For all the drama, build-up and excitement over two weeks, there were no surprises in the end. Iga Swiatek, the world No.1 and prohibitive tennis betting favorite, won the women’s singles title on Saturday.
A day later, it was the King of Clay’s turn on court Philippe Chatrier. And it was a breathtaking masterclass. Rafael Nadal dismissed Casper Ruud in straight sets to claim the 14th title on his beloved red dirt in front of a star-studded cast and royalty from Spain and Norway in attendance.
The victory also marked Nadal’s 22nd Grand Slam title, putting him two ahead of rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, both of whom are tied on 20 Grand Slam titles apiece. It’s a wonder that anyone ever doubted him, including the betting online markets.
2022 French Open Odds
Nadal Reigns Supreme In Paris Again
Rafael Nadal started the European clay-court swing as the favorite to win the French Open, but as the events unfolded over the spring months with Nadal noticeably absent due to injury, the markets began to move away ever so slightly from the Spaniard.
They were seduced by the return of Djokovic to full-time tennis and, at the same time, the rise of teen phenom Carlos Alcaraz. The fact that this pair split the back-to-back Masters titles in Madrid and Rome right before the French Open also was significant.
🔥 UNSTOPPABLE ALCARAZ 🔥
🇪🇸 Carlos Alcaraz has become the youngest man ever to win the Masters 1000 event in Madrid, defeating No. 3-ranked Alexander Zverev in the final, 6-3, 6-1.
The 19-year-old Spaniard has now won his last 7 matches in a row against Top 10 players. 💥
— TENNIS (@Tennis) May 8, 2022
It set them up as players to beat and, as a result, caused Nadal to fall behind on the tennis odds board. In addition, the French Open draw release cemented this market outlook further the weekend before Day 1 of the tournament. Nadal falling into the same quarter as Djokovic and the same half as both Djokovic and Alcaraz seemed to add to his diminishing value.
Tale told, Nadal made a mockery of all those who doubted him. He systematically took down his opponents in the early rounds. Then he outlasted up-and-coming Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Round of 16 and emphatically dismissed defending champion Djokovic in the quarters.
The semis proved unfortunate with Alexander Zverev forced to bow out with an ankle injury. However, Nadal was in the ascendancy, up a set and tied 6-6 in the second set when the German fell awkwardly on his ankle. In the final, Nadal easily took care of Ruud, beating the Norwegian 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 to win a record 14th French Open and 22nd Grand Slam title.
Second Frenchy for Swiatek
Though much of the narrative focused on the men’s game – the battle between two legends in tennis as they continue to chase history – the women’s game was equally fascinating.
On one hand, this tournament will be remembered for Swiatek’s complete and utter domination. It will also be remembered for the lack of competition – a genuine threat to Swiatek’s bid. The French Open title was always Swiatek’s to lose as the prohibitive favorite.
Swiatek went into the tournament as the prohibitive favorite, priced at -110 with BetUS tennis markets. The next best bets were Simona Halep, Ons Jabeur and Paula Badosa, to name a few. But their odds were hovering above +1000, which said it all.
Swiatek was absolutely ruthless through the rounds, save for the R16 when she uncharacteristically dropped a set to Qinwen Zheng. She bounced back quickly though, taking the 6-7 (5), 6-0, 6-2 win.
The 21-year-old Polish star never looked back after that wobble. She went on to beat Jessica Pegula in the quarters 6-3, 6-2, Daria Kasatkina in the semis 6-2, 6-1m and Coco Gauf in the final 6-1, 6-3.
The world No. 1 hit 35 matches unbeaten on Saturday as she claimed her second French Open title, matching the longest winning streak in the women’s game this century, which was set by Venus Williams in 2000.
