Six 'wildcards' for Roland Garros 2025

Fernando Murciego | 25 May 2025 | 07.30

Peyton Stearns, One of the Dark Horses for Roland Garros 2025. Source: Getty

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As we count down the hours until a new edition of Roland Garros kicks off, I have the feeling that we could be facing a tremendously hierarchical Grand Slam. When I think about the boys, only two names come to mind: Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Alexander Zverev. If I do the same exercise with the girls, not many more options come to mind: Aryna Sabalanka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Mirra Andreeva, and Jasmine Paolini.

I truly say it would be a big surprise if the 2025 champions do not come from these two lists, although we know that destiny often plays tricks in the world of sports. I propose six rackets that could easily shake up our predictions, three boys, and three girls who aim to cause a stir in the upcoming fortnight.

JACK DRAPER

The Brit was the first to downplay when the clay court season started, claiming that this surface was not his favorite, and not to expect anything special. What a surprise it was - at least for me - to then see good old Jack reaching the round of 16 in Monte Carlo, the final in Madrid, and the quarters in Rome. Three tournaments, defeats against Davidovich, Ruud, and Alcaraz. He hasn't even needed to play smaller tournaments, with a 9-3 record suffice to arrive in Paris having shown that although clay is not his forte, he can still dance well when needed. Let's not forget Draper is already a Masters 1000 champion, already a top 5 player globally, so we better be aware of the capabilities of a lad who, if his body holds up in five-set matches, should be taken very seriously.

FRAN CERÚNDOLO

A bit further down, inside the top 20 and, of course, acting as a seeded player, is another name causing a stir on this clay court swing. Fran has played five tournaments, reaching semis in Munich and Madrid. The feeling with the Argentine is that he is already there, very close to his full potential, although still lacking that super victory on a big stage to truly break through. His best result in Grand Slam tournaments? Round of 16 at Roland Garros, achieved in both 2023 and 2024, a stage he has not yet touched in the other three temples. This means if it has to be in one place, it will definitely be Paris. First, let's see how Cerúndolo performs in the first week of competition, where he should comfortably pass. Where we truly expect him is from the round of 16 onwards.

HUBERT HURKACZ

Maybe now is not the best time to boast about the Pole, who was up 4-2 against Novak Djokovic in the third set of the Geneva final. Yes, it slipped through his fingers, but this week is the best evidence to confirm that he is very close to his best form. How many would have held up for three hours in a final against the Serbian player? Considering where Hub was coming from, the conclusions of his time in Switzerland can only be positive. We know that clay will never be his favorite surface, but pay attention to his numbers last season on this swing. I would be very careful with Hurkacz, although it's true that the draw has been merciless to him, matching him up in the first round against a certain Joao Fonseca. The one who emerges victorious from that match, watch out for the rest.

QINWEN ZHENG

I said at the beginning of the season that Qinwen Zheng was going to win Roland Garros and I must stick to this position. Is her 2025 maybe not going as expected? Perhaps, but injuries and the absence of Pere Riba in the early tournaments didn't help either. In fact, we can say that her first big joy came just before Paris stop, those semis in Rome after defeating Sabalenka for the first time. Although she is now World No. 8, for me, she falls just a step outside the circle of top favorites, so I allow myself to include her as a possible dark horse that's not talked about much, even though she clinched the Olympic gold on these very courts just over a year ago.

PEYTON STEARNS

Keep an eye on this woman, virtually unknown to the general public but already in the global top 30. Coming from university college, her rise in the last two seasons has been impressive, to the extent of already starting as a seeded player in these types of events. An American player who, departing from the usual path marked by her compatriots, actually enjoys sliding on clay courts. That's why she just secured her first semifinals in a WTA 1000 event like Rome, where she came very close to surprising Paolini and finding herself contending for the title on Saturday. Obviously, she's still far from dreaming of titles of this magnitude, but I see her more than ready to reach the round of 16 and, depending on her opponents from that point onwards, treat her with a lot of respect. She has nothing to lose, just a fortnight ahead to introduce herself to the world, and for nobody to ask again: Who is Peyton Stearns?

JESSICA BOUZAS

I couldn't wrap up the article without adding a Spanish touch in one of its paragraphs. I focus on Jessica and the dedication she always shows whenever she faces one of the four major stages on the circuit, even though this is the only one where she hasn't yet secured her first victory. With the triumphs in Paris still pending, the Galician tennis player has successfully completed her first season within the top 100, finding her place and giving some scares to the world's best. The draw didn't make it easy for her this time - debuting against Emma Navarro - but from here, we are fully confident in seeing Jess break her limit and, why not, debut in the second week of a Grand Slam.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Seis ‘tapados’ para Roland Garros 2025