Defending Roland-Garros champion Carlos Alcaraz will defend his title against Japan's Kei Nishikori in the first round of the 2025 edition (May 25–June 8). The draw, held on May 22, pitted the pair against each other for the first time in the ATP. Alcaraz (20), ranked number 2 in the world, will face the 35-year-old Nishikori, who has reached the quarterfinals three times in Paris and won bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Tournament schedule and qualifications
The main tournament begins on May 25 and ends on June 8. Qualifying began on May 19, with each player having to win three matches to secure a spot in the main draw. The women's final is scheduled for Saturday, June 7, while the men's final will take place on Sunday, June 8.
Key facts before the start of the tour
- Start of the main draw (singles): Sunday, May 25
- Singles final: Saturday, June 7, 15:00 PM
- Two-point final: Sunday, June 8, 11:00 AM
- Mixed doubles final: Thursday, June 5
- Qualifications: from Monday, May 19, to Friday, May 23
- Main table size (single): 128 players (including 16 qualifiers and 8 wild card guests)
- Main table size (double-dot): 64 teams (including 7 wild card teams)
- Main board size (mixed-two-point): 32 teams (including 8 wild card teams)
- Time zone: Central European Summer Time (CEST) (BST +1, EST +6)
- Official tournament ball: Wilson at Roland Garros
The history of Roland-Garros…
Roland-Garros began in 1891 as the “French Clay Championships,” a tournament for members of local clubs only, dominated by Max Décugis with eight titles (1903–1914). In 1925, the competition was opened to players from around the world and renamed the “French Open.” During that period, Suzanne Lenglen won six times (1920–1926), while the French “Four Musketeers” – Cochet, Lacoste, Borotra, and Brugnon – collected 10 titles and won the Davis Cup in 1927, which led to the construction of the “Roland Garros” stadium.
After World War II, Americans and Australians (Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, Margaret Court) dominated their era, winning 13 titles between 1962–1973. With the professionalization of tennis in 1968, the tournament gained even more importance, as the fields gradually expanded to 20, including Philippe-Chatrier and Suzanne-Lenglen.
Since the 90s, the Spaniards – Sanchez, Bruguera, Moyà, Costa and Ferrero – have ushered in the era of Rafael Nadal, who won nine times between 2005 and 2014. In 2016, Novak Djokovic completed the unscheduled Grand Slam in Paris, writing a new page in the history of this iconic event.
Women's Challenge: Swiatek seeks historic record
Defending champion Iga Świątek will begin her title defense against Rebecca Šramková. The Pole is aiming to become the first woman in more than a century to win four Roland Garros Świątek, seeded fifth, defeated the Slovak in their first meeting at the 2025 Australian Open and could face Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, in the second round.
Awards and financial rewards
This year, the total prize fund at Roland-Garros is €56.352 million, an increase of 5.21% compared to last year. The winners of the men's and women's singles titles will each receive €2.55 million, while the losing finalists will each receive €1.275 million. The tables below show the prize money for each stage of play, in the singles and doubles categories.
Single (per player)
Game phase | Reward (€) | point |
|---|---|---|
Winner | 2 550 000 | 2 000 |
Finalist | 1 275 000 | 1 300 |
Semi-finalist | 690 000 | 800 |
as quarterfinals | 440 000 | 400 |
Round of 16 | 265 000 | 200 |
Round of 32 | 168 000 | 100 |
Round of 64 | 117 000 | 50 |
Round of 128 | 78 000 | 10 |
Doubles (per team)
Game phase | Reward (€) | point |
|---|---|---|
Winner | 590 000 | 2 000 |
Finalist | 295 000 | 1 200 |
Semi-finalist | 148 000 | 720 |
as quarterfinals | 80 000 | 360 |
Round of 16 | 43 500 | 180 |
Round of 32 | 27 500 | 90 |
Round of 64 | 17 500 | 0 |
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Roland-Garros 2025 favorites
On the men's side, Jannik Sinner (number 1) and Alcaraz are the favorites, and it is precisely the agreement of the draw that separates them until the final. The two recently fought in the final of the Rome Masters, where Alcaraz triumphed. Novak Djokovic, a three-time champion in Paris, is trying for his 25th Grand Slam singles title, although he has struggled with form this season. Alexander Zverev (last year's finalist) and Casper Ruud (two-time finalist) remain in the race for the trophy.
The atmosphere at Roland-Garros and expectations
Parisians are expecting a fiery atmosphere on the “Courts Philippe Chatrier” and “Suzanne-Lenglen”. As always, French fans create a mixture of passion and sportsmanship. With young players in form and big names returning to Paris, this Roland-Garros promises quality battles and surprises.
