Tennis - ATP Calendar: Bucharest, Marrakech, Houston... Discover the week's tournaments and our favourites
by Cydias Aujard | by Cydias Aujard
The men will be on several continents this week as the clay-court season kicks off, leading up to Roland Garros at the end of May! Head to Romania, Morocco and the USA from this Monday to make your tennis predictions for the week!
ATP Bucharest: first rehearsals just a few days before Monte-Carlo
The ATP 250 tournament in Bucharest marks the first clay-court event on the European continent in 2025, less than a week before Monte Carlo. With a very evenly-matched field and a number of favourites, this Romanian tournament promises to be a great success for Marton Fucsovics.
This 2025 edition will be Spanish-speaking, with a South American and Iberian contingent likely to be vying for overall victory. And one name stands out from the competition: Sebastian Baez. The Argentinian, seeded number 1, arrives with a solid clay-court record following his South American tour in February. Winner in Buenos Aires and runner-up in Santiago, the 36th-ranked player in the world is in fine form for 2025 on this surface, and could show it again this week in Bucharest.
Nevertheless, a number of players, including Pedro Martinez and Nicolas Jarry, are keen to get the better of the Argentinian. The Spaniard, who has had a few setbacks on hard courts recently, remembers reaching the last four in Buenos Aires a few weeks ago. Like all good Iberian tennis players, clay should provide a welcome boost for the 47th-ranked ATP player, who has been looking forward to the Bucharest tournament. For his part, the Chilean will arrive in the same conditions as the Spaniard. After a complicated start to the season, Nicolas Jarry is relying heavily on clay to regain positive momentum, and this week in Romania will be an important one for the South American with a view to the rest of the season.
But given Sebastian Baez's early-season form, with a title already under his belt, it's hard not to see the Argentinian winning in Bucharest this week.
Our ATP Bucharest prediction: Sebastian Baez wins!
ATP Marrakech: a great turnout in Morocco
The Marrakech tournament is one of the most eagerly-awaited tennis events in North Africa, with many players looking forward to heading to Morocco for what is always a tough tournament. Last year's winner, Matteo Berrettini, will not be present to defend his title, but that won't stop the show from going on until Sunday, the day of the final.
Despite the absence of the defending champion, the Marrakech draw will be packed to the rafters with a number of tennismen lining up to lift the trophy. Number 1 seed Tallon Grieekspoor arrives in Morocco with a great momentum, which he will be keen to maintain. Semi-finalist in Dubai and quarter-finalist in Miami, the Dutchman must now make the transition to clay-court, but will be confident going into this tournament.
Nuno Borges, also taking his first steps on clay this season, will be keeping a close eye on Marrakech. The Portuguese, ranked 42nd in the world, won the title in Gstaad in 2024 and is now able to express himself on all surfaces. But to do so, he'll need to raise his game, which has fluctuated in recent weeks.
What if the surprise came from Alexandre Müller? Having enjoyed the best start to his career with a title in Hong Kong and a final in Rio de Janeiro, the French tennis player has demonstrated his ability to be solid on any surface. With his confidence soaring, the Frenchman can look forward to a fine run in Morocco, and even better if all the planets align! In a tightly-packed field that will also include Spain's Jaume Munar and Roberto Carballes Baena (winner in 2023), Alexandre Muller will need to play his best tennis, as he did on several occasions in 2025, if he is to have any chance of victory.
In a tournament that promises to be highly indecisive, Tallon Griekspoor will have a fine card to play. Seeded No.1, the Dutchman arrives in Marrakech with confidence, having won 8 of his last 10 matches, and with no clear favourite, he could have a great week in Morocco.
Our ATP Marrakech prediction: Tallon Griekspoor wins!
ATP Houston: Americans come out in force
After the Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami, the United States also hosts a benchmark clay-court tournament in Houston. In Texas, the American contingent will be on hand to take over from Ben Shelton, winner a year ago.
The Texas tournament should not escape the notice of one of the many Americans present this week, with several favourites on the starting line and, in particular, a big favourite, Tommy Paul. After a mixed first half of the season, the world No. 13 needs a benchmark result, having disappointed in Indian Wells (8th final) and Miami (3rd round). Seeded n°1, the New Jersey native will have to raise his game for the rest of the season, and this tournament in Houston will be the right time to do so.
To prevent Tommy Paul from unlocking his 2025 title, fellow Californian Brandon Nakashima seems best placed to thwart the favorite's ambitions in Texas. The Californian is currently very solid, having reached the semi-finals in Acapulco and the last 8 in Indian Wells and Miami. Nevertheless, clay is not Brandon Nakashima's preferred surface, and he feels more at ease as soon as the court speeds up.
The same is true of Frances Tiafoe, who has shown his limitations on clay since the start of his career, but who is showing an increasingly winning face in front of his home crowd, where he has achieved his best career results. Seeded no. 3 in Houston, the world's 17th-ranked player is capable of both the good and the not-so-good, and on a good day, Frances Tiafoe will be able to aim high in this tournament.
As a multi-surface player, Tommy Paul has a head start on the competition for this Houston tournament, and seeing him lift the trophy next Sunday seems to be the most credible scenario in Texas.
Our ATP Houston prediction: Tommy Paul wins!
