French Open 2019: A closer look at the men’s favorites

It’s almost time for the second major of the year and tennis fans will be eagerly anticipating the outcome of the French Open, with the men’s lineup containing some of the game’s most coveted stars. As expected, Rafael Nadal will headline as he looks to take his 12th title at Roland Garros. But the likes of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Dominic Thiem are all expected to be in the reckoning.

Whoever does come out on top will need to show plenty of grit, determination, and a genuine desire to succeed in one of tennis’ toughest arenas. Historically speaking, Nadal has made the French Open his own—but he and world No. 1 Djokovic have been somewhat off color at various times season. That could perhaps pave the way for a slight underdog to capture the glory.

The competition is expected to be fiercely contested, so let’s take a peek at the early favorites.

Rafael Nadal: 15/8

It’s impossible to dethrone Nadal as the undisputed “King of Clay,” he’ll be the main man to beat at Roland Garros. The Spaniard first won in 2005 and another 10 titles have followed.

Famously, Nadal has struggled with a whole host of injury setbacks—but he appears to be over the worst of it at the moment. This is Nadal’s backyard and to bet against him is a risk in itself.

Novak Djokovic: 9/4

The top-ranked Serb will be looking to clinch just his second triumph at Roland Garros, and his recent win at the Madrid Open has teed him up nicely. If Djokovic is successful, it’ll be his second major of 2019 after winning the Australian Open in January (and fourth in a row).

Djokovic’s form has dipped slightly since his victory in Melbourne, but—similarly to Nadal—it would be naïve to not like his chances of a deep run in Paris. Even with a price of 9/4, there’s good enough value to back Djokovic to claim his 16^th major.

Dominic Thiem: 6/1

If Nadal and Djokovic falter, the smart money would lean towards Thiem—who has looked impressive so far in 2019. The Austrian was successful against Nadal in the ATP 500 semifinal in Barcelona and went on to claim the title against Danii Medvedev in the final.

His 6/1 price provides plenty of opportunities for punters who may be tempted to take a chance on him, and Thiem’s climb to world No. 4 highlights just how improved he has become in recent times.

Roger Federer: 20/1

The greatest player to ever grace the game—or so many say—is  somewhat over the hills in terms of age, but Federer’s experience and know-how will be paramount if he is to cause a small upset. The Swiss legend hasn’t featured much on clay in recent times, which could be a concern from a punters perspective; his 20/1 price further suggests this.

Federer at least played in Madrid (lost to Thiem in the quarterfinals) and Rome (withdrew prior to the quarterfinals), so he’ll be heading to Paris with some game time on clay under his belt this year. It’s hard to see Federer claiming his second French Open title, but he could be worth an outside bet nonetheless.

Alexander Zverev: 29/1

Another player who is capable of causing an upset or two, Zverev will be looking to improve on his quarterfinal appearance from last year. However, the 22-year-old German has endured a rough start to 2019.

Zverev crashed out in the fourth round of the Australian Open and finished runner-up in the Mexican Open, but he has really struggled for any kind of consistency since then. He did manage an improved display in the Madrid Open, but he’ll need to be vastly better than that to have any chance of winning at Roland Garros.

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