2018 French Open: Five Sleepers Who Could Win on the Men’s Side

The 2018 French Open is still more than two months away, but it is never too early to start thinking about who could win the next major. Of course, the usual suspects lead the way in the eyes of the top tennis experts and tennis betting sites. Those would be none other than Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem (because it is on clay), and Roger Federer.

Nadal took back his throne in 2017 and–despite not being healthy at the moment–is expected to return for a record 11th Roland Garros title. There is a chance that the Spaniard’s status as being less than 100 percent may lure Federer back to red clay, on which he did not play a single match last season. It is also never wise to count out Djokovic, who also owns the career Grand Slam having triumphed at Roland Garros in 2016.

If you’re betting on tennis, you already know the favorites. Given that Nadal (10 by himself), Federer, and Djokovic are responsible for 12 of the last 13 French Open titles, the smart money continues to be split up amongst them. While those are your best bets, however, it is not like shocking upsets can’t happen. Stan Wawrinka triumphed in 2015 and prior to 2016 Djokovic had never won this tournament.

As such, and especially this year with so many injuries and even Federer’s questionable clay-court schedule, fans may want to keep an eye on a few options beyond the norm.

Here are five interesting player odds to win the French Open:

Andy Murray (+1600)

With Federer, Nadal and Djokovic being so dominant at times, Murray is constantly overlooked in the best-player discussions. The Scot is elite in his own right, as he has won three majors (Wimbledon twice) and has reached the final in all four. He even made it to the French Open title match just two years ago, improving markedly on clay over the last few seasons. Murray is one of the most talented tennis players on the circuit and he is not lacking big wins against the toughest competition.

Given Murray’s past history, his improved clay-court form, and his long-shot odds due to injury, he has become an intriguing sleeper pick.

Stan Wawrinka (+1600)

Wawrinka is another interesting French Open sleeper, as he heads into like Murray–with 16-to-1 odds because of injury. How good could Wawrinka’s value be at this year’s tournament? Well, he has won it once before (2015) and finished runner-up to Nadal last spring.

The 32-year old Swiss has enjoyed success across the board in tennis, winning three slam titles and 16 ATP titles in total. Especially in his current state Wawrinka is not as reliable as the sport’s biggest stars. Avoiding an early-round stumble will be his chief obstacle, but if he can sink his teeth into the fortnight he becomes a contender.

Marin Cilic (+3300)

With Cilic, momentum may meet opportunity at just the right time. The 28-year old Croat native has already had success elsewhere, as he won the 2014 U.S. Open and reached the final at Wimbledon (2017) and the Australian Open (2018).

Cilic has been in great form over the past year and after reaching the quarterfinals in the 2017 French Open, he may finally be ready for a big push on clay. If he gets the right draw, Cilic has a real chance to reach the final–and at that point anything can happen.

Milos Raonic (+8000)

Always take a look at players who have a lot of talent and can compete with the best but also offer insane value on tennis betting sites. After all, that is how the big money can be made. While it is safer and sometimes makes more sense to roll with the big favorites, never ignore someone like Milos Raonic–who possesses a huge game could be inching his way to his first major win.

That has been elusive for Raonic thus far, but the 27-year old has still delivered some high-level success (2016 Wimbledon final, for example, in addition to the 2014 French Open quarterfinals). Ultimately, Raonic is a case of a big talent who has not yet met expectations–in part due to physical problems. Formerly a top-three tennis player, the Canadian has some work to do to work his way back up the ladder. Securing that first major tournament win would certainly help his plight, and it isn’t 80-to-1 kind of crazy to think he could make it happen at this year’s French Open.

David Ferrer (+15000)

Ferrer has really long odds for a guy who reached the French Open final back in 2013. That may seem like forever ago, but the 35-year old Spaniard has enjoyed an extremely successful career (27 tournament titles) despite never securing a major. The world No. 33 still has the talent and experience to threaten for his first major triumph if he gets some–well, a lot–of luck.

Always known for being in great shape, his movement, and his defensive ability, Ferrer still can still give the French Open a real go. Being able to excel on clay courts gives him an edge, while it is also worth noting he did pop up last summer with a title in Bastad. Ferrer is another guy who simply needs to be dialed in from the start and find a way to avoid early hiccups. He can still compete with the best and with these odds, he looks like a fun sleeper to root for.

Overall, this year’s French Open is likely to once again be stomping grounds for Nadal, Thiem, and–if he plays–Federer. However, if you want to bet on this tournament or cheer for someone else to win, don’t forget the five aforementioned possibilities.