The Italian Open has just wrapped up, and what a spectacle it was on the WTA side! While AO champ Madison Keys entered as a heavy favorite, it was Coco Gauff who proudly carried the American flag into the final. Yet again, she fell short, this time to local sensation Jasmine Paolini, echoing her Madrid loss. Now, with Roland Garros looming, all eyes turn to defending champion Iga Swiatek and her clay-court dominance, which makes the headlines all over again. But hold on! Could a dark horse crash the Parisian party? Well, at least the tennis insiders are buzzing as a rising star steps into the spotlight, ready to shake up the Clay hierarchy!

The name on everyone’s lips heading into the French Open is none other than Peyton Stearns. Her Italian Open campaign was nothing short of sensational. Stearns stormed through the draw, toppling Nuria Brancaccio, Russian star Anna Kalinskaya, GS champion Madison Keys, and even Naomi Osaka in a gripping two-and-a-half-hour battle. Her run wasn’t just impressive, it was historic. 

According to the WTA, Stearns became the 1st player to reach the SF on her Rome main-draw debut since Daria Saville in 2015, and the 1st American woman to achieve that since the legendary Venus Williams in 1998. Now, as the red clay of Roland Garros awaits, Stearns is no longer flying under the radar. Tennis insider Prakash Amritraj has backed the young American to go a long way in Paris. 

When asked about a possible dark horse in France on the Tennis Channel Live Podcast, Amritraj said, “Gosh, we’ve seen some great stories here, but I think I’m gonna go with the American Peyton Stearns on the women’s side. She’s played some great tennis, snuck into a seated position here. She’ll be in the second 16. I think she’s got a great shot to make it into the round of 16, depending on who the seed is in her section. Love the way she battled here, Madison Keys, Naomi Osaka.”

Amritraj wasn’t just impressed with her powerful performances but also highlighted a defining moment in Stearns’ campaign that could shape her French Open run. He addressed, “But that third set breaker against Elina Svitolina, who has been in unbelievable form here. She really showed a lot of stuff. I think she would have had a shot against Jasmine Paolini with her style just completely out of gas by the time she got to the semis. And got a ton of self-belief. I think that’s going to come into play in Paris, too.”

Indeed, Peyton Stearns has had a breakout moment at the Italian Open. Her stunning victory over Elina Svitolina in a nerve-wracking QF was a milestone in her career. The American, unseeded in the tournament, held off the 16th seed to win 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(4) in 2 hours and 38 minutes, despite letting a significant lead slip in the 2nd set and being down a double break in the 3rd.

This performance marked Stearns as the 1st player in the Open Era to win three consecutive WTA main-draw matches in 3rd-set tiebreaks. Before Svitolina, she took down none other than Naomi Osaka and Madison Keys, both Grand Slam champions, also in 3rd-set deciders. Her victory over the 6th seed Madison Keys remains her best career win by ranking.

Her consistent fight and mental resilience have not only earned her a place in the record books but also guaranteed her a career-high in the updated WTA rankings as well. This new ranking could very well earn her a 1st-ever GS seeding at the upcoming French Open, adding more weight to Amritraj’s prediction. 

Now, while it will be interesting to see how far Stearns goes in Paris, there’s no reason not to expect something something great for Coco Gauff as well.

“Lot of confidence going into Roland Garros,” Coco Gauff opened up about her chances at Roland Garros

While Coco Gauff has exhibited strong performances on clay this year (2025), the championship remains elusive. In Rome, she delivered impressive victories, however, she fell short once again, this time to local favorite Jasmine Paolini, who played inspired tennis to win 6-4, 6-2, becoming the first Italian woman in 40 years to lift the Rome title. Unforced errors hampered the American’s progress, resulting in an inability to alter the match’s momentum.

Earlier in May, Gauff also made it to the Madrid Open final, where Aryna Sabalenka defeated her in straight sets. Despite the setbacks, the former US Open winner remains focused and hopeful heading into Roland Garros, confident that she’s close to turning these runner-up finishes into a Grand Slam title.

Reflecting on her recent performances in an interview with the WTA after the Italian Open final, Coco expressed her mindset going forward. “Two results I’m obviously pretty disappointed in, but overall I have a lot of confidence going into Roland Garros and hopefully I can get to the final there & win it. I think I saw Medvedev say it’s better to lose in finals than first round,” she said, finding inspiration in Daniil Medvedev’s outlook.

With the Americans now setting their sights on French Open glory starting from the 25th, who are you backing to take the crown at Roland Garros? Share the name of your winner at the comments below!