The first round of the French Open concludes on Day 3 as 20 more women’s matches take the grounds of Roland Garros. Among them, Naomi Osaka takes on Laura Siegemund in a blockbuster. Nurein Ahmed, Zain Mustafa, and Yesh Ginsburg offer their insights. But who will advance?
French Open Women’s Day 3 Predictions
Madison Keys vs Hanne Vandewinkel
Nurein
Keys retired from her last match in the Paris 125K final. It was unclear if she was going to make it to Paris. Her presence here suggests she has fully recovered. I think Vandewinkel will find it difficult handling Keys’ pace consistently, more so if the American is fit to play.
Prediction: Keys in 2
Zain
While Hanne Vandewinkel’s aggressive style can work well on faster surfaces, on clay, she will need to dial in her aggression and be more consistent from the baseline at the French Open. If she does that, against a Madison Keys who is not physically stable or has a game style suited to clay, she can make this a match. But Keys’ overall ball quality is still too good for me to predict the upset here.
Prediction: Keys in 3
Yesh
The 2025 Australian Open champion hasn’t quite become a consistent title threat at the Majors, but she’s still one of the world’s best players. Keys should cruise.
Prediction: Keys in 2
Emma Navarro vs Janice Tjen
Nurein
It’s nice to Emma Navarro back and winning matches and titles. She lifted the title in Strasbourg. It was a confidence boosting week and the American should now be in pole position to win her opening match and banish the unforgettable memory of losing heavily at this stage last year.
Prediction: Navarro in 2
Zain
After a rough last 12 months on court, Emma Navarro had one of the most important weeks of her career coming into the French Open when she won the title in Strasbourg. Against Janice Tjen, who is not the most physically imposing player and also prefers faster surfaces, this should be a manageable opening-round match for Navarro, granted fatigue is not an issue.
Prediction: Navarro in 2
Yesh
Emma Navarro has had a rough few seasons, but she seems to be finding some strong form at the right time. We’ll see how far that takes her in Paris, but at the very least it should be past Janice Tjen.
Prediction: Navarro in 2
Simona Waltert vs Katerina Siniakova
Nurein
Despite some inconsistent clay results in singles, Siniakova’s variety and clay-court craft make her the better pick in this match. Waltert can struggle against opponents who change rhythm and Siniakova has the style to throw her off her game at the French Open.
Prediction: Siniakova in 2
Zain
Simona Waltert’s court coverage and speed can make this match exciting against a player who is more known for her doubles exploits than singles play. But despite that, Katerina Siniakova is the more solid overall player in this encounter, and if she takes care of her errors, she should reach the second round here.
Prediction: Siniakova in 3
Yesh
I’m always surprised that Siniakova doesn’t have more singles success. She’s solid enough from the baseline and has one of the best net games in the entire sport. Waltert doesn’t quite have the same talent as Siniakova, but maybe she can find a way to keep the court open.
Prediction: Siniakova in 3
Naomi Osaka vs Laura Siegemund
Nurein
This is a tricky start for the four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka. Siegemund’s variety and experience on clay can make this awkward, especially in longer rallies. That said, Osaka’s higher level of power, accurate ball striking and great serve should carry her through in this first round French Open battle.
Prediction: Osaka in 2
Zain
Four-time Major champion Naomi Osaka kicks off her campaign against the tricky Laura Siegemund. Siegemund’s high-variance spin game can be tricky to navigate for many, but Osaka is just too good a ball striker to be rattled by that. And even though this is still comfortably her worst surface, she should win this match without any major issues.
Prediction: Osaka in 2
Yesh
This is a tough match for Naomi Osaka, as she faces one of the highest-ranked unseeded players in the draw. She hasn’t been fully consistent recently, but she should have more than enough power to survive this match.
Prediction: Siegemund in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane – USA TODAY Sports
