Scouting Report: Sinner, Alcaraz chase more major success at Roland Garros, Djokovic eyes 25th Slam

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz headline the men’s field at Roland Garros, where both chase further Grand Slam success after winning the past five majors between them. But the road to glory in Paris won’t be easy. Novak Djokovic returns in pursuit of a record-extending 25th Slam title, while 2024 runner-up Alexander Zverev continues his quest for a maiden major.

Top 10 stars Jack Draper, Casper Ruud, and Lorenzo Musetti have all shown strong form this season and will be eyeing deep runs. Arthur Fils leads French hopes, while 38-year-old Richard Gasquet prepares to bid farewell at his final Roland Garros. ATPTour.com breaks down 10 storylines to watch at the clay-court major, beginning Sunday.

1) Defending champion Alcaraz: Alcaraz arrives in Paris as the defending champion, having clinched a five-set final win against Zverev 12 months ago. The 22-year-old Spaniard has won a Tour-leading three titles in 2025, including ATP Masters 1000 crowns on clay in Monte-Carlo and Rome, where he defeated Jannik Sinner in the final. Alcaraz begins against Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri and is seeking his fifth major.

2) Can Sinner win big on clay? A three-time major champion and four-time Masters 1000 champion, the No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings Sinner has been a dominant force at the top of the game for the past two years. However, a big title on clay still eludes the Italian, with Sinner’s best result at Roland Garros a semi-final showing last year. The 23-year-old returned to Tour after a three-month absence earlier this month in Rome, where he reached the title match. He will start his Roland Garros campaign against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech.

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3) Djokovic chasing record-extending 25th major: Djokovic arrives in Roland Garros in high spirits after winning his 100th tour-level title in Geneva. The Serbian, who is just one of three players to lift 100 tour-level trophies (Roger Federer 103, Jimmy Connors 109), will now aim to capture a record-extending 25th major crown. The three-time Roland Garros champion plays Mackenzie McDonald in the first round.

4) Zverev looking to break major duck: Last year, Zverev came within a set of winning his first major in Paris, only to fall to Alcaraz in five sets. The German began this season by reaching another major final at the Australian Open, only for Sinner to stop him. Aiming to capture his maiden major this fortnight, the 28-year-old arrives off the back of a disappointing second-round exit to Alexandre Muller in Hamburg.

5) Draper, Musetti arrive in good form; former finalist Ruud: Draper and Musetti both sit inside the Top 10 in the PIF ATP Rankings and head into the clay-court major in good form. World No. 5 Draper, who is searching for his first match win at RG, lifted his maiden Masters 1000 trophy in Indian Wells in March before he advanced to the final in Madrid, losing to Ruud. World No. 8 Musetti reached the title match in Monte-Carlo and the last four at Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Rome. Draper is seeded to meet Sinner in the quarter-finals, while Musetti could face Taylor Fritz in the last eight.

A man who has brought his best to Paris in the past is two-time finalist Ruud. The Norwegian advanced to the title match in 2022 and 2023 and this year won his first Masters 1000 crown in Madrid. Ruud faces Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the first round, with Ruud leading the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series 4-3.

6) Fritz leads American hopes: World No. 4 Taylor Fritz is one of seven American seeds in the men’s draw, alongside Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Sebastian Korda, Brandon Nakashima and Alex Michelsen. Fritz (2024) and Korda (2020) are the only two to have advanced to the fourth-round stage at the major in the past.

7) Fils, Humbert among home favourites, Gasquet waves goodbye: The 14th seed Arthur Fils and 22nd Ugo Humbert lead French hopes on home soil, with Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard also seeded (No. 31). The 20-year-old Fils has won two tour-level titles on clay but has never won a match in two previous appearances at Roland Garros.

Eighteen years Fils’ senior, Richard Gasquet will end his career at Roland Garros. The 38-year-old holds a 30-21 tournament record, having made his debut in 2002 and reached the quarter-finals in 2016. If Gasquet overcomes countryman Terence Atmane in the first round, he could meet Sinner.

8) #NextGenATP stars Mensik, Fonseca, Tien compete: Jakub Mensik, Joao Fonseca and Learner Tien are the leading #NextGenATP stars in action. The 19-year-old Mensik lifted his first tour-level title at the Masters 1000 event in Miami in March and is seeded at a Slam for the first time (No. 19). Fonseca, 18, clinched his first ATP Tour title on clay in Buenos Aires earlier this year and Tien, 19, already has major pedigree, having beaten Daniil Medvedev en route to the fourth round in Melbourne in January.

9) First-round matches to watch: #NextGenATP pair Tien and Fonseca feature in the best first-round matches. Tien meets Zverev and takes a 1-0 Lexus ATP Head2Head series lead into the match after beating the German in Acapulco this year. Fonseca plays 30th seed Hubert Hurkacz, who reached the fourth round in Paris last year.

Other first-round matches to watch include Shelton vs. Lorenzo Sonego and Medvedev vs. Cameron Norrie.

10 Defending champions Arevalo/Pavic headlines doubles draw: Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic return as defending champions after triumphing last year. This season, they lifted titles in Indian Wells and Miami to complete the ‘Sunshine Double’ and they won in Rome. Australian Open champions Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten are the second seeds. Singles star Stefanos Tsitsipas teams with his brother Petros Tsitsipas for the third consecutive year. Last season the Greeks reached the quarter-finals.