French Open Predictions: Can Sinner Be Stopped, Will Gauff Repeat?

The French Open kicks off Sunday, with two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz out of the tournament . But No. 1-ranked Jannik Sinner has been breaking records on clay this season, and appears to be the man to beat.

On the women's side, Coco Gauff won the 2025 French Open title -- with Aryna Sabalenka , Elena Rybakina and Iga Swiatek all expected to challenge for the title.

We polled our experts for their picks, thoughts on the tournament and best betting tips .

D'Arcy Maine: Simply put: no. Not right now, and not without Alcaraz in the draw.

Sinner is on a dominant streak for the ages. He hasn't lost a match since February and has claimed a title at five straight tournaments -- all stunningly at the Masters 1000 level -- for a 29-match win streak. And in that time, he has dropped just three sets. Three sets! Sure, there are some formidable foes in his path -- Ben Shelton potentially in the quarters and Daniil Medvedev in the semis, to name a few -- but it just seems unlikely that any of them will beat him with such an opportune chance for a career Grand Slam on the line. To quote Alexander Zverev , who lost to Sinner 6-1, 6-2 in the Madrid final, "There's a big gap between Sinner and everybody else right now." And that might be putting it mildly.

Bill Connelly: I watched Sergiy Stakhovsky beat Roger Federer at Wimbledon once upon a time, so it definitely can happen. But here's a complete list of non-Alcaraz players who have beaten Sinner in a best-of-five match since the start of 2024: Daniil Medvedev (Wimbledon 2024) and Novak Djokovic (Australian Open 2026).

The only active non-Alcaraz players to have ever beaten him in best-of-five on clay are Andrey Rublev (2022) and Daniel Altmaier (2023). Some of the rising players who could give him problems -- Arthur Fils and Rafael Jodar , to name two -- haven't proven that they're anywhere near ready to break through over five sets. So, it'll take an absolute "stuff happens" kind of day, or another amazing performance from Djokovic in the finals, for him to go down.

Simon Cambers: The only way it happens is if Sinner gets injured or if cramps hit badly. The hot weather expected for Week 1 opens the possibility, but in pure tennis terms, it won't happen. Sinner has not lost since Doha, and though he has played a lot, he has such an edge over the field, especially with Alcaraz not playing through injury. All things being equal, he wins it not at full speed, even if there are good players in his path. Good, but not good enough.

Maine: In some ways, Novak Djokovic appears to be the likeliest contender -- he has won three times at Roland Garros -- but he lost his lone match on clay this season and has an incredibly challenging draw with big-hitting French star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round and, potentially, Joao Fonseca in the third round, two-time finalist Casper Ruud in the fourth round and Zverev, the 2024 runner-up, in the semis.

Logically, Djokovic, who turned 39 on Friday, has no business reaching the final, but we're talking about Novak Djokovic . Having defeated Sinner at the Australian Open in January, and being well aware this might just be his best remaining chance to win his record-breaking 25th major title, Djokovic will do everything he can to get back to the final -- and it might be enough.

Connelly: Djokovic's draw really is ridiculous and gives him almost no time to play his way into form. He has reached five straight Slam semifinals, and 12 of 14, even as he has slowed his schedule. It's fair to give him the benefit of the doubt. But with a little better draw and pretty good recent form against players not named Sinner, Alexander Zverev probably has the best odds at this point.

But with the field's general vulnerability, this wouldn't be the worst time for a major Slam breakthrough from a youngster such as Fonseca or Rafael Jodar. They're both in the right half of the bracket for it.

Cambers: Even though he has barely played since reaching the Australian Open final, you still wouldn't put it past Djokovic getting to another final. He has a tough draw, though, with Fonseca, Tommy Paul and Casper Ruud in his quarter, so they're going to make it difficult for him and potentially leave him with little left at the end. He's 39, and though he's superhuman, it's asking a lot this time.

I think we will see a massive tournament from Jodar, another Spanish Rafa, who has burst onto the scene this year, winning Marrakech and reaching the semis in Barcelona and quarters in Madrid and Rome. He might run out of steam, but he's the same age as the other Rafa when he won his first Roland Garros. He couldn't, could he? If not, then I'd pick Ruud.

Maine: Defending a major title is tough, and something Gauff couldn't do at the US Open after winning her first Slam title there. However, she arrives in Paris with some serious momentum, having reached the Italian Open final, just as she did in 2025, and having won some tightly contested, three-set matches over quality players such as Mirra Andreeva and Iva Jovic in Rome.

Her road back to the final could be tricky -- with Sabalenka likely waiting in the semifinals -- but with no player as the clear favorite on the women's side and all of the top-ranked players playing somewhat inconsistently on the surface at the moment, Gauff has nearly as good a chance as anyone to win the trophy. She so often finds a way to win even when she's not playing her best, so why not?

Connelly: With Swiatek searching for confidence and Sabalenka losing earlier than expected in her only two clay-court events (and dealing with some physical ailments), it feels as if Gauff is better positioned to win this year than she was last year. Her draw isn't easy -- Taylor Townsend in the first round, an in-form Anastasia Potapova in the third -- but it's manageable with the way she has played of late. There's no favorite in this tournament, but she has to be one of the three or four co-favorites.

Cambers: I think she has a really good chance. Despite the fact that she has not been as consistent as she'd like in the build-up to Roland Garros and her forehand and serve can still be shaky on occasion, she showed in Rome that her game is not far off, while her fighting qualities remain unmatched. She'll love the heat if it stays, and she's in a good section of the draw. A semifinal against Sabalenka would be the least I'd expect, and considering that she won the title last year without playing well, by her best standards, she can close again. It'll depend on who comes through the other half, but it wouldn't be surprising to see her in another final.

Maine: It has been a challenging season for Swiatek, with disappointing losses and a coaching change, but it seemed as if things were finally getting back on track at the Italian Open. She rolled past Naomi Osaka and Jessica Pegula -- each winning just three total games against her -- but then she was stopped in the semifinals by eventual champion Elina Svitolina . Still, it marked her first semifinal appearance of the year and gave her some much-needed confidence heading into her perennial favorite event.

But the draw in Paris did her no favors. Jelena Ostapenko , the 2017 champion who holds a 6-0 career record over Swiatek, could await in the third round. Marta Kostyuk , who won the title in Madrid last month, might then be waiting in the fourth round. And it doesn't get any easier from there. The red-hot Svitolina, who also defeated Swiatek at Indian Wells this season, is a potential quarterfinal opponent. Rybakina, who has won their past two meetings, could await in the semis. As a four-time champion at the tournament, Swiatek knows how to win on the red clay but will need to rediscover her previous level and aura -- and fast -- if she wants to have a chance this time around.

Connelly: She still serves up lots of breadsticks (6-1 sets) and bagels (6-0), and her past six losses were all in three sets; she's closer to her best form than her worst. That's important to remember. And in her best form, she's virtually untouchable on clay. It wouldn't be surprising to see her carve through this draw, as she has quite a few times through the years. But her draw is rough. And it's almost personalized in the way that she'll have to work past very Swiatek-specific obstacles, such as Ostapenko. Without her best form, Swiatek probably won't make the semis.

Cambers: I drew a breath when I saw that Ostapenko could be her third-round opponent, given their crazily skewed head-to-head record, but I think this time, Swiatek would find a way to win that one, should it happen. I loved that she went to Rafa Nadal's academy to pick the Spaniard's brains as she works with new coach Francisco Roig. As Madison Keys said on her podcast with Jessica Pegula: "The last thing we needed for Iga to have on clay was Rafa. It should be illegal."

Swiatek is already hitting with more shape and margin for error under Roig and seems calm and content. She still has bad moments, but they're likely to become fewer and further between again. A quarterfinal against Elina Svitolina would be another blockbuster, but she has a good chance to win here for a fifth time.

Maine: Before his withdrawal Saturday, I thought Arthur Fils was in a great position for a major breakthrough -- and in front of his home crowd, no less -- but alas. But Learner Tien is another young player who appears to be figuring out the surface at the right time. The 20-year-old American won his first ATP clay title over the weekend in Geneva and could continue his momentum into the second week in Paris.

On the women's side, several players are capable of surprise runs, but let's not forget Sloane Stephens . The 2017 US Open champion and 2018 French Open finalist came through qualifying and looks to be finding her rhythm after an otherwise lackluster year. She has always loved the red clay and has done well at the tournament. Could this be where she turns around everything for another deep Slam run?

Connelly: The bottom half of the men's draw is available for a dark horse who peaks at a good time, be it a youngster such as Jodar or Fonseca, or a well-positioned veteran such as Tommy Paul. If Djokovic is ever going to win one more Slam, this might be his best shot with Alcaraz out. That would count as a surprise, right?

On the women's side, Zheng Qinwen hasn't made tons of noise since her return, but she has a workable draw, and she gave some really good players good fights this spring. She won Olympic gold in Paris two years ago, and this would be a great chance for her to reassert herself.

Cambers: I've already singled out Jodar as one to watch on the men's side, but otherwise, Ruud would fill that role. Twice a finalist here, he looked close to his best again in Rome, and he will relish the hot, fast conditions. His forehand will enable him to work over most of the field. He could have Djokovic in Round 4, but he has beaten Djokovic here before, and it's not getting easier for the 39-year-old, 24-time Grand Slam champion.

On the women's side, the Amanda Anisimova quarter looks wide open. She hasn't played on clay this year, and pulling out of Rome because of a left wrist injury was ominous news for her chances. Several players could come through her quarter, but Linda Noskova , the big-hitting Czech, could have a good run. Though she hasn't gone deep on clay this year, she has lost to players on a hot streak: Svitolina, Marta Kostyuk and Sorana Cirstea . A quarterfinal against Gauff would be a big challenge, but she has a huge game, and no one enjoys playing her.

Maine: Jannik Sinner. No notes.

Connelly: Jodar! Just kidding. Sinner.

Cambers: Jannik Sinner

Maine: Coco Gauff

Connelly: Elena Rybakina

Cambers: Iga Swiatek

All odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of time of publication.

Pamela Maldonado: I'll take Elena Rybakina (+650). She has the cleanest path through the draw, momentum coming off a Stu

_Originally reported by [ESPN](https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/48848849/french-open-experts-picks-betting-tips)._