Following a successful clay court season and strong performances in recent majors, expectations for American players at the 2025 French Open were high. However, the extent of their success in Paris has surprised many. As of Saturday, after a dramatic three-set victory by 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys over fellow American Sofia Kenin, eight American players have officially advanced to the second week at Roland Garros.
This marks the highest number of Americans reaching the round of 16 in 40 years.
With five women and three men still competing in the singles draws, it`s also a significant achievement for the men`s side: This is the first time since 1995 (before any of the current male players were born) that so many American men have reached this stage. The players themselves are aware of the significance.
“I think that all the Americans are really excited,” Ben Shelton commented on Friday after his advancement. “We all always know that this is a tournament that historically we don`t do well in, a surface we historically struggle on. It would mean a lot, you know, how much respect you would gain for doing well here.”
Frances Tiafoe, also a winner on Friday, added: “Guys are just hungry, man. Just believe it. That`s kind of all it is.”
No American woman has won the French Open singles title since Serena Williams in 2015, and no man has done so since Andre Agassi in 1999. Could one of these players make history next weekend in Paris? Here are the Americans who remain in the draw, and how they got here.
No. 2 Coco Gauff
Players she has beaten so far:
- Olivia Gadecki
- Tereza Valentova
- Marie Bouzkova
Up next: No. 20 Ekaterina Alexandrova
Perhaps no player, other than maybe Carlos Alcaraz, entered this year`s French Open with more momentum than Gauff. The 21-year-old reached the finals in both Madrid and Rome, securing victories against top players like Iga Swiatek and Mirra Andreeva, and appeared to be playing her best tennis on clay.
She was considered a pre-tournament favorite for the title, and Gauff has demonstrated why throughout her three matches in Paris.
Gauff, who was a finalist at Roland Garros in 2022, sailed through her first two matches and seemed headed for another easy win against Bouzkova in the round of 32. However, Bouzkova elevated her game in the second set, and Gauff faced some vulnerability. But there was no upset on Saturday. Gauff displayed relentless movement around the court, hitting 22 winners and winning five out of eight net points in the second set. Trailing 5-3, Gauff rallied to force a tiebreak and seal the win in two sets, 6-1, 7-6 (3), boosting her confidence for the next match.
“I think, just for long-term-wise, and obviously mentally, it`s a lot better to finish that in two sets,” Gauff said after the match. “Yeah, it gives me a little more confidence in finding ways to win maybe when playing opponents like that and try not to kind of self-destruct.”
On Monday, Gauff will face Alexandrova, whom she leads 3-1 in career meetings. If she wins, she would play the winner of the all-American match between Keys and Hailey Baptiste, with a chance to reach the French Open semifinals for the second consecutive year.
No. 3 Jessica Pegula
Players she has beaten so far:
- Anca Todoni
- Ann Li
- Marketa Vondrousova
Up next: Lois Boisson
After missing the entire 2024 European clay season due to injury, Pegula showed no signs of rust by winning the title on green clay in Charleston in April. While her success wasn`t as consistent in her subsequent four events, everything appears to be clicking for Pegula in Paris.
The 31-year-old, who reached her first major final last season at the US Open, won her first two matches without dropping a set. She then showed resilience in her round-of-32 match against Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon champion and a 2019 French Open finalist, coming back from a set down. After not creating any break points in the first set, Pegula broke Vondrousova three consecutive times in the second set and largely controlled the match from there.
Pegula now has a favorable draw in the fourth round on Monday against Lois Boisson, a surprise French wild card ranked No. 361, making her main draw major debut. Pegula mentioned Saturday that she had never faced a French player at Roland Garros but was looking forward to it.
“Obviously [she is] going to have some crazy support,” Pegula said. “I`m pretty good at kind of zoning out. I have played in some pretty rowdy crowds. I think it will be fun. It will be cool to be a part of that. Even though they`re not for me, it will still be fun. They`re going to be going crazy.”
If Pegula defeats Boisson, she will reach the French Open quarterfinals for the second time, her first since 2022. This would be her seventh major quarterfinal overall and provide an opportunity to reach her second Grand Slam semifinal.
No. 7 Madison Keys
Players she has beaten so far:
- Daria Saville
- Katie Boulter
- No. 31 Sofia Kenin
Up next: Hailey Baptiste
It has been a dominant and revitalized year for the 30-year-old Keys. After accepting the possibility she might never win a major, Keys delivered a series of impressive victories in Melbourne to claim the Australian Open title in January.
Since that long-awaited triumph, Keys has returned to the top 10 and reached the semifinals at Indian Wells and the quarterfinals in Madrid.
Now, at the French Open, she has reached the fourth round for the first time since 2022. She saved three match points in her tense match against Kenin, also an Australian Open champion and 2020 French Open runner-up, winning 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Only Baptiste stands between her and her first quarterfinal at Roland Garros since 2019. Keys won their only previous match on green clay in Charleston in 2023 decisively, 6-1, 6-2, and certainly has the experience advantage.
However, Keys didn`t appear to take the upcoming match for granted when speaking to the media after her win over Kenin, and she expressed genuine pride for Baptiste`s success.
“I think Hailey is a great player,” Keys said. “… I`m not surprised. I have seen her growing up. I think she`s had incredible talent the entire time. So, really happy for her to see all of the success that she`s having, kind of putting that all together and climbing up the rankings.
`All that said, I think it`s going to be a really tough match. She`s very talented. She has a lot of tangibles, and she knows how to kind of mix up paces, but can also, all of a sudden, absolutely crack the ball. Going to be a really tough match, but looking forward to it.`”
Hailey Baptiste
Players she has beaten so far:
- No. 23 Beatriz Haddad Maia
- Nao Hibino
- Jessica Bouzas Maneiro
Up next: No. 7 Madison Keys
While the other remaining Americans are top-20 players with previous major semifinal appearances, the 23-year-old Baptiste is experiencing a career breakthrough in Paris.
Before the French Open, Baptiste had never advanced beyond the second round at a Grand Slam and had only reached the main draw of a major twice in the past three years. But she has shown confidence and determination at Roland Garros. In her first-round match against Haddad Maia, she came back after losing the opening set – in front of a large, pro-Brazilian crowd – allowing her opponent only four games combined in the final two sets.
Baptiste, coached by Frances Tiafoe`s twin brother Franklin, has not dropped a set since. In addition to achieving her best major result, Baptiste is projected to reach a career-high ranking of No. 58 following Saturday`s win, regardless of her next match outcome.
Facing Keys will be a challenge, but Baptiste knows she is capable of winning. Baptiste earned the first WTA victory of her career as a wild card at the Washington Open in 2019 against Keys, winning 7-6 (4), 6-2. Although Baptiste lost their other two encounters, she believes that initial win could help her on Monday.
“It was my first WTA match. I mean, I think I had a lot of nerves and a lot of excitement, and I was obviously playing somebody that I looked up to,” Baptiste said. “I was just loose, having fun, I was in my hometown. So I just remember enjoying the moment and playing in front of a big crowd. … That`s kind of the same thing that I`m going to do.”
No. 16 Amanda Anisimova
Players she has beaten so far:
- Nina Stojanovic
- Viktorija Golubic
- No. 22 Clara Tauson
Up next: No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka
Roland Garros was the site of Anisimova`s breakout career moment in 2019, when she reached her first – and currently only – major semifinal. It has been a challenging path on and off the court for the 23-year-old since then, but her performance this season and during the first week in Paris has served as a reminder of how dangerous she can be when playing her best.
Anisimova won the biggest title of her career, and her first at any level since 2022, earlier this season at the 1000-level Qatar Open and reached a career-high ranking of No. 16 in March. Following her third-round victory Friday, she was projected to rise to No. 14 in the next rankings.
She arrived in Paris without significant momentum on clay – failing to win a match in Madrid or Rome – but that hasn`t been evident at Roland Garros so far. Anisimova has yet to drop a set and even achieved a bagel set in her second-round match.
While facing top-ranked Sabalenka will be difficult, Anisimova has a favorable head-to-head record. In their seven previous meetings, the American has won five, including their most recent match in Toronto last year. She expressed excitement about the challenge when speaking to reporters Friday.
“It`s always special to play someone who`s ranked No. 1 in the world,” Anisimova said. “It`s not often you get to do that, so I really try and embrace the opportunity and the experience. It will be on a big court, too. I love playing on big stadiums. I`m just going to try and go in there and really enjoy the atmosphere and enjoy the crowd. And, yeah, try to put up a fight.”
No. 12 Tommy Paul
Players he has beaten so far:
- Elmer Moller
- Marton Fucsovics
- No. 24 Karen Khachanov
Up next: No. 25 Alexei Popyrin
In his three matches at Roland Garros, Paul has played 14 sets and spent nearly 11 hours on court. His match against Khachanov, which lasted four hours and seven minutes, was the third-longest of his career. So, nothing has been easy for Paul, but he has consistently found ways to win and has now reached the fourth round of the French Open for the first time.
He has had a strong season overall, reaching the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and breaking into the top 10 for the first time. Paul, who won the 2015 French Open junior title, has been particularly impressive on clay, reaching the semifinals at the Italian Open earlier this month. While he eventually lost to world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, he pushed him to three sets, and his run in Rome demonstrated his capability on the surface.
Paul, 28, now has the chance to reach his fourth major quarterfinal when he faces Popyrin on Sunday. They have met only twice before, never on clay, with the series split. Paul won their most recent match at the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships in 2024. Paul acknowledged that Popyrin is capable of playing “unbelievable” tennis (as seen against Novak Djokovic) but said he was focused on resting and getting as much sleep as possible before the match.
“I`m just excited to play,” Paul said Friday. “I mean, this is Grand Slam tennis, and this is why we play the sport, you know.”
No. 13 Ben Shelton
Players he has beaten so far:
- Lorenzo Sonego
- Hugo Gaston (retired ahead of match)
- Matteo Gigante
Up next: No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz
Playing in only his third French Open, the young Shelton opened his 2025 campaign and the tournament`s first day with a featured night match on Philippe Chatrier. With the spotlight on him, the 22-year-old more than delivered. Trailing two sets to one, Shelton elevated his game under the lights and won in a thrilling five sets.
While many of his peers battled hard for their spot in the round of 32, Shelton unexpectedly received a day off when Gaston withdrew from the tournament the day before their scheduled match. This extended rest seemed beneficial, as he dominated his match Friday against Gigante, winning 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. Victory never seemed in doubt as he moved smoothly across the clay. He has now reached the second week at the French Open for the first time.
Shelton, who reached the final of the BMW Open in Munich in April, now faces a formidable challenge against Alcaraz, the defending champion, on Sunday. Shelton has not defeated Alcaraz in their two previous encounters, and the crowd will undoubtedly support the Spaniard. However, Shelton often performs at his best in the biggest moments.
“Playing the defending champion, round of 16, I`m guessing center court, that`s a pretty cool opportunity, pretty cool experience, that not a lot of people get or see in their lifetime,” Shelton said. “For me, I`m definitely going to enjoy it and go out there and see what I can do, because I`m starting to gain some speed, gain a little bit of traction on this surface, and starting to see some of my best tennis. So I like to think of myself as dangerous whenever I get to that place. Yeah, really looking forward to it.”
If Shelton achieves the upset, it would mark his fourth Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance, and he would rise to a career-high ranking of No. 11.
No. 15 Frances Tiafoe
Players he has beaten so far:
- Roman Safiullin
- Pablo Carreno Busta
- No. 23 Sebastian Korda
Up next: Daniel Altmaier
Entering the tournament, the 27-year-old Tiafoe had reached the second week at every major except the French Open. He has had some success on clay, winning the title at the U.S. Men`s Clay Court Championships in Houston in 2023 and reaching the final in the subsequent two years. However, he had a modest 5-9 record at Roland Garros and had only reached the third round once before.
One year can make all the difference.
Despite less impressive results in the lead-up events, Tiafoe has been nearly unstoppable in Paris, not dropping a single set. Against Korda, who had won their previous two matches, Tiafoe needed a tiebreak to win the opening set but then took control to advance confidently to the fourth round.
And perhaps no American man has a better chance of reaching the quarterfinals than Tiafoe. Facing Altmaier, who upset top-ranked American Taylor Fritz in the first round, Tiafoe is certainly the favorite and holds a 2-0 record against him, including a victory on clay in Rome in 2023.
If Tiafoe advances, it would be his first major quarterfinal on a non-hard court and his first time reaching the round of 8 outside of the U.S. since 2019. Tiafoe admitted he was enjoying the lack of pressure compared to playing in front of a home crowd.
“At the [US] Open, there is so much anticipation, there`s so much energy. Here I feel like it`s like a workman-type vibe,” Tiafoe said Friday. “Still a lot of people, [at the] French Open, it`s amazing here. But there`s nothing like the Open [in New York]. The Open is a whole different kind of beast. Obviously I have expectations from y`all, being American. I have two semis, blah, blah, blah. I`ve made history. This is a different vibe. This is easier in a sense where I can kind of just go and be me.”
