Nadal Is Favored, Field of Challengers is Lurking

With the start of the 2021 French Open set for Sunday, May 23, it’s time to preview the men’s ATP World Tour side of the second grand slam event of the calendar year. The ATP Tennis Odds for this year’s French Open are live in the BetUS online sportsbook right now.

As well explore a variety of Challenger odds and other tennis odds here to win!

2021 French Open

When: Sunday, May 23, 2021, at 12:00 p.m. ET

Where: Stade Roland Garros, Paris, France

Odds to Win 2021 French Open

• Rafael Nadal -120
• Novak Djokovic +330
• Dominic Thiem +600
• Stefanos Tsitsipas +700
• Alexander Zverev +1600
• Andrey Rublev +1800
• Daniil Medvedev +2200
• Roger Federer +3300
• Diego Schwartzman +3300
• Jannik Sinner +3300
• Aslan Karatsev +3300
• Matteo Berrettini +5000
• Stan Wawrinka +6600
• Denis Shapovalov +6600
• Pablo Carreno Busta +6600
• Roberto Bautista-Agut +8000

The Favorites

• Rafael Nadal -120
• Novak Djokovic +330
• Dominic Thiem +600
• Stefanos Tsitsipas +700

Analysis: Rafael Nadal is 13-3 on the year with one title in Barcelona last month. There’s some hope though for everyone else with Nadal falling in the quarterfinals on clay in Monte Carlo against Andrey Rublev and again in the quarters on clay against Alexander Zverev in Madrid at the start of this month. Nadal is 100-2 at Roland Garros in his career.

Después de la victoria de ayer en #Barcelona quería compartir con vosotros mi alegría de formar parte de la nueva @Telefonica
Espero que os guste también este vídeo… #MejorConectados pic.twitter.com/xBlmdEjzpe

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) April 26, 2021

Novak Djokovic is 12-2 on the year with the Aussie Open title in his back pocket. Djokovic was beaten in the Round of 16 in Monte Carlo by Englishman Daniel Evans and fell in the semis in Belgrade against the blossoming Aslan Karatsev. The Serbian is 74-15 at Roland Garros and won the title in 2016. Djokovic was manhandled in straight sets by Nadal in last year’s French Open finals.

We’ve missed these points 😍

Enjoy a few highlights from an all-star practice in Rome!@DjokerNole @andy_murray #IBI21 pic.twitter.com/HfBtR1Oi5C

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) May 10, 2021

Dominic Thiem reached the finals at Roland Garros against Nadal in 2018 and 2019, but fell in last year’s quarterfinals. More importantly, Thiem is just 8-5 on the year, though he reached the semis in Madrid earlier this month. Stefanos Tsitsipas is a stellar 27-7 on the year with one title at Monte Carlo. The 22-year-old Greek star reached the semis in Australia and Rotterdam and the finals in Acapulco and Barcelona where he nearly beat Nadal in a three-set thriller.

The Top Contenders

• Alexander Zverev +1600
• Andrey Rublev +1800
• Daniil Medvedev +2200
• Roger Federer +3300
• Diego Schwartzman +3300
• Jannik Sinner +3300
• Aslan Karatsev +3300

Analysis: This group is packed with legitimate challengers if you ask me. Sascha Zverev is 16-7 on the year and just won his second career Masters 100 in Madrid while beating Nadal in straight sets in the quarterfinals. More importantly, the talented 24-year-old German has won three straight against Rafa after losing the first five meetings in their head-to-head series.

23-year-old Andrey Rublev is 27-7 on the year with one title in Rotterdam and a run to the finals in Monte Carlo. Russian, Daniil Medvedev is 18-4 on the year with one title in Marseille. Unfortunately, he’s 0-4 in four career appearances at Roland Garros.

Now eighth in the ATP rankings, Roger Federer will make his first appearance at Roland Garros since reaching the semis in 2019. Federer has one win here in 2009 and four appearances in the finals, so he’ll have a puncher’s chance at the least.

The guy to watch out of this group could be late-blooming Russian Aslan Karatsev. The 27-year-old is 19-6 on the year with one title in Dubai. Karatsev has recorded some quality wins this year over the likes of Diego Schwartzman, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Grigor Dimitrov, Jannik Sinner, Rublev and Djokovic.

The Top Long Shots

• Matteo Berrettini +5000
• Stan Wawrinka +6600
• Denis Shapovalov +6600
• Pablo Carreno Busta +6600
• Roberto Bautista-Agut +8000

Analysis: The player to keep an eye on out of this group is Matteo Berrettini. The 25-year-old Italian is 16-4 on the year with a title at Belgrade where he beat Karatsev in the finals and a run to the finals in Madrid where he came up just short against Zverev.

Pablo Carreno Busta and Roberto Bautista-Agut are both excellent clay court performers capable of pulling off more than one upset, but I’m thinking my guy, Stan Wawrinka is far closer to the end of his career than the beginning, although he did win the title here in 2015 over Djokovic and reached the finals opposite Nadal in 2017.