We looked at the early odds favorites to win the French Open 2025 for the men yesterday and now it is time to look at the women! Whereas the men’s field is wide open again after suspensions and injuries, the women’s field was already open for quite some time. But at the French Open, the usual suspect has been one woman in particular – can she be the queen of clay once again in 2025?
Iga Swiatek – 13/10
The Polish World No. 2 comes off three consecutive French Open titles, four in total, which make up most of her Grand Slam victories. It is undisputed that her unique game style of spin and power, which separates her from most other players on the women’s tour, makes her the heavy favorite any time she steps on a clay court. But this year, the perfect image of Swiatek has taken quite some heavy blows. From the infamous doping suspension, accusations of unsportsmanlike behavior to some unusual defeats against up- and coming players, Swiatek’s season has been anything but perfect.
In Stuttgart, where she started her clay campaign, she lost to her nemesis, Jelena Ostapenko, in straight sets. It will be interesting how she will do in Madrid, given all the noise around her, but her history and style will still give her the position of the player most likely to win.
Aryna Sabalenka – 4/1
Aryna Sabalenka is running away with the top spot in the rankings ever since Swiatek had been suspended and has extended her lead to almost 4000 points as of now. She is the favorite to win at any tournament she enters and would also be so in Paris, weren’t it for the surface. Whereas she won about everything on hard court, Sabalenka is still missing a Grand Slam title on clay or grass. But the Belarussian has worked on her game and implemented quite some variety, which might come in extremely helpful on the natural surfaces.
Her slice and net game have improved, she occasionally will use dropshots and vary the speed. But her biggest weapon remains her serve plus one game, which has hardly been beaten once she starts to play at her best level. If Sabalenka can reach that level in Paris, she will also be on the shortlist for the title for sure. Read more about Sabalenka’s current racquet setup.
Mirra Andreeva – 7/1
The surprise of the season so far is no other than Mirra Andreeva, who is just about to turn 18 and has already won a Masters title this year and entered the top 10. Plus, her game style fits about perfectly to the surface we are about to play on. Her varied shot-making ability, together with good touch has already let her to a maiden Slam semifinal in Paris last year. And with the help of coach Conchita Martinez, she has one of the best clay court players of all time in her corner. No wonder that the betting odds for a victory make Andreeva the third highest favorite for the title and given what we have seen in Indian Wells, it is unlikely that nerves are something that will be standing in her way too much.
Coco Gauff – 13/1
Ranked No. 4 in the world, Coco Gauff is the first American on the list for the tournament where she already made the final back in 2022. She is coming off a very up-and-down season, where an Australian Open quarterfinal was about the biggest achievement so far. It seemed as if Gauff had overcome some technical and mental struggles late in 2024, with winning the WTA finals and finishing the year on a high note. But it seems that she still is not completely back to her Slam winning form and might not be the highest ranked contender in Paris. Whereas for the men, US-Americans often struggle with the clay court movement, it seems that the women have much more success on the unknown surface and Gauff has been in the second week of Roland Garros every year since 2021. So, look out for her to be a surprise contender in Paris.
Elena Rybakina – 25/1
It is hard to really give an update about Elena Rybakina this season. Similar to Swiatek but for totally different reasons, her season has been in turmoil from day one. She hired Goran Ivanisevic as her coach, after splitting from Stefano Vukov amidst rumors that he had been mistreating her for years. Rybakina then re-hired the latter, which led to Ivanisevic leaving the coaching team after Australia and the WTA eventually coming out with a report about Vukov’s abuse and a subsequent one-year ban.
As if all that weren’t enough, she had to pull out repeatedly from tournaments and apart from a good run in Qatar and Dubai, wasn’t able to perform at her highest level. So, what brings her into the ranking here? As we all know, her best game is close to unplayable for her opponents and if she feels comfortable and hopefully gets her personal situation cleared, she will be a contender as well. Read more on Rybakina’s racquet.
Other selected odds for in-form players
| Paula Badosa (33/1) | Badosa is known for her clay court ability and has had great showings this year. If her back is holding up, she might be in for a surprise in Paris. |
| Jelena Ostapenko (33/1) | Well, it is nothing short but the Ostapenko experience. Winning Stuttgart, then losing to World No. 550 in Madrid? Might as well win another major. |
| Jasmine Paolini (33/1) | The Italian is always a tough competitor, made it to multiple finals, but can she make the next step given that her game might not be as big? |
| Belinda Bencic (40/1) | She might be the biggest of all dark-horses. Just back from maternity pause, she surprised a lot of experts this year and will be one to watch in Paris. |
| Madison Keys (50/1) | It felt like after winning her maiden Slam title, the tension dropped a bit for Keys. Still, she is one of the hardest hitters on tour and might just run it back one more time. |
