We wrap up the third round of women’s singles on Day 7 of the French Open, and the tournament is really starting to move towards crunch time. Young superstars Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva will both be in action on Saturday. Will they each advance? Or will we see a stunning upset. As always, our writers share their thoughts on the matches with you. We split the day’s eight matches between two articles–and the other article features Coco Gauff vs Marie Bouzkova. Predicting these matches are Jordan Reynolds, Nurein Ahmed, and Manuel Traquete. Who do you think will advance?
French Open Day 7 Predictions
Madison Keys vs Sofia Kenin
Jordan:
I feel an upset is possible here. Kenin’s return and much superior backhand to Keys give her a chance of disrupting her compatriot, especially on clay. Defending her second serve against Keys’ aggression is one problematic aspect of this matchup she needs to handle. But I am still backing the 2020 runner-up to beat the Australian Open champion.
Prediction: Kenin in 3
Nurein:
Keys’ first-strike tennis would shine on any surface and she has played great tennis on these courts before. But she’ll be more ambitious to go deeper since winning her first Major at the Australian Open. And whisper it quietly, Keys is the only woman who can still win a calendar Slam this season. Kenin’s reactive counterpunching is always a nightmare for some of the big hitters, so this is a good test to have before the second week.
Prediction: Keys in 3
Manuel:
Kenin might be a former finalist at this event but those days seem to be far behind her and it’s Keys who is having the best moment of her career now. Champion in Australian, she remains unbeaten at Grand Slam level in 2025 and should continue that streak here.
Prediction: Keys in 2
Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Veronika Kudermetova
Jordan:
Both women possess similar styles. Who do I think will implement it better on clay? In this matchup, I’d lean towards Kudermetova. She has a little more craft to her game on the dirt outside big serving and hitting when she is playing well.
Prediciton: Kudermetova in 2
Nurein:
This all-Russian affair promises fireworks but I’d give Kudermetova a slight edge. Her game fits more naturally on this surface and she’s already having her best run here since 2022. Those injury issues also appear to have disappeared.
Prediciton: Kudermetova in 2
Manuel:
Despite the difference in ranking, based on current form and head to head it should be a very close match decided by quality of execution in a few key points.
Prediciton: Kudermetova in 3
Jessica Pegula vs Marketa Vondrousova
Jordan:
Vondrousova has already done well to reach the third round after not playing for a few months before the French Open. An upset cannot be entirely ruled out against Pegula, whose least successful surface is red clay. Nonetheless, I still like her chances against the Czech, who looked rusty for long periods in the previous round against Magdalena Frech, despite ultimately winning.
Prediction: Pegula in 2
Nurein:
This is a tricky one to predict. Pegula should be winning. She’s the higher-ranked player and has enjoyed a better season than Vondrousova. But her steadiness in Grand Slams, particularly in the last 18 months has been inconsistent. Still, if Pegula plays for clean lines and doesn’t miss a ton, she’ll rush the Czech into making the errors.
Prediction: Pegula in 3
Manuel:
Despite the huge difference in ranking, Voudrousova actually has the better track record at Grand Slam level, she tends to raise her level in these events and will certainly make life very difficult for Pegula, who should nevertheless have a slight edge.
Prediction: Pegula in 3
Mirra Andreeva vs Yulia Putintseva
Jordan:
Expectations were low for Putintseva heading into the French Open after a much worse start to this season than last year. Getting two wins in Paris will have been a welcome boost for her. Andreeva cannot afford to take her for granted, since Putintseva’s crafty game is tricky on clay when it clicks. Having said that, the teenager is a strong favorite to triumph.
Prediction: Andreeva in 2
Nurein:
Last year, Putintseva was among the dark horses in this tournament but underperformed. This season, she’s been in poor form on clay, but appears to turn it on at the French Open. Whether she’s got the confidence to pull off a shock win here remains questionable, but her grit will probably stretch this one to three.
Prediction: Andreeva in 3
Manuel:
Even at her young age, Andreeva is already rightly considered one of the title favorites here and she should, under normal circumstances, make smooth progress into the next round here.
Prediction: Andreeva in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images
