Rafael Nadal is the Michael Jordan of the French Open, as he has 10 Roland Garros titles under his belt – and he’s not done yet. He will look to win his 11th in the event that starts this May 27. Will Nadal win it again? At press, the sportsbook lists the ten-time champ as a clear favorite (-225) to do so.
TV Broadcast: ESPN, NBC Sports, TSN, Tennis Channel
Note: Odds subject to change from time of publishing
FAVORITES
Rafael Nadal (-225)
It’s never a surprise to see Nadal’s name listed as among the chalks to win it all at Roland Garros. The tournament could even be named after him many years later if he doesn’t stop collecting trophies in the
event. The 31-year-old Spanish superstar has won 10 French Open titles, including the one he took home last year when he defeated Stan Wawrinka in the finals. Just to show how ready he is for the 2018 French
Open, Nadal blew the competition away in this month’s Italian Open, topping the event which concluded with him downing Alexander Zverev in the finals.
Novak Djokovic (+1400)
Djokovic was coasting in the recently-finished Rome Masters until he ran into a wall named Rafael Nadal in the semifinals. Losing to Nadal on a clay court is nothing to be ashamed of, however for Djokovic. For one,
the Serbian has defeated the likes of Kei Nishikori and Albert Ramos-Vinolas to name two players he conquered in the said tournament. Djokovic topped the French Open in 2016 and has made it to the finals
in 2012, 2014, and 2015. If it were not for the existence of Nadal, he likely could have won at least two or three French Opens in his career. Last year, however, Djokovic was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Austrian Dominic Thiem.
SLEEPERS
Stanislas Wawrinka (+3300)
Wawrinka, the 2015 champ, fell short of his goal to win at the Roland Garros last year when he absorbed a defeat from the hands of Rafael Nadal in the 2017 French Open Finals. The 33-year-old Wawrinka is likely not at 100
percent form in the upcoming French Open wars after undergoing a knee surgery in August of last year that forced him to miss the remainder of the season. He returned from the injury in last January’s
Australian Open but exited in the round of 64. He is currently competing in the Geneva Open but prior to that, he lost to Steve Johnson in the first round of the Italian Open and in the second round of the ATP Open 13 Provence to Ilya Ivashka.
Juan Martin del Potro (+2200)
After being a non-participant at the French Open from 2013 to 2016, del Potro returned to action at Roland Garros last year and reached the round of 32. His 2017 campaign, however, will be more remembered for a semifinals appearance at the US Open. The 29-year-old del Potro also exited in the round of 16 of the Rome Masters after getting retired in that round versus David Goffin. Del Potro has two titles on the year (both on hard surface) thanks to win at the Paribas Open last March in which he defeated some guy named Roger Federer in the finals and at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel last March.
LONG SHOT
Jack Sock (+15000)
An American has not won the French Open since Andre Agassi in 1999, which was a very long time ago. Sock will look to restock the United States’ trophy case, but it’s going to be easier said than done, considering that he’s just 2-3 in clay court matches this year as of this writing. But who knows? A miracle could be in the offing for Sock, whose deepest run in the tournament was a round of 16 appearance in 2015.
Writer’s Prediction
Let’s not kid ourselves. Nadal takes home his 11th French Open title.
