The 2025 French Open is entering its second week, and we’re going to look at how the draw is shaping up heading into this phase because there might be some sneaky value for the bettors among you with players like Alexander Bublik and Frances Tiafoe playing well.
The first week was quite eventful, with a lot of great tennis, but some players who people might not have expected are in the second week of the event. So who are the best dark horses to bet on in the second week? Let’s take a closer look.
Alexander Bublik Turning Heads in Paris
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He’s been a much more serious tennis player in recent times, and he’s always had the talent. He’s been playing amazingly so far at the event, beating Alex de Minaur, for example, who has been on fire on clay this year. And he did it after losing the opening two sets 6-2, 6-2.
He’s just hitting the ball extremely well, and a player in such a zone is certainly someone to look out for. His draw is pretty decent, with Jack Draper being his next opponent, a player who certainly has issues on clay. Then he would have to face Jannik Sinner, and that might be a bit too much for him, but beating Draper wouldn’t be shocking, and there is certainly going to be a really good odd on him.
Tallon Griekspoor Playing Well
Griekspoor is another player who needs to be on your radar. While his next opponent is Alexander Zverev, who almost never loses in Paris, there are some things to note about this matchup. The Dutch player faced Zverev twice this year and bested him once.
The first one was at the Indian Wells Masters and Griekspoor won that match. The second one was at the Munich event recently which Zverev won but only barely as he needed three sets and all of them were pretty close.
That’s because Griekspoor brings a lot of aggression to his game and has a good serve. On his day, he can give problems to anybody, and that’s a nightmare for Zverev, who can get passive at times. There will be value there.
Frances Tiafoe as Crazy as Ever
Frances Tiafoe is a pretty bizarre tennis player in the sense that we never know what we might get from him. At his best, he’s very close to major-winning level, but that level rarely makes an appearance.
He’s playing pretty well right now, and he has a pretty open draw, so that combination makes him a good name to keep an eye on. Tiafoe is facing Daniel Altmaier next, and that’s certainly a name he can overcome without any problems, especially with the level he’s had recently.
Then he has either Holger Rune or Lorenzo Musetti. Most would argue that both tennis players have a higher peak than Tiafoe, especially on clay, the American has shown a level which could be troublesome for any player.
Don’t forget that he was only a few games away from a US Open final a couple of years ago when Alcaraz won his maiden one. If he brings that type of level then both Rune and Musetti could be in trouble. Keep an eye on Big Foe and what he could do.
Svitolina Dreaming of Major Glory
Elina Svitolina should hardly be a dark horse considering her track record and what she has achieved in the sport, but she is—simply because there are about six players who are more likely to win the French Open than she is right now.
That’s not because she’s playing poorly but more so because of the parity that exists on the WTA Tour, where there are too many great tennis players right now. Svitolina has been playing really well for a while now and has continued that form in Paris.
Her draw is also pretty open as she’s facing Jasmine Paolini next. While Paolini made the French Open final last year and won the Italian Open recently, she’s beatable—certainly beatable, especially for Svitolina.
After that, she might face either Iga Swiatek, who has been very beatable recently, or Elena Rybakina, who has also been struggling. Overall, it’s an open draw for Svitolina if she can summon her best tennis, and she’s a name to look out for when it comes to smart and value betting.
