Experts' picks: Who will win the French Open?

The French Open begins Sunday, with plenty of intrigue. Iga Swiatek has won the past three titles in a row, but didn't make the finals in any of the three clay tournaments she entered this spring. Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff are looking as prepared as ever.

On the men's side, all signs point to a Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner showdown, but who will prevail? Alcaraz is the defending French Open champion, while Sinner won the Australian and US Open -- the past two Grand Slam titles.

We polled our experts for their picks to win, and for their best betting tips.

Who do you think will win the women's singles title, and why?

Pam Shriver: It's a top-heavy women's draw that is anchored by Sabalenka, who is still my pick to win her first Roland Garros. Sabalenka by far has been the best player over the past 12 months, winning many clutch matches. The player who seems to benefit most from being on the weaker bottom half is Gauff, who continues to struggle with her forehand and serve sometimes in important matches. If those two vulnerable shots hold up late in the tournament, Gauff could walk away with her second major. Despite Swiatek's dominance at Roland Garros in the past few years, I don't see her as one of my two picks.

Bill Connelly: Sabalenka. She's just always there in the late rounds. She has reached six finals in her eight events in 2025, and she has reached the finals in five of her past eight Slams as well. It feels odd going against Swiatek, but it's more that I'm going for the world No. 1.

D'Arcy Maine: Gauff. She has proved just how good she can be on clay in the past and had strong results at Roland Garros previously, but it feels like she's better than ever on the surface with a 10-2 record in the month of May alone. She reached the final in Madrid with straight-sets victories over Mirra Andreeva and Belinda Bencic, and then absolutely dismantled Swiatek 6-1, 6-1 in the semifinals. Gauff then went on to reach the Italian Open final, with wins over Andreeva, Emma Raducanu and Zheng Qinwen (in over three and a half hours!) along the way. She has come away trophy-less in Europe so far this season but that should change in Paris.

Tom Hamilton: Apologies for being predictable, but I'll go for Swiatek. She has this Rafa Nadal-esque ability of throwing form and logic aside, to string together something remarkable on the Parisian clay. Jasmine Paolini has a decent shot, as do Sabalenka, Andreeva and Gauff, but Swiatek will end up getting her fifth Roland Garros title.

Simon Cambers: I think it will be Paolini. The experience of reaching the final last year and most recently winning Rome bodes well for her chances, and she has no reason to fear anyone, especially with Swiatek vulnerable this year.

Who do you think will win the men's singles title, and why?

Shriver: It seems like we could see our first major final between Sinner and Alcaraz. Even with Sinner's three months off serving the suspension, Rome proved the two players who have won all the majors the past 18 months are currently the best two players in the world. Alcaraz is the favorite to defend his title to win his fifth major. Alcaraz has been making smarter tactical decisions on the court as he matures. His fitness seems to be peaking too.

Connelly: Sinner. If we end up with a Sinner-Alcaraz final, give me Alcaraz, but I think Sinner's more likely to get to the final. He has the more manageable draw, and Alcaraz is still prone to earlier-round glitches at times -- he fell to David Goffin in Miami, and he has lost nine matches to players outside the top 10 in the past year. (Sinner: 41-0 against players outside the top 10 in the past year.) Sinner found a strong rhythm in Rome despite his lengthy absence/suspension, and he has won three of the past five Slams. Make it four of six.

Maine: Alcaraz. Sure, Sinner wasn't eligible to return to competition until the Italian Open, but there has been no one on Alcaraz's overall level or as consistent this spring on clay. He won in Monte Carlo, reached the final in Barcelona, and then defeated Sinner 7-6 (5), 6-1 in the Rome final. Seemingly at full health after sitting out of Madrid with a hamstring injury and with momentum very much on his side, I fully expect the reigning champion to repeat at Roland Garros and win his fifth major title.

Hamilton: Alcaraz will win his second Roland Garros title. He's in great form, hitting peak fitness and knows what it takes to triumph on the Parisian clay. Sinner will push him close, but Alcaraz is playing tennis at a different level to anyone else at the moment.

Cambers: Alcaraz. He has the best form, having won Monte Carlo and Rome, and for me, he won last year's title without ever quite hitting the heights we know he can. Fully fit after injury, he has everything he needs to win a fifth slam title.

Betting tips

Who is your women's pick to win?

Pamela Maldonado: Mirra Andreeva +600. I said long ago she would win Roland Garros, so I am sticking to that. Andreeva has the clay-court instincts, variety and shot tolerance to frustrate even the best. Sabalenka brings the power and Swiatek owns this surface, but Andreeva's ability to absorb pace, redirect and extend rallies makes her a real threat to both. She recently beat them back-to-back in Indian Wells and looked completely unfazed. On this surface, with her feel and composure, she's built to shock the field.

Andre Snellings: Iga Swiatek +325. Swiatek is having a down season and is seeded fifth in the tournament, her lowest seeding in Paris in years. But this is Roland Garros, and Swiatek reigns supreme at Roland Garros. She has won four of the past five French Open championships, including three in a row. While her play this season has been scratchy by her standards, Swiatek still made the semifinals at the Australian Open and in three of the six WTA 1000 level tournaments she has entered this season. Some of her recent losses, including on clay, may have shaken her confidence a bit, but once she gets on the red clay at Roland Garros I expect her to find her level and win her fifth championship.

Who is your men's pick to win?

Maldonado: Carlos Alcaraz at +115 is the pick to win because no one matches his blend of athleticism, creativity and endurance on clay. He just won in Rome, dropping only one set the entire tournament and beating Sinner in straight sets in the final. Plus, Alcaraz is already a Slam champion in Paris and has the rare ability to adapt mid-match without losing intensity. His movement on the surface is elite, his shotmaking is fearless and his discipline in five-set battles is beyond his years. He's not just the favorite; he's the most complete player in the field.

Snellings: Carlos Alcaraz +105. Alcaraz enters this French Open as the defending champion and favorite. He and rival Sinner have won the past five consecutive majors, and with Djokovic having a down season, the impression is that there is a gap between Alcaraz and Sinner and the rest of the field. After winning last year's French Open, Alcaraz also won the silver medal in men's singles at the 2024 Summer Olympics that were played at Roland Garros. And Alcaraz is having a scorching season on clay, with a 15-1 win-loss record that includes championship wins at both ATP 1000 level events he has played on clay at Monte-Carlo and the Italian Open. Alcaraz defeated Sinner to win the latter.

What is your best bet for the women's side and why?

Maldonado: Not a wager you can find, but one I would take a big bite of: Iga Swiatek to not win Roland Garros. 35-2 overall in six appearances and four French Open titles. If she doesn't win, it's not a knock on her talent, it's a reflection of her uneven season. She has had flashes of dominance but hasn't sustained it. She lost to Ostapenko in Stuttgart, Gauff in Madrid and Collins in Rome, all in matches where she looked a step off rhythm or flat in key moments. Sure, she's capable of finding her best tennis in Paris, but the question is whether she actually will. This year, she hasn't shown the same aura of inevitability, and in a draw this deep, that's a problem.

Snellings: Mirra Andreeva to reach the final +240. Andreeva is one of the most exciting young players on the tour, entering this season's French Open at only 18 years old. Last year, at 17, she advanced to the semifinals at the French Open for her best finish at a major while defeating Sabalenka along the way. She also teamed with Diana Shnaider to win the silver medal at the 2024 Olympics. Andreeva is a former world No. 1 junior, and this season won her first WTA 1000 championships at Dubai and Indian Wells. At this French Open, Andreeva is on the opposite half of the draw from both top-seeded Sabalenka and four-time French Open champion Swiatek, giving her a legitimate path to the final if she plays to her level.

What is your best bet for the men's side and why?

Maldonado: Jannik Sinner to win Quarter 1. Having Jack Draper in his quarter is scary on paper, but break it down. Sinner is 1-9 against top-five opponents on clay. Draper is world No. 5. Context matters. Those losses came against clay dominators: Nadal, Djokovic, Alcaraz, Zverev, Tsitsipas. They weren't upsets but instead they were expected battles against the very best on their best surface. Draper, as talented as he is, isn't in that tier yet, especially not on clay and not in best-of-five. Sinner is too clean, too consistent, and in the best form of his career (12-1 in 2025).

Snellings: Novak Djokovic to reach the final +450. Djokovic has had a down season as he has recovered from the injury that forced him to withdraw from the Australian Open. But he is still Novak Djokovic, and this is still a Grand Slam tournament, which he has won more than any player in history. Djokovic made only the quarterfinals at the French last year, but he has won two of the past four French Open championships. He also won the Olympic gold medal at Roland Garros last summer. If health permits, Djokovic is still very dangerous, and could be value to make the final at +450.

What is your favorite long shot bet to win the women's title and why?

Maldonado: Jasmine Paolini +1400. She just won the Italian Open, beating legit names such as Gauff and Ostapenko, and she's coming off a runner-up finish at last year's French. Her game fits clay: It's smart, patient, tough and she's playing with confidence. Everyone's watching Swiatek and Sabalenka, but Paolini's sitting right there with the form and the draw to crash the party.

Snellings: Jasmine Paolini +1600. Paolini was a finalist at the French Open last season, succumbing to four-time champion Swiatek. Still it was a monster run for Paolini, who also made the final at Wimbledon last season and paired with Sara Errani to win the gold medal in doubles in the 2024 Olympics. Paolini is the fourth seed in this year's French Open, a career-best seeding, and comes in having won a WTA 1000-level clay tournament in the Italian Open. While I wouldn't favor her to win, at 16-to-1 she is getting a lot of juice for a player with this résumé and a legitimate shot to take her first major.

What is your favorite long shot bet to win the men's title and why?

Maldonado: Alexander Zverev at +1400 is the long shot worth backing. His odds may not shout long shot, but his path to victory certainly does. It helps that he won Munich, but Zverev has the physicality, serve and backhand to thrive on clay over five sets. His path is brutal with potentially Cerundolo (0-3 head-to-head), Djokovic, and Sinner in his way, but he's built for grind-it-out matches and is battle-tested in this environment. If he holds his nerve, he has the game to break through and win his first Slam.

Snellings: Casper Ruud +2200. Ruud has quietly been one of the best clay-court players of the past few years, but he was overshadowed by the bigger names of Nadal, Djokovic and now Alcaraz. But Ruud has two finals and a semifinals appearance in the past three French Opens, and has the chops to win the event if things break well for him. Ruud enters the tournament playing well, having won the Madrid Open on clay earlier in the season. At 22-1, Ruud is strong value as a player who could win at very long odds.