French Open 2025: First round draw, how to watch on TV, prize money
Emma Raducanu was just one of several British players to receive a real facepalm of a French Open draw as she faces a possible second-round match against defending champion Iga Swiatek.
This was not the outcome British tennis had been hoping for, especially after an encouraging six-week period in which numerous players – not only Raducanu but also Jack Draper, Katie Boulter and Sonay Kartal – have recorded career-best results on clay.
If there is an upside to being near Swiatek in the draw, it is that this might be a good time to play her. Swiatek, who has not lost at Roland Garros since 2021, is on a run of four defeats in her past 10 matches. In her most recent tour appearance – which, like Raducanu’s last match, ended in defeat at the hands of Danielle Collins – she looked thoroughly out of sorts.
But if Swiatek is going to rediscover her confidence anywhere, it will probably be at Roland Garros: a venue she has made her own in a manner reminiscent of Rafael Nadal. Her record here stands at 35 wins from 37 attempts, with the only defeats coming against Maria Sakkari (2021) and former champion Simona Halep (2019). Plus, she has won all four of her previous matches against Raducanu without dropping a set, including a 6-1, 6-0 thrashing at January’s Australian Open.
Mind you, both Raducanu and Swiatek need to win their first-round matches in order to set up this potential fifth meeting. Assuming that she does not suffer any more complications from the back issue that bothered her against Collins on Wednesday, Raducanu is due to begin her campaign against Wang Xinyu, the Chinese woman who sits one place above her on the rankings chart at No 42.
Reassuringly, Raducanu’s management say that she travelled to Paris on Thursday and is in position to begin preparations for that match against Xinyu, which could take place as early as Sunday.
Draper on course for Sinner quarter-final
As for Draper, who is comfortably the best prospect among the British contingent, he will play world No 62 Mattia Bellucci in round one. It is a match that should not test him too much – even if we said the same thing last year when he drew world No 176 Jesper de Jong, and still came badly unstuck.
That painful five-set defeat proved to be a turning point in Draper’s career. Feeling devastated by his poor performance, he rebooted his game, won his very next tournament on the grass of Stuttgart, and began the swift ascent of the rankings ladder which has carried him to No 5 in the world.
Draper’s high seeding protects him from the worst sort of surprises, but he still did not come off brilliantly in this draw. His potential early opponents include Gael Monfils, the veteran who will have every French fan in the same postcode shouting his name, and Brazilian teenage sensation Joao Fonseca. And then, if he should reach the quarter-finals, he would probably run into world No 1 Jannik Sinner.
Tough gigs for other Britons
Among the other British names, Katie Boulter comes in on a run of five straight wins on the clay of Paris, even if they took place not at Roland Garros but at the 125-point “super-Challenger” at nearby Racing Club de France. Boulter has drawn an as-yet unknown qualifier, and if she were to reach the second round – which would be a career first at this event – she would probably face Australian Open champion Madison Keys.
Jodie Burrage will play Collins, who has been in destructive form recently, while Cameron Norrie, who has been struggling for purchase on the tour this season, has drawn 11th seed Daniil Medvedev and the improving Jacob Fearnley is to play former champion Stan Wawrinka, with 22nd seed Ugo Humbert potentially lying in wait thereafter.
Finally, Sonay Kartal – who has arguably been the surprise British package this season with two Masters 1000 wins on clay – has collected the most favourable draw in the whole group against world No101 Erika Andreeva. It should be said, though, that Kartal retired from her most recent match – also at the Racing Club de France – with an injury.
Djokovic’s route opens up
If we leave our parochial British perspective behind for a moment, Novak Djokovic, who turned 38 on Thursday, was perhaps the biggest winner of these draws.
Now that Djokovic has dropped down the rankings to No 6, he could have landed one of the new “Big Two” – Sinner or defending champion Carlos Alcaraz – as a scheduled quarter-final opponent. But instead he wound up in the same quarter as third seed Alexander Zverev, who has struggled to beat rank-and-file opponents since losing to Sinner in the final of January’s Australian Open.
Djokovic has been in woeful form himself, losing three matches in a row until Wednesday’s restorative victory over Marton Fucsovics in Geneva. But he always finds it much easier to get up for the majors than he does for regular tour events. Plus, despite his age, Djokovic seems to prefer the longer best-of-five-set format to a best-of-three shootout. Even after the recent termination of his short-lived coaching experiment with Andy Murray, it would not be a surprise to see him reach the business end of the tournament.
What is the first round draw in the men’s singles?
When does the French Open start and finish?
The tournament starts on Sunday and concludes with the men’s final on June 8.
When do the French Open finals take place?
The women’s final will be played on June 7 and the men’s final takes place on the following day.
How to buy French Open tickets
You can buy tickets for the French Open here.
How to watch the French Open on TV and streaming in the UK
TNT Sports replaces Eurosport as the broadcaster for the French Open.
There will be comprehensive multi-platform live coverage with every match available to stream live on discovery+. Fans will have the option to watch every court, plus live timeline markers will enable a seamless transition between key moments to re-live the action.
A star-studded lineup of match and studio analysts has been assembled, including: Mats Wilander, Alex Corretja, Tim Henman, Boris Becker, John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Chris Evert and Caroline Wozniacki.
Laura Robson and Craig Doyle will present from an on-site studio across the two-week tournament.
How to watch the French Open on TV in the US
In the United States, the French Open will also be shown on TNT Sports.
The likes of Venus Williams, Andre Agassi, Lindsay Davenport, Sloane Stephens, Chris Eubanks and Darren Cahill will provide analysis for US viewers.
What is the French Open prize money?
The total prize money for this year’s tournament comes to £47.4 million, up 5.21 per cent on last year.
Which British players will be involved?
Seven British players have direct entry into the main draw: Jack Draper, Katie Boulter, Emma Raducanu, Sonay Kartal, Jacob Fearnley, Jodie Burrage and Cameron Norrie.
Francesca Jones is one qualifying win away from reaching the main draw.
Billy Harris, Jan Choinski, Harriet Dart and Heather Watson lost in the first round of qualifying while Dan Evans lost in the second round.
Who are the defending champions?
Carlos Alcaraz claimed his third major title when he stormed back from two sets to one down to beat Alexander Zverev in five sets.
Iga Swiatek claimed her fourth French Open title when she overcame Jasmine Paolini in straight sets, dropping just three games.
The French Open trophies
The men play for the Coupe des Mousquetaires (Musketeers’ Cup), named in honour of the four Musketeers of French tennis: Jean Borotra, Jacques Brugnon, Henri Cochet and René Lacoste.
The women play for the Suzanne-Lenglen Cup, named after the woman who won the title six times.
Latest odds
To win the men’s title
- Carlos Alcaraz 6/4
- Jannik Sinner 2/1
- Alexander Zverev 14/1
- Novak Djokovic 16/1
To win the women’s title
- Aryna Sabalenka 5/2
- Iga Swiatek 11/4
- Coco Gauff 7/1
- Mirra Andreeva 8/1
