French Open R2 previews and predictions: Draper vs. Monfils, Cobolli vs. Arnaldi

Gael Monfils will be back on the court following a five-set thriller in round one of the French Open, facing Jack Draper on Thursday. Second-round action also wraps up with an all-Italian showdown between Flavio Cobolli and Matteo Arnaldi.

Gael Monfils vs. (5) Jack Draper

Monfils’ win on Tuesday night was arguably the highlight of the entire Roland Garros first round–and certainly for the Parisian fans. The 38-year-old came back from two sets down to defeat Hugo Dellien 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(4), 6-1 after three hours and 35 minutes. This isn’t the first time that Monfils has come from basically out of nowhere to make noise in Paris. The Frenchman played well earlier this season, but his only clay-court victories prior to the French Open came against world No. 81 Fabian Marozsan and world No. 353 Borna Gojo.

Up next for Monfils is another night session on Thursday, this time against a much different kind of opponent. Whereas Dellien is a clay-court specialist, Draper has become one of the best players on tour regardless of surface. The 23-year-old Brit is up to fifth in the rankings thanks in part to a title at the Indian Wells Masters and a runner-up showing in Madrid. Any match involving Monfils can be entertaining at times, but the veteran is almost certain to be running on fumes and he is facing an opponent who is absolutely on fire.

Pick: Draper in 3

Flavio Cobolli vs. Matteo Arnaldi

Italy has been taking the tennis world by storm in recent years. Cobolli and Arnaldi are two of the country’s best, which is saying a lot. This could easily be a second-week matchup at any Grand Slam, but in this case one of the two will be out prior to the third round. It’s the fifth head-to-head matchup, fifth on clay, and second on the main tour. Arnaldi has won three in a row since losing their first meeting, most recently prevailing 6-3, 7-6(5) at the 2023 Umag event.

The 2025 campaign has been an absolute roller-coaster ride for Cobolli. He went on a seven-match losing streak spanning January, February, and March but has caught fire of late. The world No. 26 has captured two clay-court titles this spring, triumphing in both Bucharest and last week in Hamburg. Cobolli destroyed Marin Cilic on Tuesday, but a lot of recent matches can contribute to both mental and physical fatigue. Arnaldi also comes in with plenty of momentum; he was a quarterfinalist in Madrid and came back from two sets down to stun Felix Auger-Aliassime in the French Open first round. A slight edge may go to Arnaldi in what could be one of the best matches of the entire tournament.

Pick: Arnaldi in 5