• BetOnline and Bovada have opening odds on the Men’s and Women’s 2021 French Open
  
• Rafael Nadal (+110) is always chalked to win on clay but Novak Djokovic (+225) is now just two Grand Slam titles back on the all-time list after his win in Melbourne
  
• Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka (+1000) has never advanced past the third round in Roland-Garros
  

Rafael Nadal is the favorite to win his 14th-career French Open this May and breaks a tie with Roger Federer atop the all-time Grand Slam standings with his 21st major title.

The Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal odds of the top betting sites that the Spaniard is the favorite in this clash. That’s hardly a surprise considering his record at the French Open, but I’m sure that the world number one has something to say about it. Of the four Grand Slams, the French Open is unique in that it takes place on clay courts. There are players who love it – Rafael Nadal, being the prime example – while even some of the best.

The Spaniard is gunning for his fifth-straight victory at Roland-Garros, but there hasn’t been a repeat winner on the women’s side of the tournament since Justine Henin-Hardenne won three in a row from 2005 to 2007.

While tennis’ second Slam of the season is still months away, let’s check the opening odds for the French Open for both the Men’s and Women’s draws to see if there are any early values.

Men’s French Open 2021 Odds

Does Nadal have anything left?

Rafael Nadal (+110) was cruising Down Under before a shocking quarter-finals defeat to World No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas that saw him lose despite being two sets up. Novak Djokovic (+225) went on to win his ninth Australian Open title and 18th Grand Slam trophy, pulling him within two of Nadal and Roger Federer (+1600), who should be healthy for the French Open after missing a whole year recovering from two knee surgeries.

Given Nadal has only won twice in his last 16 appearances at majors outside of Paris, the pressure will be squarely on the 34-year-old to hold serve on clay with Djokovic breathing down his neck. The 33-year-old Serbian is the last man not named Nadal to win at Roland Garros, claiming the 2016 title, but the Spaniard thumped him in last year’s final in straight sets.

‘I still believe Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal overtake Roger Federer,’ says Goran Ivanisevic https://t.co/sjyFuRNAPo

— TennisBuzz (@TennisBuzzBlog) February 22, 2021

Dominic Thiem (+400) didn’t get past the quarter-finals in the 2020 French Open, but he defeated Djokovic in the semi-finals in 2019 before losing to Rafa in the final. The 2020 US Open champion also fell to Nadal in the 2018 final and the 2017 semi-finals, so the snake-bitten Austrian has enjoyed considerable success in Paris despite never winning.

While longshots have rarely paid off in an era dominated by Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, Diego Schwartzman (+3300) is a solid bet considering he made the semi-finals last year and the quarter-finals in 2018 before losing to Nadal both times.

Women’s French Open 2021 Odds

Swiatek and Halep co-favored in women’s draw

Reigning champion Iga Swiatek (+500) and 2018 winner Simona Halep (+500) are co-favorites in the Women’s 2021 French Open, with 2019 victor Ashleigh Barty (+1000) and 2016 champ Garbiñe Muguruza (+1000) also expected to be in the mix.

Past performance has not been indicative of future results at Roland-Garros, however, as Serena Williams (+1400) and Maria Sharapova have been the only two women to win the tournament more than once over the past decade.

Simply stunning ✨

A second career title for @iga_swiatek as she defeats Bencic 6-2, 6-2 to secure the @AdelaideTennis women’s singles title! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/wtiso8yrYr

— wta (@WTA) February 27, 2021

Quickly becoming the new face of women’s tennis, Naomi Osaka (+1000) may have trouble following up her Australian Open triumph given that she has never advanced past the third round in Paris. Bianca Andreescu (+1000) is an even worse bet as she recently hurt herself again after just coming off a 15-month injury layoff.

The best betting approach to the women’s draw may be to monitor who’s playing well on clay heading into the tournament in May. Check back for our updated picks in the weeks and months to come.

See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:

The post 2021 French Open Odds: Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek Favored To Repeat appeared first on My Top Sportsbooks.

Nadal vs Djokovic is one of the biggest rivalries in tennis, with the Serbian player leading the series 29-26 against the Spaniard. However, most of Novak’s victories happened on hard courts (20-7). Meanwhile, Rafa has been dominant on clay (17–7). That is the surface used at Roland Garros courts, which is one of the reasons why top tennis sportsbooks believe Nadal is going to win his 13^th French Open title on Sunday. Can Djokovic upset the odds?

• When: Sunday, October 11
• Where: Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France
• How to Watch: NBC Sports

Nadal vs Djokovic Odds

Nadal vs Djokovic Rivalry

Nadal vs Djokovic is the clash between ATP #1 and #2, which will see Nadal aiming for his 13^th French Open title, which would also tie his record with Federer for the number of Majors won in the career. The Swiss player currently has 20, but Nadal has a chance to equalize that record, getting himself back in the GOAT conversation.

Djokovic, on the other hand, has won 17 Grand Slam tournaments so far, but he’s younger than the two. With a win on Sunday, he’d get a step closer to the two. Plus, he’ll be defending his Australian Open title in a few months’ time at what’s his favorite tournament. He had a chance to get to 18 Major titles a few weeks ago, but Laura Clark stood in his way. Literally!

In the 1/8-final of the 2020 US Open, Djokovic was disqualified for hitting the line judge with the ball, losing a chance to go for the Grand Slam this year. He came into that tournament bearing the role of a huge favorite, considering that both Federer and Nadal had opted out.

On the subject of opting out, Nadal was out of the US Open but came back onto the court in Rome. His Italian campaign ended too soon, with him losing to Diego Schwartzman in round three. However, Nadal did get his revenge by beating the Argentine 3-0 in the semi-final of the 2020 French Open.

The Road to the Final

The main takeaway from the recent performances of Nadal and Djokovic is that neither player has been too impressive. Even though Nadal is without a single set lost in the tournament, he did make a lot of mistakes. Luckily for him, his opponents made even more mistakes.

Speaking of Nadal’s opponents in this year’s French Open, he did not face many heavyweights until now. None of his opponents belong to the ATP Top 10, with Diego Schwartzman being the closest at #14.

Djokovic, on the other hand, played some really tough opponents in his previous three matches – Karen Khachanov (#16), Pablo Carreno-Busta (#18), and Stefanos Tsitsipas (#6). His semifinal duel with Tsitsipas saw a total of 5 sets, across 3:58 hours. The match was played on Friday evening local time, meaning that Djoker has had less than 48 hours to rest before the Nadal vs Djokovic final.

Nadal vs Djokovic Prediction

Oddsmakers believe the King of Clay is the favorite here, but right now, Djokovic seems like the better player. The only drawback for the Serbian player is the court surface. Nadal is arguably the best player in tennis history when it comes to playing on clay. However, the last time these two met at the French Open, it was Djokovic who won 3-0.

Backing Djokovic might seem risky, so you might want to switch your focus to games. This should be a marathon-match, going into 5 sets and seeing at least 41 games in total.

Our Nadal vs Djokovic Picks:

Nadal To Win French Open Odds

• Novak Djokovic to Win
• Over 41 Games