There’s plenty of star power in my French Open predictions for Sunday’s action at Roland Garros.
Today’s French Open narrative: Carlos Alcaraz enters action as a significant favourite over Ben Shelton, and there’s not much betting value to be had in that contest. Consequently, I’m looking elsewhere and betting on Tommy Paul, Lorenzo Musetti and Daniel Altmaier.
Check out my French Open predictions for June 1.
French Open predictions
Best Bet: Paul -1.5 sets (+108)
Paul has found his footing on clay, and I expect him to put forth a strong effort against Alexei Popyrin.
The U.S. tennis star is an impressive 21-7 on the surface since 2024, boasting an 11-3 record on clay this year.
His most notable win on clay in 2025 came against Alex De Minaur. But his best performance arguably came in a losing effort at the Italian Open, where Paul pushed Jannik Sinner to a third set.
Popyrin is a solid 9-5 on clay this year, but he’s an even 13-13 dating back to 2024. His most impressive clay victory in 2025 came against world No. 8 Casper Ruud in April.
The Aussie has cruised to this point of the tournament without dropping a set, but he hasn’t faced a very high level of competition. None of his three wins came against competitors ranked inside the ATP top 40.
Paul is ranked 12th, and although he has spent plenty of time on court at Roland Garros, I expect him to win in rather quick fashion against Popyrin.
Key stat: Paul owns a 3-1 career record against Popyrin.
Quick picks
Musetti -1.5 sets (+107): Musetti has been exceptional on clay this year, and I expect him to beat a tough competitor in Holger Rune.
The Italian is a dominant 17-3 on the surface in 2025, scoring victories over top players like Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev.
It’s taken a special effort to beat him this clay-court season, as only Alcaraz (twice) and Jack Draper have been able to take him down.
Rune is a solid 9-4 on clay, and he downed Alcaraz in Barcelona, but he has struggled since.
The Danish star lost two of his three matches before the French Open and hasn’t faced a top-40 player at this tournament.
Musetti is a significant step up in class, and I expect him to win by multiple sets.
Altmaier +1.5 sets (-112): The third quarter of the French Open draw has been eventful, and one of the biggest surprises is seeing Altmaier here.
The German started the festivities with a bang, upsetting Taylor Fritz in the first round. He has since beaten Vit Kopriva and Hamad Medjedovic in four sets apiece.
Frances Tiafoe is also cruising at Roland Garros, winning all three of his matches in straight sets.
There are a couple of reasons, however, why I’m siding with Altmaier.
Firstly, Altmaier has a better record on clay (13-7) than Tiafoe this year (10-6).
Secondly, Altmaier is very solid in clutch moments on clay. He ranks 30th in under-pressure rating (218.7) on the surface, largely thanks to his 44.1% break-point conversion percentage in 2025.
Tiafoe, for comparison, has a 30.7% break-point conversion percentage on clay.
Lastly, he played a very competitive match against Tiafoe at the 2023 Italian Open. Altmaier pushed Tiafoe to three sets. I expect him to keep it close once again.
French Open predictions made at 12:35 p.m. on 05/31/2025.
Stevie’s an avid NFL, NHL, and tennis bettor who has no problem talking himself into the underdog. His previous stops include Yahoo! Sports Canada and Toronto Metropolitan University, where he received a degree in Sport Media.