A star of the present against a star of the future - and a lot of passionate supporters - this one's going to be good
Court Suzanne-Lenglen, third match
Jack Draper (5) vs Joao Fonseca
If, as the former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson once said, “a week is a long time in politics” then it is a lifetime in tennis. No sooner had Great Britain got used to the idea of Jack Draper being a top five player (he got there after reaching the Madrid final last month) than his star is being overshadowed by the rise and rise of Joao Fonseca.
The 18-year-old from Brazil stands a muscular 6ft 2ins (188cm) and has a positively terrifying forehand – although it is probably best not to mess with his backhand, either. He won the first of what most people believe will be his many, many career titles on clay in Buenos Aires in February and is already the world No.65 (he started the year at No.145). And this is only his first full season on the ATP Tour.
That said, Draper has a forehand that is causing ripples of anxiety in the men’s locker room and, together with his growing experience in the upper reaches of the rankings, his confidence is growing with every passing tournament. His lefty serve is fearsome and his backhand is unshakeable. And Draper allowed Fonseca a miserly four games when they met in Indian Wells in March.
The newest star of the present against the star of the future – get there early to claim your seat. This one should be a cracker.
Court Simonne-Mathieu, first match
Paula Badosa (10) vs Daria Kasatkina (17)
Paula Badosa has many memories of playing Daria Kasatkina, the most emotional of which was last year at Wimbledon. The two went toe-to-toe for three, long sets before Badosa finally won. But it was not the result itself that mattered, it was the fact that she was back where she felt she belonged. A back injury had ruined 2023 for her and that Wimbledon win proved to be the launchpad for her comeback.
Nearly a year later, she is the world No.10 and is up against Kasatkina again. “She's a very good player,” Badosa said. “She's been many years top 10, top 20. She's a very physical player. She likes to play with a lot of tactics. We know each other pretty well. Let's see how it goes.”
Court Philippe-Chatrier, third match
Coco Gauff (2) v Marie Bouzkova
It comes to something when a 21-year-old is regarded as something of an elder statesman but that is the role Coco Gauff finds herself in these days. She has been in the spotlight for the past seven years – ever since she won the junior title here – and having been through the difficult transition from juniors to seniors at such a young age, she now tries to take some of the younger players under her wing.
“We don't necessarily have to be friends, because they might not want to,” she said, “but I definitely try to just reach a hand out or say hello, just make the vibe better. Because I know that for the few players that did do it to me when I was coming up, I appreciated a lot.” She will not be reaching out a hand to 26-year-old Marie Bouzkova, though: the Czech beat her in both their previous matches.
Court Philippe-Chatrier, second match
Alexander Zverev (3) v Flavio Cobolli
Alexander – or Sascha – Zverev knows he will have to be on his guard today. It is not that Flavio Cobolli has any one shot to strike panic into the heart of the opponent; it is just that he does everything well. His serve is not a weapon but he can dominate from the baseline and he has a sharp tennis brain. And he is confident at the moment having won two titles this year, the most recent being in Hamburg just seven days ago.
One of a close-knit group of young Italians, Cobolli grew up playing with and against Luca Nardi and Lorenzo Musetti and he is great friends with Matteo Berrettini. Jannik Sinner leads the Italian group while the rest push each other to catch him. If Sascha’s serve is not firing on all cylinders, he could be in for a difficult afternoon.
ROLAND-GARROS
19 May - 8 June 2025
©Johan Sonnet / FFT