Ultimate Guide: How Rafael Nadal's absence from Roland-Garros changes the tournament
Updated . First published at
As Roland-Garros enters a new, post-Rafa era this year, there are a couple of prevailing sentiments among tennis players.
One is: It's a shame the world won't get to see the King of Clay, as Rafael Nadal came to be called, ply his unique brand of topspin-heavy relentlessness on the crushed red brick of Roland-Garros, where he won a record 14 of his 22 grand slam titles.
The other, expressed by men who would love to get a chance at carving their own bit of history at the place, goes like this: Whew, it sure will be nice not to have that guy looming in the bracket now that the 38-year-old Spaniard is retired.
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Rafael Nadal of Spain salutes the crowd at the 2024 French Open. Getty
Players no longer need to worry about Nadal at the French Open.
"Luckily - or unluckily - I never got to play him in Roland-Garros," said American Tommy Paul, a 2023 Australian Open semi finalist currently ranked 12th.
"It's nice not to have to worry about him, I guess," Paul added with a laugh.
Watch all the action from Roland Garros 2025 live & on-demand on Stan Sport, with two courts in 4K UHD. Coverage of select matches free-to-air on 9GemHD and streaming on 9Now
"That's the main thing that comes to my mind."
Players repeatedly used the word "different" to describe what it'll be like without Nadal around.
"It'll be strange for the fans, above all," said top-10 player Lorenzo Musetti, an Italian who reached the semifinals at Wimbledon and earned an Olympic bronze medal in 2024.
Rafael Nadal of Team Spain plays a forehand. Getty
"But the history he made in Paris will never be forgotten."
Nadal's 14 French Open titles are a record for any grand slam tournament.
To be sure, Nadal's dominance in Paris was unprecedented.
"Impossible," defending champion Carlos Alcaraz said, "to repeat."
Nadal collected more championships than any other player at one major tennis tournament, spanning from his first, which arrived two days after his 19th birthday in his 2005 debut, to his last at age 36 in 2022 on a painful foot that required nerve-dulling injections.
He went 112-4 overall in the event.
Rafael Nadal of Spain returns a shot to Fabio Fognini of Italy. AP
One measure of just how good Nadal was there is reflected in his head-to-head records against the other two members of the Big Three of men's tennis, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
Nadal went 8-2 against Djokovic in the French Open, accounting for about 15 per cent of all of Djokovic's lifetime grand slam losses anywhere, and 6-0 against Federer.
"What a legend. What an ambassador for the sport," Australian player Thanasi Kokkinakis said about Nadal. "One of the greatest athletes ever, not just in tennis."
Nadal will be honoured by a ceremony at the French Open on Sunday.
He certainly left his indelible mark in Paris. A larger-than-life statue was erected near an entrance to the tournament grounds in 2021, while he was still active; a ceremony honouring him will be held Sunday in the main stadium, Court Philippe-Chatrier, after the first three matches of day one.
One would imagine that Nadal will be treated to the sort of applause and chants of "Ra-fa" he heard often, including when he played for the final time at the site — at the Paris Olympics last year — and left describing the "unforgettable feeling and emotions" he enjoyed.
And no one who ever faced him, or watched him, at the French Open will forget his lefty whip of a forehand or the way he stood so far back to return serve or the way he chased every ball. Or the way the arena announcer would list off all of his ever-growing list of championship years before a match. Or the way Nadal would bite his trophies after winning one, something Naomi Osaka emulated after claiming her first clay-court title just last month.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of Roland-Garros 2025.
When is Roland-Garros 2025?
Main-draw action begins on Sunday, May 25 (AEST), with matches from 7pm. The two-week tournament concludes with the men's singles final on Sunday, June 8.
The qualifying rounds for Roland-Garros take place in the week leading up to the main draw.
Alex De Minaur of Australia during a training session in preparation for the 2025 French Open. Getty
Where is Roland-Garros?
The second major of the year and premier clay-court tournament is held at the Stade Roland-Garros in Paris, France.
Roland-Garros 2025 singles schedule
First round (women and men), May 25-27
Second round (women and men), May 28-29
Third round (women and men), May 30-31
Fourth round (women and men), June 1-2
Quarter-finals (women and men), June 3-4
Women's semi-finals, June 5
Men's semi-finals, June 6
Women's final, June 7
Men's final, June 8
Is Novak Djokovic playing at Roland-Garros 2025?
Yes, Novak Djokovic will feature this year despite a recent form slide off the back of four first-round exits.
Djokovic has had a substandard clay-court season so far, which has included some earlier-than-expected exits in tournaments in Monte Carlo and Madrid.
Having just turned 38, Djokovic is currently playing in the Geneva Open to try and get more matches under his belt before his 20th French Open campaign.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates a point. Getty
Is Rafael Nadal playing at Roland-Garros 2025?
No, this is the first time Roland-Garros has been held since the man known as the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal, retired from tennis last year.
He collected 14 championships at the French Open, more than any man or woman has won at any grand slam event.
Roland-Garros 2025 singles seedings
Men's draw:
1. Jannik Sinner
2. Carlos Alcaraz
3. Alexander Zverev
4. Taylor Fritz
5. Jack Draper
6. Novak Djokovic
7. Casper Ruud
8. Lorenzo Musetti
9. Alex de Minaur
10. Holger Rune
11. Daniil Medvedev
12. Tommy Paul
13. Ben Shelton
14. Arthur Fils
15. Frances Tiafoe
16. Grigor Dimitrov
17. Andrey Rublev
18. Francisco Cerundolo
19. Jakub Mensik
20. Stefanos Tsitsipas
21. Tomas Machac
22. Ugo Humbert
23. Sebastian Korda
24. Karen Khachanov
25. Alexei Popyrin
26. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
27. Denis Shapovalov
28. Brandon Nakashima
29. Felix Auger-Aliassime
30. Hubert Hurkacz
31. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
32. Alex Michelsen
Women's draw:
1. Aryna Sabalenka
2. Coco Gauff
3. Jessica Pegula
4. Jasmine Paolini
5. Iga Swiatek
6. Mirra Andreeva
7. Madison Keys
8. Zheng Qinwen
9. Emma Navarro
10. Paula Badosa
11. Diana Shnaider
12. Elena Rybakina
13. Elina Svitolina
14. Karolína Muchová
15. Barbora Krejčíková
16. Amanda Anisimova
17. Daria Kasatkina
18. Donna Vekić
19. Liudmila Samsonova
20. Ekaterina Alexandrova
21. Jeļena Ostapenko
22. Clara Tauson
23. Beatriz Haddad Maia
24. Elise Mertens
25. Magdalena Fręch
26. Marta Kostyuk
27. Leylah Fernandez
28. Peyton Stearns
29. Linda Nosková
30. Anna Kalinskaya
31. Sofia Kenin
32. Yulia Putintseva
What is the prize money for Roland-Garros 2025?
The total prize pool for Roland-Garros in 2025 has surpassed $90 million, an increase of over five per cent from last year's tournament, with increases across every round.
The two singles champions each will receive $4.13m.
How to watch Roland-Garros 2025?
Roland-Garros will be broadcast on exclusively live and free on Nine with matches also available to be streamed live on 9Now and Stan Sport.
Prime-time coverage of select matches will also air on 9Gem each night.
A Stan Sport subscription offers all matches with no ads in play, live and on demand, and with two courts available in 4K UHD.
For all the Roland-Garros headlines, talking points and highlights, stream Stan Sport's Grand Slam Daily every morning of the tournament.
Hosted by Chris Stubbs with renowned Australian player, coach and commentator Wally Masur, the pair will cross regularly throughout the tournament to Duncan McKenzie-McHarg on the ground in Paris, who will be chatting with some of the biggest names in world tennis.
What are the odds for Roland-Garros 2025 (per SportsBet at the time of publishing)?
Men's singles: Jannik Sinner is the favourite at $2.25 while top seed Carlos Alcaraz is paying $3.75. Novak Djokovic is listed at $6.50.
Alcaraz and Sinner have won the last five consecutive grand slams between them.
Women's singles: Top seed Aryna Sabalenka is the favourite, paying $3, with Iga Swiatek listed at $5. Coco Gauff is listed at $6.
Who do the Australian challengers play in the first round?
Women's singles draw:
Daria Kastkina (AUS) v Katerina Siniakova (CZE)
Kim Birrell (AUS) v Jacqueline Cristian (ROM)
Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) v Maya Joint (AUS), all-Australian clash
Olivia Gadecki (AUS) v Coco Gauff (USA)
[WC] Destanee Aiava (AUS) v Dayana Tastremska (UKR)
Daria Saville was the only Australian to progress through Roland-Garros qualifying after defeating Taylor Townsend in the final round on Friday evening (AEST).
Men's singles draw:
[9] Alex de Minaur (AUS) v Laslo Djere (SRB)
[25] Alexei Popyrin (AUS) v Yoshihito NIshioka (JPN)
Jordan Thompson (AUS) v Jiri Lehecka (CZE)
Aleksandar Vukic (AUS) v [24] Karen Khachanov
Rinky Hijikata (AUS) v Reilly Opelka (USA)
Adam Walton v Qualifier
Christopher O'Connell (AUS) v [22] Ugo Humbert (FRA)
James Duckworth (AUS) v Alexander Bublik (KAZ)
[WC] Tristan Schoolkate (AUS) v Marton Fucsovic (HUN)
Who are the defending champions at Roland-Garros?
Men's singles: Carlos Alcaraz beat Alexander Zverev 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 in 4 hours, 19 minutes, to become, at 21 years of age, the youngest man to win grand slam titles on all three surfaces
Alcaraz has been the in-form claycourt player in 2025, winning the Monte Carlo and Rome Masters to return to world No.2.
Women's singles: Iga Swiatek defeated Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-1 in 1 hour, 8 minutes.
The Pole could become the first woman in more than 100 years to win four-straight Roland-Garros titles. But her clay season in the lead-up to Paris has been less dominant than previous years.
