The 2025 French Open lived up to expectations in Paris. The top two players in the men’s and women’s events battled it out for the prize and put on a remarkable show in the finals.
Jannik Sinner continued his rich vein of form at Major, but it wasn’t enough to stop defending champion Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard held his nerve and bested the Italian in the final.
On the women’s side, Aryna Sabalenka was one win away from claiming her first title at the French Open. Instead, Coco Gauff brought her season to life by humbling the Belarusian in the final.
The tennis in Paris was top-notch, but so were the controversies involving players, organizers, and even fans. With that in mind, here are five of the most talked-about moments from this year’s French Open.
Trending
#5 Aryna Sabalenka's post-match interview downplaying Coco Gauff's French Open triumph
Aryna Sabalenka reached her second Grand Slam final of the year at the French Open. Despite winning the first set against Coco Gauff, the American outclassed her in three sets, 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4.
Sabalenka expressed her feelings in the post-match press conference, feeling Gauff wasn't the deserving winner. She blamed the conditions for the loss and her error count during the match, and even stated that Iga Swiatek would have won the match had the Pole made the final.
Here's what Sabaleka said about Gauff:
"At 4-1 in the first set, the wind started to get stronger. Also, I think I was too emotional. I didn't handle myself very well mentally today, so that's basically it. I was making unforced errors; I have to check the stats. I think she won the match not because she played incredibly, but because I made all those easy ball errors."
"That hurts. Especially when you've been playing really good tennis all week. If Iga had beaten me the other day, I think she would have gone out today and gotten the win. It just hurts. I've been playing really well, and then in the last match, to go out there and do what I did, it hurts," she concluded.
Check out everything Sabalenka said here.
#4 Naomi Osaka survives an early morning doping test at the French Open
Naomi Osaka has been working towards finding her best potential on tour. She secured a runner-up finish in Auckland and reached the fourth round of the Italian Open in Rome.
Osaka failed to make a valuable contribution in Paris and was eliminated by Paula Badosa in the first round. The Spaniard defeated her 6-7(1), 6-1, 6-4.
The Japanese was summoned by the Anti-Doping team at the French Open this year. She spoke about her nervous experience and felt scared to deal with the anti-doping officials.
"I honestly don't know the rules about talking about anti-doping. Am I allowed to say whatever I want?" Naomi Osaka said.
"They're kinda scary. For me, kinda anti-doping is like, I don't have a great relationship with them, just because they always come and take blood and urine and my veins are notoriously hard to find," she added
#3 Fans calling out organizers for biased night scheduling towards men at the French Open
The night schedule fixtures this year were one of the biggest talking points of the French Open. With players such as Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, Naomi Osaka, and Barbora Krejcikova all being overlooked for the primetime spots, fans tore into the organizers for their mismanagement.
Here are some frustrated rants by fans towards the organisers in Paris:
"Coco Gauff is literally the biggest WTA player on that side and they have Pegula and Keys on Chartier over here," one fan asserted on X
Another user said:
"What the actual f**k is this," another wrote while questioning the French Open organizers' scheduling choices.
One fan even verbally abused the schedulers:
"F*******CK THE SCHEDULERS."
Another highlighted the partiality towards Gael Monfils:
"Gael Monfils has played more night matches at Roland Garros this week than any woman ever," another claimed.
One fan spoke about the disrespect towards reigning Wimbledon Champion Barbora Krejcikova.
"They do barbie k sooo dirty with these court assignments lol. She’s literally a FO winner and reigning wimby champ and she can’t get a show court?" the fan wrote.
Check out more about this here.
#2 Lorenzo Musetti's potential disqualification against Frances Tiafoe in the French Open Quarterfinals
Lorenzo Musetti had a solid run on clay in the last few months. He secured a runner-up finish in Monte-Carlo and reached the semifinals in Madrid and Rome. The Italian defeated Frances Tiafoe in the French Open quarterfinals but almost got disqualified during the match.
While preparing to serve during a point, he kicked the ball in frustration towards the line judge. While the intent was dismissed as non-violent, many fans and even Tiafoe called for Musetti to be disqualified for his actions.
A fan said:
"This is mockery of rules. This is unfair. This is pure “inconsistency”. This is robbery. Djokovic shouldn’t been disqualified at all. If he was disqualified then Musetti must’ve been disqualified for sure."
Tiafoe reached the quarterfinals of the French Open for the first time this year. Here's what the American said about the situation:
“Yeah, I mean obviously he [Lorenzo Musetti] did that & nothing happened. I think that's comical. It is what it is. Nothing happened. So there's nothing to talk about. Obviously it's not consistent, so it is what it is.”
#1 Rafael Nadal gets a fitting goodbye at the French Open this year
Rafael Nadal was honored at the 2025 French Open with a special tribute on Court Philippe-Chatrier. He received a permanent nameplate featuring his footprint to celebrate his incredible record of 14 titles at Roland Garros.
Here's what the Spaniard said during the ceremony this year:
"I don't know where to start after playing here for 20 years, winning, losing, and always being moved. (trans. from French) This moment on the most important court of my career. It's been an incredible story."
Tennis legends like Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray joined the ceremony, paying tribute to Nadal’s legacy. The nameplate now stands as a lasting symbol of his incredible record on the Paris clay.
"I've experienced everything over these 20 years. I've had incredible rivals like Andy, Novak, and of course Roger—along with many others who pushed me to my physical and mental limits. Truly, nothing would have been as thrilling without these long-lasting rivalries that have driven all of us to improve every single day. Roland Garros is unique, not only because it's a fundamental part of tennis history, but also because of all the people who work tirelessly, always with a smile, to make this tournament what it is- unique," Nadal added.
Check out everything Rafael Nadal said here.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
