We’ve had many ups and downs, twists and turns, and exciting tennis on the Road to Roland Garros. But the journey is almost complete. The French Open main draw begins on May 22nd when the first ball will be tossed. The French Open is the only Grand Slam played on clay and is the Premier clay-court tournament in the world.
French Open Tournament History
It is the second of the four grand slams on the tennis calendar. The French Open was founded in 1891 and has been played 126 times. Rafael Nadal has won the most singles titles in French Open history on the men’s side with 13. He also holds the record for most consecutive singles titles at 5.
On the women’s side, Chris Evert holds the most titles with seven. Monica Seles and Justine Henin are tied for the most consecutive singles titles, each winning three times in a row.
The French Open is played on slow clay that features diminished pace and high bounces. Because of the surface’s propensity to extend rallies, the tournament is considered the most physically grueling of all the four grand slams.
How Does the French Open Work?
Features of a Grand Slam tournament include a best-of-five format for the men and a day off in between matches. The best-of-five format helps veteran players, who are more accustomed to having to play for the five sets.
We have seen many times when a young up-and-comer goes up against a former champion or top player and wins the first two sets but eventually falls in five, not being used to the physically and mentally taxing nature of the extended play.
Because of this, we see even fewer upsets here at the Grand Slams than in the normal best of three tournaments. This is another thing we must keep in mind when handicapping this prestigious tournament.
When Is the 2022 French Open?
The 2022 French Open starts this upcoming Sunday, May 22 until June 5, 2022. The detailed schedule and times, which are subject to change, are available on the Ronald-Garros Tournament official site.
Where Does the 2022 French Open Take Place?
The Grand Slam tournament will be held at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris, France.
Where Can I Watch the 2022 French Open?
If you are located in the United States, the tournament will be broadcasted on NBC Sports, the Tennis Channel, and Peacock.
French Open ATP Odds
There are only five men who I believe have a shot of winning the whole tournament. Let’s take a look at the ATP odds powered by BetOnline, one of BMR’s top-rated sportsbooks, and go over the pros and cons of wagering on each man.
Novak Djokovic (+170)
Novak Djokovic is the reigning French Open champion. Djokovic came into the clay-court swing a little rusty due to his time off because of different countries’ vaccination policies. Djokovic used the road to Roland Garros to work himself back into form, culminating in a win in Rome.
The surface and conditions in Rome are the most predictive of that of Roland Garros. Rome is one of the slowest stops on the tour and the perfect event to lead us into the French Open. Djokovic did not drop a set on his way to lifting the title and got good wins over solid clay courters Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinal and then the final.
Djokovic’s form is back, and he is the rightful favorite to lift the trophy. At this point in his career, Djokovic is completely tailoring his schedule in order to peak at the grand slams and it appears he has done so correctly.
I believe BMR’s sportsbooks have given us a fair price for Novak to lift the trophy, but it is hard to argue against taking the most dominant player of the last 2 years.
Carlos Alcaraz (+200)
Carlos Alcaraz is the up-and-coming Spanish player who looks poised to take over the tour. While Alcaraz’s future at the top of the tour is not in question, we still must wonder if he is ready to make the leap for the Grand Slam title right now.
Alcaraz has shown the ability to beat the world’s best players in the best of three. He has defeated Novak Djokovic in the final in Madrid in a three-set classic 7-6, 5-7, 7-6. Two things are different now. The clay plays much slower, which should work in Alcaraz’s favor, but it’s still an adjustment that needs to be made.
Alcaraz did skip Rome, which is a great warm-up to get accustomed to the surface here. Also, it is a best-of-five. Novak Djokovic is definitely known for his conditioning and while Carlos Alcaraz is 19 and should be in great condition, Djokovic has the experience to understand how to pace yourself for five-set matches over a two-week period.
It is without a doubt that Alcaraz will be lifting a grand slam trophy very soon, the question is, will it be this fortnight? I do believe that Alcaraz has a great chance to win with so many factors aligning in his favor at this tournament. Alcaraz’s immeasurable skill and youthful brash confidence should do him well against the world’s best.
Rafael Nadal (+280)
Two years ago, Rafael Nadal was -125 to win the French Open. It is a tribute to his skill and domination of this tournament that the oddsmakers made you pay juice for him to win seven matches in a row.
A couple of things have changed since then. The first is the emergence of Carlos Alcaraz, the young Spanish player who plays with all of the brilliance, touch, and intensity that Nadal personifies. The second, and probably more important in our handicap, is a lingering foot injury that has caused him to miss tournaments and has definitely been an issue with him on the court.
Nadal fell in the round of 16 in Rome, and it was obvious that his foot and movement were hampered by the lingering injury.
Nadal has the most French Open titles of any player of all time, so he is obviously going to be a formidable threat no matter the circumstances. But in a strong field, with two other prominent players, Nadal’s foot injury hovers over him like a dark cloud. If Nadal is 100% this is a great price for him. But, unfortunately, it’s hard to assume that Nadal will be at his best.
Stefanos Tsitsipas (+900)
Now we are getting to the longshot candidates. Stefanos Tsitsipas had an excellent showing in Rome but fell short against Novak Djokovic. Tsitsipas looked completely outclassed, getting bageled in the first set and then squandering a break in the second to lose in straight sets.
He is a great player with a bright future but we definitely can have questions about his ability to truly compete on a physical and mental level with the best on the ATP tour.
Tsitsipas can have problems against the biggest hitters on the tour, especially with his aesthetically pleasing, yet sometimes weak one-handed backhand. If you want to go away from the established names and take a chance at a long shot, Tsitsipas is your best bet.
Be warned, a lot of things are going to have to break in your favor for him to lift the trophy.
Alexander Zverev (+2700)
Alexander Zverev is the other player who I believe has a chance to upset the field and actually win as a longshot. Zverev has a game that is made for clay. He is quite comfortable sliding around and can use his defensive nature quite effectively.
Zverev has come out on top against Novak Djokovic before, so he does have the ability to beat the world’s best. Zverev has all the talent to win this tournament. It is his mental game and his ability to stay focused that has the number has Zverev on the high side. Zverev can get timid in big situations and fails to play his best under pressure.
However, Zverev does have all the tools in his arsenal. Zverev has a big serve, can put away points with his groundstrokes, but can play excellent defense when needed. Although Zverev is rightfully a long shot, a golden run and sudden ascension are not completely out of the question.
French Open 2022 ATP Best Bet
Of all these options, I like taking the youngster Carlos Alcaraz to win the title. Alcaraz is only 19 so the stamina for best of 5 should not be an issue. He has shown he can beat Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal on the clay this season.
Alcaraz is only getting better and does not have to worry about injuries at this point. I expect the changing of the guard to happen here at this tournament and for Carlos Alcaraz to lift the French Open trophy. Our best bet for the French Open is Carlos Alcaraz to win the title.
ATP Pick: Carlos Alcaraz to Win (+200) with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
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