A few first-round picks from Paris today, and there's at least one match here that could genuinely surprise. We've got Djokovic starting his campaign, a coin-flip rematch in the Aliassime-Altmaier rivalry, and what looks like a very dangerous situation for Rublev. Let's get into it.
French Open Predictions
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard vs Novak Djokovic
Head-to-head: First meeting
First things first, Djokovic on clay is still one of the most reliable things in tennis even at this stage of his career, and Mpetshi Perricard hasn't really shown he can back up his big serve with anything clinical enough to beat a top-four player in a best-of-three. His game is built around free points on serve and short exchanges, and Djokovic is probably the worst possible opponent for that because he returns as well as anyone and will happily drag things into long rallies.
That said, Djokovic hasn't been fully convincing in 2025 and there's always a question mark until he actually gets out there and plays. Still, the gap in clay-court pedigree here is enormous and I think this goes to three but Novak comes through.
Prediction: Djokovic in 3
Felix Auger Aliassime vs Daniel Altmaier
Head-to-head: Aliassime 2-2 Altmaier
A 2-2 head-to-head makes this harder to call than the rankings suggest, and Altmaier is exactly the kind of consistent clay-court grinder who can make life miserable for players who want to play at a higher tempo. FAA has the bigger game and the higher ceiling, but he can go missing in long baseline exchanges and Altmaier is very good at making matches exactly that.
Aliassime has been more consistent this season and the ranking gap is real, so he should still find a way to get through here, all things considered. But this feels like a three-setter almost certainly.
Prediction: Aliassime in 3
Ignacio Buse vs Andrey Rublev
Head-to-head: First meeting
Rublev has been in poor form for months now, and this is the kind of first-round match he's been losing recently. Buse is a solid clay-courter ranked 62 in the world, which is not where you want to be drawing opponents when your confidence is shot, and completely comfortable in long grinding exchanges, and Rublev right now doesn't have the mental consistency to close out matches when things get tight. To make things worse, Rublev's forehand has been misfiring badly and giving away cheap points at the worst moments.
Buse wins this one.
Prediction: Buse in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Matthieu Mirville/ZUMA Press Wire