After spoiling Jannik Sinner’s party in Rome, Carlos Alcaraz made a roar about his next mission, saying, “All eyes are on Paris now, on Roland Garros.” In June 2024, he won his third Grand Slam title and his first on the Parisian clay by defeating Alexander Zverev, in an epic five-set battle. On the women’s side, Iga Swiatek defeated Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in straight sets to win her fifth Grand Slam title. Surprisingly, the Pole has failed to win any title after that! Considering this lack of form, even Swiatek admitted, “It would be stupid to expect a lot because I’m not able to play my game right now.” However, her peers, like Coco Gauff, are well aware of the threat she poses on clay. Who’ll be crowned as the champion of this 134-year mega clay court event at the Stade Roland Garros this year, and what’s at stake for these players in the 124th edition of the French Open?

The French Open has elevated its total purse at Roland Garros to about $63.7 million this year. If we draw a comparison, it’s around a 5.21% increase from the previous season. The prize for the men’s and women’s singles winner is around $2.9 million, i.e. a straight increase from last year’s $170,000. It’s also the highest total prize money in the tournament’s history! This is the second Grand Slam tournament on the tennis calendar, but it typically checks in at number 3 in terms of purse sizes. The US Open had the most purse money last year.

With the return of Jannik Sinner in the Tour after serving a three-month suspension due to the doping saga, and considering the form Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have been in this season, it’s needless to mention that it’s going to be a blockbuster show, throughout these two weeks. How much prize money has been allocated in each round of this star-studded event this year?

What are the Ranking points allotted for each round?

• First round: 10 points
• Second round: 70 points
• Third round: 130 points
• Round of 16: 240 points
• Quarterfinals: 430 points
• Semifinals: 780 points
• Finalist: 1300 points
• Champion: 2000 points

Can Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek retain their titles at the French Open, or are we going to see a new winner this time around? Well, let’s check out what all these players had to say before this mega event.

Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek express their excitement ahead of the 2025 French Open

Yesterday, both these champions were spotted alongside each other during the singles draw ceremony. Iga Swiatek returns to Paris having won the last three Roland Garros singles titles and four of the last five editions. The Pole has been a dominating force at this event in this decade, with a record of 32-1 over her past five appearances. How does she feel about her return to one of her favorite tournaments?

“I have great memories from last year, and every tournament was a totally different story. I also learned a lot. It’s always a pleasure to come back here and play on these courts again because, for sure, I feel like these are the best courts,” said Swiatek. Last year, she became the first woman to complete a successful three-peat at the French Open since Justin Henin in 2007. In one of her recent interviews with Roland Garros, she admitted she loves playing tennis here.

Even Carlos Alcaraz reflected a similar thought, saying, “It’s been a great clay season so far but we are here. It’s the most important tournament of the clay season and one of the best tournaments that we have on the tour. Right now I’m excited to go out here and remember the emotions and the feeling that I had last year. Like Iga said, it’s great to feel it again. The confidence is really high right now. Obviously I’m playing great matches, I’ve got great wins in this clay season which gives a lot of confidence. I’m excited.”

He believes this year’s event will be a bit “different” from last year. He claims that last year, he got only two or three wins before coming to the French Open. But this year, he recently clinched titles at Monte Carlo and Rome. So, both these champions are in two different situations, entering this mega event.

On the other hand, on the women’s side, America’s Coco Gauff can be a real dark horse in this tournament, considering her performances on clay this season. She has already reached the finals in Madrid, Rome, and she looks quite optimistic about her chances in Paris. “I think it’s both confidence and motivation to do better. Hopefully, I can get to the final in Roland Garros and maybe the ‘third time is a charm’ thing is a real thing. That’s looking so far ahead. Overall, I lost to two quality opponents, Aryna in Madrid and Jasmine here. So yeah, I think I have a lot to improve, a lot that I can work on. I made the final with those errors. Made the final, maybe not playing my best tennis. It just gives me confidence… if I can find that good form heading into Roland Garros, I can do well there.” Who between these three do you think has the real chance to lift the title this year? Do you think Coco Gauff can accomplish her long-awaited mission of lifting the trophy at Paris?