From Rod Laver to Roland Garros: Aussie Battlers Destanee Aiava & Tristan Schoolkate Snag French Open Wildcards
Aussie tennis duo Destanee Aiava and Tristan Schoolkate receive wildcards into the 2025 French Open after strong Australian Open performances. Here’s how they earned it and what’s next.
Paris-Bound: Aussie Underdogs Score Big with French Open Wildcards
You beauty! Aussie tennis battlers Destanee Aiava and Tristan Schoolkate are packing their racquets (and possibly a GPS to find the clay) after scoring wildcards to the 2025 French Open — thanks to their head-turning runs at the Australian Open.
How They Got There: Aussie Grand Slam Tracker
| Player | Breakthrough Moment | Current Rank | Clay-Court Wins | French Open Wildcard Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Destanee Aiava | Made AO 2nd round from qualies | ~200s | 0 (Beginner) | Grit + charm + birthday bonus |
| Tristan Schoolkate | Took a set off Jannik Sinner at AO | No.129 | 0 (Nada) | Rod Laver magic moment + Challenger success |
Destanee: From Tears to Cheers
Aiava, who turned 25 just days before the announcement, was fresh off a heartbreaking loss when she got the call from Sam Stosur.
“I was literally lying down crying, and then Sam called… I was like, excuse me?!” Aiava told the Tennis Australia podcast.
Now, she’ll pocket a guaranteed €78,000 ($A136,500) just for turning up in Paris. Not bad for someone who was drowning her sorrows a week ago.
Schoolkate: From Sinner Slayer to Clay Debutant
Perth’s Tristan Schoolkate, 24, who snapped Jannik Sinner’s 20-set winning streak at the Aussie Open, is about to trade hard courts for red dirt — despite having never played a tour-level match on clay.
Still, the wildcard is a reward for Schoolkate’s post-AO form, which included a Challenger title in Brisbane and a finals run in Guangzhou.
“My team and I have been putting in the work,” he said. “Now I get to test it against the world’s best.”
French Open 2025 Prize Money Breakdown
| Round | Prize (EUR) | Prize (AUD) |
|---|---|---|
| First Round | €78,000 | $136,500 |
| Second Round | €117,000 | $205,000 |
| Third Round | €168,000 | $294,000 |
| Round of 16 | €265,000 | $464,000 |
| Quarter-finals | €440,000 | $770,000 |
| Semi-finals | €690,000 | $1.2 million |
| Runner-up | €1.275m | $2.23 million |
| Champion | €2.55m | $4.5 million |
Not bad considering neither player is on a clay hot streak — unless you count stepping in dog poo on a Parisian footpath.
Aussie Contingent at Roland Garros 2025
Women:
- Destanee Aiava (Wildcard)
- Daria Saville
- Ajla Tomljanovic
- Kim Birrell
- Maya Joint
- Olivia Gadecki
Men:
- Tristan Schoolkate (Wildcard)
- Alex de Minaur
- Jordan Thompson
- Alexei Popyrin
- Rinky Hijikata
- Chris O’Connell
- James Duckworth
- Adam Walton
- Aleksandar Vukic
Plus, over a dozen Aussies still scrapping it out in qualies next week. Fingers crossed, there’ll be a full kangaroo court in Paris!
Final Serve
With their grit, guts and wildcards in tow, Aiava and Schoolkate might be clay-court newbies — but they’ve already shown they can take down top-tier talent. All that’s left now? Avoid tripping over the lines on Court Suzanne-Lenglen.
Game on, legends.
