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Julieta Pareja, Colton Smith lead Roland Garros Wild Card Challenge

April 08, 2025

The first standings update of the 2025 Roland Garros Wild Card Challenge features both a junior and a college star in the lead: Julieta Pareja and Colton Smith.

 

The 16-year-old Pareja, a Californian who last year came within one win of becoming the youngest US Open women's qualifier in 20 years, leads the women's side of the Challenge, having reached the semifinals of the WTA 250 in Bogota last week. It was her first career appearance in a main draw of a WTA event, and she became the youngest player since Coco Gauff in 2019 to reach a WTA-level semifinal.

 

Smith, a 22-year-old Washingtonian who is currently a senior at the University of Arizona, tops the men's standings after qualifying and reaching the Houston quarterfinals. The reigning All-American then returned to Arizona to play in the Senior Day match for the Wildcats over the weekend.

Women's Standings

(Player's current ranking in parentheses)

1. Julieta Pareja (335) -- 116

T2. Louisa Chirico (155) -- 57

T2. Caty McNally (321) -- 57

4. Monika Ekstrand (1176) -- 35

T5. Five Players Tied -- 32

 

Men's Standings

(Player's current ranking in parentheses)

1. Colton Smith (168) -- 63

2. Chris Eubanks (110) -- 50

T3. Mackenzie McDonald (100) -- 25

T3. Ethan Quinn (123) -- 25

5. Mitchell Krueger (137) -- 13

Julieta Pareja at the 2024 US Open. Photo by Lexie Wanninger/USTA.

(Note: Jenson Brooksby, now ranked No. 172 after winning the singles title in Houston last week, will enter the main draw of the French Open using a protected ranking and thus is not eligible for the Challenge, as stated in the parameters below.)

 

Both the men's and women's wild cards will be awarded to the American players with the most ranking points earned—including qualifying and main draw points—at a maximum of three clay-court tournaments during a five-week window: March 31 through May 4. All red-clay and Har-Tru events at the W35 level and above for the women and the M25 level and above for the men, including WTA and ATP Tour events, will be included in the Challenge.

 

Americans who otherwise earn direct entry into the French Open, including those who enter with a protected ranking, are not eligible. Should the player with the highest number of challenge points earn direct entry into the French Open, the wild card will go to the next eligible American in the Challenge points standings. In the event of a tie, the player with the best ATP or best WTA singles ranking on Monday, May 5, will earn the wild card.

 

Read more on the USTA's Roland Garros Wild Card Challenge information page.

 

The USTA and FFT have a reciprocal agreement in which main draw wild cards for the 2025 French Open and US Open will be exchanged. The USTA utilizes this Challenge format to award wild cards into the Australian, French and US Opens.

 

Previous Americans to earn wild cards into the French Open via the Challenge and how far they advanced at Roland Garros are below, including Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul and Emma Navarro, who won the women's Challenge in 2023 to make her Grand Slam debut outside of the U.S.

Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images.
Previous Wild Card Challenge Winners & Roland Garros Results

 

2024: Sachia Vickery (1R); Nicolas Moreno de Alboran (1R)

2023: Emma Navarro (2R); Patrick Kypson (1R)

2022: Katie Volynets (2R); Michael Mmoh (1R) 

2019: Lauren Davis (2R); Tommy Paul (1R)

2018: Taylor Townsend (2R); Noah Rubin (1R) 

2017: Amanda Anisimova (1R); Tennys Sandgren (1R) 

2016: Taylor Townsend (2R); Bjorn Fratangelo (2R) 

2015: Louisa Chirico (1R); Frances Tiafoe (1R)

2014: Taylor Townsend (3R); Robby Ginepri (1R)

2013: Shelby Rogers (2R); Alex Kuznetsov (1R)

2012: Melanie Oudin (2R); Brian Baker (2R)

 

Roland Garros 2025 will be held from May 25 - June 8 in Paris.

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