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Former tennis pro John Isner engaged in an elaborate conversation with Steve Johnson and picked Peyton Stearns as their French Open favorite. The two discussed her current form, lined with big wins and some great shows of tennis. The American is on her Italian Open tour and has advanced to the semifinals.
The 23-year-old has sailed past this year's Australian Open champion, Madison Keys, followed by Naomi Osaka and now Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals in Rome. However, Stearns hasn't yet secured any remarkable wins, which worried Isner and Johnson.
In a discussion on the Nothing Major podcast, which also features other prominent former tennis stars like Jack Sock and Sam Querrey, Isner and Johnson elaborated on Stearns, a Cincinnati native, as their pick for having a promising run at the French Open.
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"I'm going to go kind of off the beaten path here and say Peyton Stearns can make a bit of a run," said Johnson.
"I like Peyton Stearns, the Texas Longhorn. She's from the Cincinnati area—she grew up right in Mason, Ohio, right beside the Masters event in Cincinnati...So I'm with you, Stevie—I like her game, and I think she could definitely be someone who makes a lot of noise at the French Open," Isner added.
Isner explained how Peyton Stearns has been working towards building her confidence, citing the example of her Australian Open first-round loss to Emma Navarro and how she has improved her game since then.
Peyton Stearns will be taking on Italy's Jasmine Paolini in the semifinals of the Italian Open on Thursday, May 15, 2025.
Peyton Stearns' notable achievement ahead of the French Open
Peyton Stearns, who had represented the Texas Longhorns and won the NCAA Championships in 2022, has been putting up a stellar display at the ongoing WTA 1000 tournament in Rome. With her win against Elina Svitolina, she became the first woman to win three consecutive matches in a three-set tie-breaker in the open era of the women's draw.
As she will take on the crowd favorite Jasmine Paolini in her next match, Stearns candidly made it known that she was used to such circumstances due to her prior experience and won't let the crowd factor into her game.
"I don’t expect many people to be cheering for me. But that’s ok, I played college tennis so… I’m used to it," she said jokingly to the WTA.
Stearns hopes to continue her form for the upcoming French Open as well.
