French Open 2023: Betting Favourites

The 2023 French Open will kick start without their biggest player Rafael Nadal. The “King of Clay” announced last week that he won’t participate in this year’s tournament due to injury. Nadal has 14 Roland Garros titles under his name and him missing opens a huge gap for his rivals to be able to get a fair share of the title in France. Let’s take a look at the betting favourites to win the French Open.

Men’s Favourites

Novak Djokovic

It’s going to be the first time Novak Djokovic enters the competition as the big favourite to win the title. The main reason for that is the missing of Rafael Nadal who has earned a king status in the event by winning it 14 times. Djokovic has won a joint-record 22 Grand Slam men’s singles titles and is on a quest to win his 23rd major, which will give him the “Goat” status.

His return to the competition will be watched by many since he missed last year’s edition due to the fact he didn’t want to vaccinate for Covid19. Despite his poor record on clay, the Serbian international has won twice in France and has a chance to conquer again.

Carlos Alcaraz

At the age of 20, Carlos Alcaraz has been capturing attention with his remarkable performances, earning him the title of “Nadal’s heir.” With a playing style evoking a youthful Rafa, Alcaraz has displayed a striking mix of innate talent, unwavering determination, and boldness on the court.

Even at such a young age, Alcaraz has already achieved notable milestones in the tennis world. During the 2022 US Open, he etched his name in history as the youngest champion since 1991. This year in Clay Court, he reigned supreme in front of the home crowd winning Madrid Open earlier in the month. But last weekend, he disappointed in Italy, crashing out of the tournament in the hands of World number 135 Fabian Maroszan. Nevertheless, the world No 2, is still a huge threat to scoop a title in France.

Daniil Medvedev

Although better known for his hard-court prowess, Russian Daniil Medvedev has been improving on clay in recent years. Last weekend, he managed to win Rome Open which indicated that the growth in Clay circuit is starting to reveal itself. It was his first title on clay and that victory will serve as much needed moral boost heading to the tournament. On court, he is one of the young players who are not going down without a fight and his high mentality strength makes him difficult to write him off.  The world number three possesses a unique playing style, and his consistency from the baseline could see him make a deep run at the French Open.

Alexander Zverev

Despite dropping as low as 23 on the world rankings, Alexander Zverev has unfinished business with the French Open. He has reached the Semifinals of the tournament twice in consecutive years. Last year he suffered an ankle injury while playing Rafael Nadal which ended his good run on form. As one of the exciting players, the German international will have hope to go all the way in hoping to secure a first Grand Slam title. He has come short before as he lost in the 2020 US Open final. 

Women’s Favourites

Iga Swiatek

The runaway favourite to claim the title in the slow conditions on offer at the French Open, Iga Swiatek will be looking to capture her third French Open title in the last four years. The World number 1 will be looking to claim a third Roland Garros title in four years. The concerning factor though will be how fit she is to defend her title. 

Swiatek retired from the Italian Open quarter-final against Elena Rybakina due to a thigh issue. The Danish who was the top seed and two-time defending champion in Rome was tied 2-2 with eventual champion Rybakina in the deciding set when she made the difficult decision to withdraw. Despite her clay season in Madrid and Stuttgart failed to impress, Swiatek still remains a player to beat in France. 

Aryna Sabalenka

In the tennis world, the much-talked-about comeback in 2023 is of Aryna Sabalenka. With Iga Swiatek heading to the French Open venerable as she carries an injury after retiring in the Italian Open, Sabalenka has the opportunity to jump into the number one spot in the ranking if she wins the Roland Garros title. 

Sabalenka has been unstoppable and fearless on the court this season. She started the year by winning the Adelaide Open then claimed top honours in Melbourne taking the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open. Then she made the finals of the Indian Wells and Stuttgart Open to continue with her red-hot form. Her victory in the Madrid Open where she defeated Swiatek indicated that her year is becoming more fruitful. With some of the most explosive power on tour, Sabalenka is always a dangerous player. 

Elena Rybakina

Elena Rybakina will head to the French Open with the confidence that she can be as effective on clay as she is on the other two surfaces with her booming serve and groundstrokes after the Kazakh world number six won the Italian Open the past weekend. The reigning Wimbledon champion was claiming her second title this year as she won Indian Wells. The Moscow-born 23-year-old star player is known for her grit attitude on the court, powerful serve and forever willingness to succeed. 

Barbora Krejcikova

Barbora Krejcikova enters the French Open as a dark horse but remains one of the dangerous players tipped for the title. The 2021 French Open champion provided one of the greatest upsets in tennis history winning the tournament as the unseeded player. That performance alone indicated that Czech-born tennis sensation is capable of pulling splendid performances.

This year she has been in great form after having a disastrous 2022. She’s re-entered the world’s top-15 already and is on her favourite surface when playing on the red clay. She is better known for her strong serve, powerful groundstrokes, and wholly complete net game – so write her off at your own peril. 

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