Women's Division
-48kg
The World Champion is Assunta Scutto (ITA) and the home favorite is Shirine Boukli but the top favorite is probably Wakana Koga (JPN). She has fought Scutto twice and beat her both times. She has fought Boukli seven times, and lost four times but recently beat the French player in the 2025 World Championships.
-52kg
If the -73kg division is the powerhouse category in the Men's side, the -52kg is the equivalent on the women's side. Top dog of course is Distria Krasniqi (KOS) but she's got many top players to contend with. Home favorite Amandine Buchard has dropped back down to -52kg after experimenting with -57kg. Others who can give her a hard time include Mascha Ballhaus (GER), Odette Giuffrida (ITA) and Kisumi Omori (JPN). Veteran campaigner Reka Pupp (HUN) could be a dark horse.
Krasniqi hasn't fought Buchard since 2023 but in the past she always had a hard time with her. They fought five times with Krasniqi losing four of those times. She's beaten Ballhaus four times. Krasniqi and Giuffrida go back a long way. They've fought 12 times. She has lost to the Italian four of those times but the last five times they fought, they all went to Krasniqi. Krasniqi has also fought Pupp a dozen times and won 10 of those times but in their most recent encounter, at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam last November, it was Pupp who won. Krasniqi has fought Omori three times, winning once and losing twice. The last time they fought was at last year's Paris Grand Slam, where Omori was the victor. She could very well be the hardest foe for Krasniqi
-57kg
This used to be the hardest category in the Women's division, filled with many young and veteran top prospects alike. But these days it's nowhere as exciting as the -52kg division. Actually there are many exciting players in this category but this year they are not competing in Paris. The top favorites here are Momo Tamaoki and local hero Sarah Leonie Cysique. They have fought five times with Tamaoki winning four of those encounters, including the last two.
-63kg
It would be great if Japan's powerhouse, Haruka Kaju, who has remained unbeaten in over a year, were competing. But she's not. To favorites are Iva Oberan (CRO) and Joanne Van Lieshout (NED). You can't rule out Japan's Kirari Yamaguchi though.
-70kg
Some really exciting players here. Rising star Lara Cvjetko (CRO) is the top prospect but she will be challenged by the likes of Szofi Ozbas (HUN) and Ai Tsunoda Roustant (ESP). Veteran campaigner Sanne Van Dijke (NED) could be a dark horse.
-78kg
This is a superb category, arguably as exciting as the -52kg division. The World No. 1, 2 and 3 are here, in the form of Anna Monta Olek (GER), Patricia Sampaio (POR) and Alice Bellandi (ITA). Also competing is World No. 4 Kurena Ikeda (JPN). Veteran campaigner Audrey Tcheumeo (FRA) could be a dark horse.
+78kg
The women's heavyweight division has two top South Koreans competing: Lee Hyeonji and reigning World Champion Kim Hayun. They will, of course, be challenged by France's Romane Dicko. Japan's Mao Arai is not ranked very highly but she is the World silver medalist from last year, and is a serious threat.
Men's Division
-60kg
The top favorite has to be Ryuju Nagayama (JPN) but you cannot discount the 2025 Tokyo Grand Slam winner Hayato Kondo (JPN). The French have two home favorites: Luke Mkheidze and Romain Valadier Picard. Taiwan's Yang Yung Wei is making a comeback of sorts. He could be a dark horse.
-66kg
Japan's rising star Takeshi Takeoka, the reigning World Champion, is the top favorite here. Local hero Walide Khyar, with his unorthodox techniques, might spring a surprise but he has fought Takeoka three times before, and lost all three times. Baskhuu Yondonperenlei (MGL) is another very unorthodox player who can cause an upset but he too has fought and lost to Takeoka three times. Denis Vieru (MDA) could be a dark horse. He has excellent technique in standing and groundwork and he has never fought Takeoka before.
-73kg
This category is the hardest one of all, with so many top players competing. Joan-Benjamin Gaba will have home ground advantage. But he will be challenged by Hidayat Heydarov (AZE) and a pair of top Japanese: Tatsuki Ishihara and Ryuga Tanaka. Other strong contenders are Manuel Lombardo (ITA), Lasha Shavdatuashvili (GEO) and Akil Gjakova (KOS).
-81kg
In contrast to the -73kg division, the -81kg division is lacking in star power. But look out for Zelim Tckaev (AZE), Yuhei Oino (JPN) and Matthias Casse (BEL) to provide some sparks.
-90kg
Fans will be thrilled to see the very talented and innovative former World Champion Goki Tajima fight. His main challenger is Luka Maisuradze (GEO) whom he has fought twice. He beat him in the 2023 World Team event but lost to him in last year's Paris Grand Slam. The local hero is Maxime-Gael Ngayap Hambou. Tajima has beaten him before. The dark horse could be former World Champion Nemanja Majdov (SRB), whom Tajima has beaten twice before.
-100kg
Another category that's lacking in star power. The two main prospects are Dota Arai (JPN) and Zelym Kotsoiev (AZE). They have not fought each other before.
+100kg
Not a terribly exciting field here either. There are two top Japanese here: Hyoga Ota and Kanta Nakano. The player who could disrupt them is former World Champion Kim Minjong (KOR).
