After a string of quality tennis tournaments, the clay court season comes to a head in Paris with the ever-exciting French Open.
Held at Roland Garros in Paris, the French Open is the second Grand Slam event of the year. In the men’s tournament, Rafael Nadal is the defending champion and is looking to win at Roland Garros for the 11th time. Jelena Ostapenko is the defending champion in the women’s tournament but the 20-year-old is without a title this year and is just fourth in the pre-tournament betting.
- Men’s Title
- Rafael Nadal (1/2 with Betfred)
- Stan Wawrinka (50/1 with Coral)
- Women’s Title
- Garbine Muguruza (12/1 with Betfred)
- Caroline Wozniacki (22/1 with Ladbrokes)
Men’s Singles Title
Roger Federer may be the number one tennis player in the world but the clay has never been his favourite surface. In order to ensure that he remains fresh for another crack at Wimbledon, Federer is skipping the French Open once again which opens the door for Rafael Nadal.
Nadal is the undisputed king of clay. The Spaniard has an absolutely phenomenal record at the French Open and became the first man to win the tournament 10 times 12 months ago. He heads to Roland Garros on the back of a very good week’s work in Rome where he was pushed all the way by Alexander Zverev in the final. Nadal’s grit and class told in the end and he is the firmest of favourites to win title number 11 on 10 June at a best price of 1/2 with Betfred.
Stan Wawrinka was in absolutely wonderful form when he made his way through to the French Open final 12 months ago. He was outclassed by Nadal in that final but there is every chance he can make it to the showpiece event again at 50/1 with Coral. Wawrinka is back to full fitness and providing he gets rid of any early nerves, he can prove his clay court pedigree once again.
Betting Tips – Rafael Nadal at 1/2 with Betfred & Stan Wawrinka at 50/1 with Coral
Alternative Men’s Bets
Alexander Zverev has reason to curse the rain shower that interrupted his Rome final against Nadal. The young German had just won the second set 6-1 and was ahead in the third set but Nadal utilised all of his experience, stayed warm during the frustrating breaks and maintained his high levels while Zverev was flustered. It’s all a learning curve for him though and he could well make another final so an each way bet at 7/1 with Coral is a wise option.
If you’re looking to profit from a Nadal win but aren’t convinced that he offers value at heavy odds on, there are a few specials worth considering. You can either back Nadal to win without losing a set at 7/2 with Betfair or on him winning with the loss of fewer than 70 games at 13/8 with Betfair.
Women’s Singles Title
While Nadal looks nailed on in the men’s draw, the women’s tournament at the French Open is much more open. The quality of players at the top of the women’s game is such that we are promised another dramatic Grand Slam while punters have a great amount of choice when it comes to value bets.
Of all those towards the top of the betting, few women are more at home on clay courts than Garbine Muguruza. The Spaniard claimed her maiden Grand Slam title when winning the French Open in 2016 but recent top class performances on the clay have been lacking. She could only make the fourth round at Roland Garros last year and made early exits in Madrid and Rome.
Those disappointments will only fire Muguruza on though. They also afforded her the chance to get some important work done on the practice courts and there’s a real chance she will be back to her best at Roland Garros. Muguruza certainly looks a very tempting betting option for the French Open at 12/1 with Betfred.
Caroline Wozniacki has reached the top of the world rankings but she only made her breakthrough in a Grand Slam at the start of 2018 when she won the Australian Open. That victory was a monkey off of the Danish star’s back and she appears ready to kick on and become a major player in the rest of the year’s biggest tournaments. Wozniacki equalled her best ever finish at Roland Garros last year when making it to the quarter finals. Fuelled by the confidence that comes with winning a Grand Slam, she could well sneak under the radar and claim French Open glory at 22/1 with Ladbrokes.
Betting Tips – Garbine Muguruza at 12/1 with Betfred & Caroline Wozniacki at 22/1 with Ladbrokes
Alternative Women’s Bets
Simona Halep is the bookies’ favourite in the women’s tournament. The Romanian has twice reached the final at Roland Garros and made the final in Rome recently so should be a major threat. However, she may be overshadowed by the woman she beat in the Rome semi-finals: Maria Sharapova. The Russian superstar has continued to improve since her return from a drugs ban and may just claim her third Roland Garros title at 12/1 with Betfair.
French tennis fans have a reputation for being quite hard to please but there’s no doubt that they’re desperate for home success. Their best chance of a home winner in the women’s draw is the somewhat unpredictable Kristina Mladenovic. The French fans will be relatively encouraged by some of Mladenovic’s form this season and it does look as though her confidence is starting to return. The bookies don’t fancy her chances much but providing she gets a decent draw and can build up some momentum, Mladenovic will give the favourites a tough game and could spring a betting surprise at 80/1 with Betfred.