French Open 2025: Naomi Osaka vs Paula Badosa preview, head-to-head, prediction, and pick | Roland Garros

Match Details

Fixture: Naomi Osaka vs (10) Paula Badosa

Date: May 26, 2025

Tournament: French Open 2025

Round: First Round

Venue: Roland Garros, Paris, France

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Clay (outdoor)

Prize Money: €56,352,000

Live Telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Sky Sports | Canada – TSN

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Naomi Osaka vs Paula Badosa preview

Naomi Osaka practising at the Roland Garros 2025 - Source: Getty

Former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka will lock horns with 10th seed Paula Badosa in the first round of Roland Garros. Both women are on a comeback trail from injury-plagued seasons, and it will be exciting to see who comes out on top. This is one of the most intriguing battles of the opening round, which will surely set the stage for the rest of the tournament.

Clay has been one of the weaker surfaces for the four-time Grand Slam champion, Osaka. However, she has had one of her better clay-court seasons so far. The 27-year-old won her first WTA tour-level title in four years in Saint-Malo and reached the fourth round of the Italian Open. Her best performance at the French Open is the Round of 32, which she has reached multiple times; she will look to improve that this time around.

On the other hand, 10th seed Paula Badosa is coming back from her chronic back injury. She returned to the court in Strasbourg, where she reached the quarter-final, eventually falling to Liudmila Samsonova in three sets: 4-6, 6-3, 4-6. The Spaniard boasts a clay-court title in Belgrade and a quarter-final finish at the French Open, suggesting that she is comfortable on red dirt.

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Naomi Osaka vs Paula Badosa head-to-head

Naomi Osaka and Paula Badosa have never faced each other on the WTA tour. Hence, their head-to-head record stands at 0-0.

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Naomi Osaka vs Paula Badosa odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games
Naomi Osaka	TBD	TBD	TBD
Paula Badosa	TBD	TBD	TBD

(Odds to be updated when available)

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Naomi Osaka vs Paula Badosa prediction

Paula Badosa practicing at the Internazionali BNL D'Italia 2025 - Source: Getty

Osaka has made technical adjustments to her game alongside Patrick Mouratoglou to adapt more effectively to slower surfaces, as reflected in her results this season. The Japanese player's success will largely depend on her first-serve win percentage and aggressive groundstrokes.

Meanwhile, Badosa is significantly more comfortable on clay than her opponent. Her heavy topspin game and ability to absorb pace on this surface make her a formidable competitor. The Spaniard’s success largely hinges on how she manages her back injury.

Given Badosa’s uncertainty regarding her back injury, Osaka enters this match as a slight favourite.

Pick: Naomi Osaka to win in three sets.