French Open 2025: Paula Badosa vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse preview, head-to-head, odds, prediction, and pick | Roland Garros
Match Details
Fixture: Paula Badosa (10) vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse
Date: May 29, 2025
Tournament: French Open 2025
Round: Second Round (Round of 64)
Venue: Roland Garros, Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Clay
Prize Money: €56,352,000
Live Telecast: USA - TNT Sports | UK - Eurosport | Canada - TSN
Paula Badosa vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse preview
Tenth-seed Paula Badosa will face Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the second round of the 2025 French Open on Thursday, May 29. The winner will take on Daria Kasatkina or Leolia Jeanjean in the third round.
Badosa's start to the clay swing was delayed due to a lower back injury. It kept her out of the Madrid Open and the Italian Open. Her only clay-court event before the French Open was the Internationaux de Strasbourg, where she suffered a quarterfinal exit.
At Roland Garros, Badosa fought from a set down to defeat four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in the opener. The World No. 10 lost the tie-break in the first set before dominating the remainder of the match to win 6-7(1), 6-1, 6-4.
Meanwhile, Ruse started the clay swing with an impressive semifinal finish at the Open de Rouen. However, the Romanian failed to qualify for the Madrid Open. In Rome, she registered a hard-fought win over Polina Kudermetova before falling to Danielle Collins in the second round.
Ruse faced McCartney Kessler in the first round of the French Open. She wrapped up the match in straight sets but had to dig deep in both. The Romanian held her nerves to win the first set in the 12th game and the second after a tense tie-break.
Paula Badosa vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse head-to-head
The head-to-head between Badosa and Ruse is tied at 1-1. In their most recent encounter at the 2024 US Open, Badosa defeated the Romanian, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(8).
Paula Badosa vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM.)
Paula Badosa vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse prediction
While Badosa and Ruse have faced each other twice, this will be their first meeting on clay.
Badosa prefers playing on clay, but she hasn't been able to get going on the surface this year yet. Ruse, on the other hand, has had more gametime, with a 5-3 win-loss record. The Romanian was impressive in her opening match, adapting well to the conditions at Roland Garros.
Given Badosa's concerning form on the tour, there would be no clear winner. However, she is clearly more skilled. Her aggressive gameplay and excellent court coverage should give her the edge over the Romanian.
Pick: Badosa to win in three sets.