This article is part of our Tennis Picks series.
The 2022 French Open could be one of the most exciting Grand Slam events in recent memory. A rising star in the men's game is ready to challenge two all-time greats and officially declare that the future of tennis is now, while one of his less accomplished peers is getting much less attention but could do some damage on his favorite surface. There's a prohibitive favorite on the women's side, but the field is wide open behind her, with a couple of talented young players presenting value bet opportunities as long shots to take the title. After each player's name, you will see their title odds from DraftKings Sportsbook (DK), FanDuel Sportsbook (FD), BetMGM Sportsbook (BetMGM) and Caesars Sportsbook (Caesars), in that order. The odds can vary quite substantially, especially for long shots, so you are encouraged to shop around for the best lines if you have access to multiple betting platforms. FanDuel in particular has some juicy odds.
French Open Bets: Men's Draw
The Favorite
Novak Djokovic [DK: (+175), FD: (+170), BetMGM: (+175), Caesars: (+160)] - Djokovic got off to a rocky start in his return to action in 2022, but the man who came one match away from winning all four Grand Slams in 2021 has rounded into form and looked like his old self by the Italian Open, which he won without dropping a set. His title run at that Masters 1000 was aided by Carlos Alcaraz skipping the tournament due to an ankle injury and Rafael Nadal being hampered by a foot injury in a loss to Denis Shapovalov, but it will nonetheless give Djokovic plenty of confidence in his form as he looks to defend his Roland Garros title and re-tie Nadal for the most Grand Slam titles of all time.
In the Mix
Carlos Alcaraz [DK: (+175), FD: (+210), BetMGM: (+200), Caesars: (+175)] - If you're the kind of tennis fan that only tunes in for Grand Slams, then Alcaraz's odds would come as a major shock, but the 19-year-old Spaniard has earned his spot among the favorites with exceptional play since the Australian Open. Alcaraz has won four titles in six subsequent tournaments, including two Masters 1000s. His run to the Madrid Masters 1000 title on clay earlier this month was one for the history books, as he notched consecutive three-set wins over Nadal and Djokovic in the quarters and semis before obliterating Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-1 in the final despite dealing with the same ankle injury that kept Alcaraz out of the Italian Open for precautionary reasons. That being said, as Zverev has learned the hard way over the years, beating Djokovic or Nadal in a best-of-five Grand Slam match is much harder than doing so in a best-of-three format.
Rafael Nadal [DK: (+250), FD: (+290), BetMGM: (+275), Caesars: (+225)] - Nadal was doubted heading into the Australian Open due to recent injury/illness and a lack of matches coming in, only to prove the doubters wrong by capturing the title there. It was his 21st Grand Slam title, breaking a tie with Djokovic and Roger Federer. Of those 21, 13 have come at the French Open. Sure, Djokovic wasn't in the field in Australia, but Nadal's 19-8 head-to-head edge on clay suggests Djokovic's presence in the Roland Garros draw is far from a death knell for the Spaniard's chances. Nadal plans to play despite recent issues with his chronic foot injury, and the greatest clay-court player of all time should be able to play his way into the tournament without expending too much energy in the early rounds.
Sleepers
Stefanos Tsitsipas [DK: (+550), FD: (+750), BetMGM: (+600), Caesars: (+550)] - It's hard to call the fourth-favorite to win the title a sleeper, but the narrative heading into this tournament is that one of the top three favorites is all but certain to come out on top. Tsitsipas is much closer to those three guys than he is to the rest of the field, as clay has proven to be the best surface for the world No. 4. He was up two sets to love against Djokovic in the French Open final last year and has posted a 14-3 record on clay in 2022, with losses to Alcaraz, Zverev and Djokovic. It wouldn't be all that surprising to see Tsitsipas finish the job this time, especially if he gets a favorable draw that avoids Nadal and Alcaraz before the semifinals.
Lorenzo Musetti [DK: (+4000), FD: (+13000), BetMGM: (+6600), Caesars: (+5000)] - Among deeper sleepers, Musetti stands out. The 20-year-old Italian took the first two sets against Djokovic in the fourth round at Roland Garros in 2021 before completely running out of gas, so Musetti has enough game to hang with anyone on clay. He notched some quality wins over the likes of Felix Auger-Aliassime and Sebastian Korda en route to an 8-4 record during this year's clay-court swing. That record jumps to 10-4 if you include Musetti's two wins to qualify into Madrid, where he won two more matches in the main draw before retiring with a thigh injury against Zverev in the Round of 16. If you're planning to bet on Musetti, hold off to make sure the thigh doesn't keep him out of the draw at Roland Garros; getting cleared to play likely won't shift his odds much.
French Open Bets: Women's Draw
The Favorite
Iga Swiatek [DK: (+100), FD: (+105), BetMGM: (+100), Caesars: (+100)] - This is Swiatek's tournament to lose, as the 20-year-old from Poland has unquestionably been the best player on the WTA Tour since Ashleigh Barty's abrupt retirement. Swiatek has won 28 matches in a row, and she's 9-0 on clay in 2022, having dropped just one set on her favorite surface. The world No. 1 lost only 21 games in five matches en route to the Italian Open title in a WTA 1000 event earlier this month, and Swiatek already has the 2020 French Open title under her belt, which makes nerves less likely to derail her in the later rounds.
In the Mix
Simona Halep [DK: (+1000), FD: (+1000), BetMGM: (+700), Caesars: (+800)] - For all of Swiatek's recent dominance, she has been past the Round of 16 at only three Grand Slams, making the quarterfinals at Roland Garros in 2021 after winning in 2020, as well as the semis in Australia this year. Halep, on the other hand, has been to five Grand Slam finals (2-3 overall, 1-2 at the French Open), as well as another three semifinals and seven quarterfinals. In other words, the Romanian is comfortable in the later rounds at major tournaments, and her defensive style translates especially well to clay courts. She's the second-favorite to win this title after Swiatek, and Halep has won two of their three previous meetings at Grand Slams, though Swiatek tied their overall head-to-head 2-2 with a triumph at Indian Wells this year. This tournament is basically Swiatek vs. the field, but if someone's going to come out of the field, it will likely be the battle-tested Halep.
Ons Jabeur [DK: (+1400), FD: (+1800), BetMGM: (+1600), Caesars: (+1400)] - She actually has even or slightly worse odds compared to Paula Badosa -- [DK: (+1400), FD: (+1400), BetMGM: (+1200), Caesars: (+1400)] -- but Jabeur's recent form suggests she's a bigger threat to capture this title than Badosa is. Jabeur posted a combined 11-1 record at the two clay-court WTA 1000 events leading up to Roland Garros, winning Madrid and reaching the final of the Italian Open. Swiatek blew her out 6-2, 6-2 in Rome, but the lopsided nature of that defeat can be excused in part by fatigue given all the tennis Jabeur had played coming into that match with her consecutive deep runs.
Sleepers
Amanda Anisimova [DK: (+2800), FD: (+4800), BetMGM: (+2000), Caesars: (+3500)] - Anisimova went 10-3 during the clay-court swing heading into this tournament, including a 5-2 record against opponents ranked in the top 20. The 20-year-old American's beautiful baseline ball-striking allows her to hang with anyone in rallies, while the slower clay courts place less emphasis on serving prowess, helping Anisimova mask the biggest weakness in her game. Having reached the semifinals at this event in 2019, Anisimova knows what it takes to string together a deep run at Roland Garros.
Emma Raducanu [DK: (+4000), FD: (+4800), BetMGM: (+2500), Caesars: (+2200)] - Everything fell into place for Raducanu at the US Open in 2021, so it was only natural that her luck turned the other way early in 2022, as the 19-year-old British sensation has battled injury after injury. Most recently, she called it quits early in the Italian Open due to a back injury. There's a risk that an injury flares up early at Roland Garros and leads to a loss even if she's declared good to go at the beginning of the tournament, but the risk:reward ratio on Raducanu makes her a tempting sleeper given her odds and the elite level she has proven capable of reaching when healthy.
Sasha's French Open Betting Tips
On the men's side, count out Rafael Nadal at your own risk, especially on clay. Alcaraz hasn't shown he can do it at the Grand Slam level just yet and Djokovic was just 7-4 this year before reeling off five consecutive wins in Madrid. Djokovic also looked to be laboring physically in some of his longer matches and hasn't played best-of-five tennis since the 2021 US Open. If Nadal plays up to his clay-court capabilities, you'll be wondering how you missed such an obvious value opportunity when he's raising his 14th Coupe De Mousquetaires.
In the women's draw, Iga Swiatek looks unstoppable right now and is rightfully pegged as the heavy favorite. She should take the title barring an unexpected setback. There's no law against betting on multiple players in one draw, though, and the value on Amanda Anisimova is tempting should Swiatek falter in the first Grand Slam where she's the player to beat. Having played plenty of big matches against top players recently and held her own, Anisimova's in a good spot mentally, which is the biggest key to her success.
