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.