reached the final in 2022 and lost in the semifinals in 2023, so she's been close. At just 21 years of age, she has plenty of tennis in front of her, which means this is likely the first of many French Open titles. What really made the difference against Sabalenka was her patience and ability to extend rallies. She's the better clay court player and in the end, that made the difference despite Sabalenka being the better all-around player.
#3. Jannik Sinner still searching for his first slam away from hard court: Jannik Sinner had a heartbreaking French Open. He was up 2-0 on Carlos Alcaraz only to drop the next three sets. He also had three championship points, but failed to close it out. Sinner is still in search of his first grand slam title away from the hard courts after blowing this opportunity. He can't let this loss sting for too long with Wimbledon right around the corner.
#4. Aryna Sabalenka has more work to do on the clay: As I mentioned above, Aryna Sabalenka failed to win the French Open in large part because Coco Gauff proved to be the better clay court player. Just like Sinner, Sabalenka is still in search of her first grand slam away from the hard courts. In order to truly be an all-time great, you have to win on the other surfaces. It'll be interesting to see how she does on the grass courts of Wimbledon.
#5. Lorenzo Musetti is knocking on the door: At just 23 years of age, Lorenzo Musetti reached his first French Open semifinal, losing to Carlos Alcaraz. Musetti also reached the semifinals at Wimbledon last year, so he's knocking on that door to reach a grand slam final. The question is can he take it up a notch and get over the top? Wimbledon will be interesting for sure.
#6. Iga Świątek is mortal on the clay: Iga Świątek came into Roland Garros having won four straight French Open titles. She was my pick to win it all and yet she ended up coming up short in the semifinals against Sabalenka, losing 6-7, 6-4, 0-6. If you are Swiatek, you are obviously hoping to come back stronger next year and go the distance. I'm sure she has more French Open titles in her future, but this year, she showed the rest of the WTA tour that she can be beaten.
#7. Rafael Nadal is forever etched in history: Rafael Nadal was honored with a commemorative plaque with his footprint and number of French Open titles (14) on it that is on Court Philippe-Chatrier. It was a great way to begin the two weeks in Paris. Nadal has meant so much to the sport and especially Roland Garros. It is only fitting that he will permanently have his mark left on the clay.
#8. Jasmine Paolini ran out of gas: Jasmine Paolini came into Roland Garros with high hopes having won the Italian Open. Unfortunately for her, she went out in the 4th round, unable to make it back to the final where she was last year. I still like Paolini's odds of winning Roland Garros in the next couple of years, but she showed that it's no easy task to win in Rome and then in Paris.
#9. Novak Djokovic is still determined to win more slams: While he came up short against Jannik Sinner in the semifinals, Novak Djokovic showed that he is still very much motivated to win grand slam titles, currently eying No. 25. Personally, I think Djokovic has the ability to win a couple more slams before it's all said and done. He has the will and the motivation. You can never count him out.
#10. Lois Boisson took advantage of being at home: 22 year old Lois Boisson had an impressive run to the semifinals, falling to Coco Gauff 1-6, 2-6. She played well all the way until her final match against Gauff, taking advantage of having the home country crowd behind her. What made this all the more impressive was this was her grand slam debut. It'll be fun to see how the rest of her 2025 season goes and whether or not she can climb even further up the rankings. She started the tournament ranked No. 361 in the world and finished ranked No. 65. That's quite a jump!
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