Serena Williams’ ex-coach snubs Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner & others with surprise French Open pick

Serena Williams’ ex-coach Rick Macci has made a surprising pick for the 2025 French Open title. Leaving out top contenders like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, Macci went with a more unexpected choice — someone who has never won a Grand Slam, let alone one on clay.

Macci often spends his free time on social media, where he shares his insights on tennis and regularly comments on players’ performances. He’s never shy about naming his favorites and often encourages players like Alcaraz and Sinner during rough patches, backing them with positive predictions for the future.

Just like that, the veteran coach took to X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, April 12, to do what he does best — spot hidden gems. This time, he shared his pick for the 2025 Roland-Garros title and, surprisingly, skipped the top names to go with an unexpected choice: Arthur Fils.

“At the French Open Fils is my wildcard to win it. On the Red Dirt he can grind and Hurt because has time to load explode slide glide shiver and deliver then launch his forehand like a Rocket and most of all will have the French crowd in his back Pocket,” Rick Macci wrote.

Macci’s tweet came on the heels of Fils’ impressive run at the ongoing Monte-Carlo Masters, where he reached the quarterfinals. However, he couldn’t go further as he fell to Carlos Alcaraz in three sets, despite putting up a great fight.

Carlos Alcaraz is the defending champion at French Open 2025

Carlos Alcaraz has a lot on his plate this season. To begin with, he’ll enter the French Open as the defending champion, having claimed his third Grand Slam title there last year with a win over Alexander Zverev in the final.

After that, Alcaraz heads to Wimbledon as the two-time defending champion, having taken down Novak Djokovic two years in a row to stamp his authority on grass. But with the ATP stacked with serious contenders this season, the pressure will be intense—and rising stars like Arthur Fils are very much in the mix to challenge him.

But for now, the Spaniard’s focus is firmly on the Monte-Carlo Masters, where he’s making just his second appearance since debuting in 2022, a campaign that ended with a first-round loss to Sebastian Korda. This time, he’s made it to the semifinals and will take on his friend and compatriot Alejandro Davidovich Fokina for a shot at clinching his second title of the season.

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Pritha is one of the driving forces behind Sportskeeda’s tennis & baseball coverage, serving as an assistant content manager and editor. What began as a casual escape from her tiring biotechnology degree course in early 2022 has blossomed into a passion she loves, cherishes, and breathes every day.

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Edited by Pritha Ghosh