Jannik Sinner is the betting favourite for Roland-Garros, while on the women's side, it's Iga Swiatek
The French Open, also known as Roland-Garros, is coming up fast, next Sunday through June 7, and it doesn’t any bigger for tennis fans. Or for bettors.
The French Open is considered of one of the four biggest tennis tournaments in the world, one of the four Grand Slams, alongside Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open.
Where would you rank the tournaments in terms of prestige and importance?
For me, most of my memories growing up came from watching Wimbledon in the summer, so I would rank that as the crown jewel of tennis tournaments – the grass courts, the royal tradition, the history and legacy, and the signs that summer has hit its peak.
But the French Open probably ranks No. 2. Clay-court tennis is demanding, with the ball slowing down, and longer rallies that take tactical prowess. Winning Roland-Garros is viewed as one of the hardest achievements in the sport.
That’s an argument for placing Rafael Nadal down as the greatest men’s tennis player of all time – he won the French Open an astounding 14 times.
BEST BETS
On the men’s singles side, the big story going in is the play of Jannik Sinner. In tennis betting on Betway, Sinner is the favourite, at -275. World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz is out with a wrist injury, and his return in time for Wimbledon is still in doubt.
Sinner, just 24, with elite baseline power and two-handed backhand, and improved mental toughness in big matches, is the heavy favourite to win his first French Open.
Top 4 outright winner odds, after Sinner: Alexander Zverev +700, Novak Djokovic +1000, Arthur Fils +1600, and Rafael Jodar +2000.
Veteran threats are another prominent French Open narrative to watch out for as the start of the tournament closes in. Zverev brings a strong clay game, and Djokovic of course, is one of the greats to ever play, winner of 101 ATP Tour-level single titles, including 24 Grand Slam singles titles. He’s won the French Open three times.
Emerging contenders such as Fils, Lorenzo Musetti and Holger Rune are expected to be among the young players capable of making a deep run at Roland-Garros. Meanwhile, veteran fan favourites Gaël Monfils and Stan Wawrinka — the 2015 French Open champion — could be making their final appearances at the tournament, with tributes anticipated during the event.
On the women’s side, Iga Swiatek is the betting favourite at Betway, at +240, followed by Aryna Sabalenka +250, Elena Rybakina +700, defending champion Coco Gauff +900, and Mirra Andreeva +900.
Gauff has proven to be very effective on clay, where she beat Sabalenka in the final here last year.
The women’s field is expected to be shaped by another showdown among the sport’s elite players. Sabalenka, the current world No. 1, enters Roland-Garros in strong form after capturing the Sunshine Double (Indian Wells Masters and Miami Open titles) earlier this season. Swiątek — a four-time French Open champion widely regarded as the top clay-court player in the women’s game — remains a formidable contender despite some uneven recent results.
Rybakina also looms as a major threat, bringing one of the tour’s most powerful games as she looks to add another deep clay-court run to her resume.
