Despite No. 6 seed, Novak Djokovic lucks out with better French Open 2025 draw

Novak Djokovic hasn’t enjoyed his best form heading into the 2025 French Open, with a semifinal run in Australia and a final appearance in Miami standing out as his only notable results this season. Currently ranked World No. 6 and seeded sixth at Roland Garros, the Serb has, however, managed to avoid a particularly tough draw.

The men’s singles draw for the 2025 French Open was unveiled on Thursday, May 25, with World No. 1 Jannik Sinner headlining the field. Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, and Jack Draper round out the top five seeds, while Djokovic enters the tournament as the sixth seed.

For someone seeded sixth, the Serb seems to have caught a break with a relatively comfortable draw at the 2025 French Open. He opens against Mackenzie McDonald and will face either Corentin Moutet or a qualifier in the second round.

The third round also appears manageable, with a potential clash against either Denis Shapovalov or Yunchaokete Bu. His likely fourth-round opponent could be Daniil Medvedev, Ugo Humbert, or Stan Wawrinka. On paper, Medvedev poses the biggest threat, but the Russian has been out of form lately, and clay remains his weakest surface.

Novak Djokovic’s real challenge is expected to begin in the quarterfinals, where he’s projected to face third seed Alexander Zverev. However, Zverev’s recent illness in Hamburg and his inconsistency this season might reduce the threat level. If the German doesn't make it that far, Djokovic could face Felix Auger-Aliassime or Grigor Dimitrov, both solid players, but on current form, the Serb holds the edge if he brings his A-game

In the semifinals, Djokovic could run into top seed Jannik Sinner, which would be a tough battle given the Italian's current form. However, if Sinner doesn't make it, Djokovic’s path might include Jack Draper, Andrey Rublev, or Arthur Fils, strong names, but all beatable for the Serb if he's locked in. Should he make it to the final, potential opponents include Carlos Alcaraz, Casper Ruud, or Taylor Fritz, setting the stage for a blockbuster showdown.

While a few matchups in the 38-year-old's draw might look tricky on paper, overall, he’s landed a relatively smooth path, especially for someone seeded sixth. Interestingly, he had a similarly favorable draw last year but was forced to withdraw before his quarterfinal against Casper Ruud due to injury.

If fitness doesn’t come in the way this time, Djokovic should have little trouble making the quarterfinals again. And if he finds his rhythm in the final rounds, there’s every chance he could pull off something special and capture a historic 25th Grand Slam title at Roland Garros.