🎾 Veronika Kudermetova vs. Viktoriya Tomova – French Open R1

WTA French Open

🎾 Veronika Kudermetova vs. Viktoriya Tomova – French Open R1 Preview

🧠 Form & Context

Veronika Kudermetova
📈 Signs of life: Back-to-back third-round finishes in Madrid and Rome mark her best run since January.
🎾 Slump reversal: The former world No. 9 had lost five straight Slam openers before turning the tide with a R4 at the 2025 Australian Open.
⚠️ Fighting to stay relevant: Slipped outside the top 40 in recent months, but her clay form shows she still has a few weapons left.
🇫🇷 Mixed record: Has reached the third round in Paris twice (2021, 2022) but was eliminated in R1 last year.
Viktoriya Tomova
🚪 Slam struggles persist: Holds a 5–11 R1 record at majors, and has lost in the first round in her last 3 Slams.
🎯 Paris breakthrough: Finally earned a Roland-Garros main-draw win in 2024 (vs. Alexandrova), but 0–4 in 2025 clay swing.
📉 Flat 2025 season: Has failed to win a match in 8 of 12 tournaments this year. Still hanging around the top 60 due to residual ranking points.
🥊 Proven fighter: Her best wins have come when underestimated, and she does lead the H2H against Kudermetova.

🔍 Match Breakdown

Kudermetova is finally stringing wins together again, and that momentum—combined with her higher ceiling and bigger game—makes her a worthy favorite. Her serve, depth, and attacking instincts are better suited to the big stage. Tomova, by contrast, arrives with no clay-court wins this year and a rather uninspiring 2025 record. Her counter-punching style can keep matches close, and her 2-1 H2H edge might give her a psychological boost, but the surface shift to clay tips the balance away from her.

🔮 Prediction

Kudermetova should be able to dictate rallies and neutralize Tomova’s rhythm, particularly on slow clay. Unless she reverts to the erratic form of late 2023, she should progress without too much trouble. 🧩 Prediction: Kudermetova in 2 sets, with the possibility of a tight first set before pulling away.