Serena Williams is back in a Grand Slam for the first time since giving birth, and the oddsmakers believe she has a chance to win the French Open. Simona Halep is the favorite at +500 but it is a pretty open field, with Williams among the top contenders.
She is listed at +800 to win the title, as Williams could join Steffi Graf as the only two women’s players to pull off the quadruple career Grand Slam. Williams first won the French Open in 2002 and followed that up with titles in 2013 and 2015.
The tournament’s defending champion is Jelena Ostapenko, who knocked off Halep in the finals a year ago to claim the crown. The action is coming up soon. Let’s take a look at the tournament and French Open picks.
2018 French Open Dates: Monday, May 27, through Sunday, June 10, 2018
Location: Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France
French Open Tennis Odds Favorite: Simona Halep
French Open TV Coverage: ESPN, NBC, Tennis Channel
Halep could move past Caroline Wozniacki for the No. 1 spot in the world with a strong tournament, so there will be no shortage of motivation for her to get over the hump this year. Halep has finished as the runner-up twice in the past four years and is playing solidly right now, so she certainly seems like a top contenders.
Wozniacki is a good player but does not have great odds to win this tournament as it is not the perfect type of event for her abilities. Williams returned to the court in February and while she has not had great success, it’s hard to ever count her out. These odds are much lower than if she was at the height of her powers and it could be a good value play provided she can get back to dominating the field.
Odds to Win French Open
Simona Halep +500
Elina Svitolina +575
Serena Williams +800
Garbine Muguruza +925
Maria Sharapova +1100
Jelena Ostapenko +1100
Karolina Pliskova +1350
Petra Kvitova +1500
Daria Kasatkina +1750
Kiki Bertens +1785
Caroline Wozniacki +2150
Angelique Kerber +2250
Victoria Azarenka +2350
Elise Mertens +2350
Caroline Garcia +2750
Naomi Osaka +3100
Madison Key +4000
Julia Goerges +4100
Anett Kontaveit +4250
Sloane Stephens +4250
Kristina Mladenovic +4750
Timea Bacsinszky +5500
Carla Suarez Navarro +5500
Johanna Konta +6500
Venus Williams +6750
Lucie Safarova +7250
Belinda Bencic +7250
Coco Vandeweghe +8750
Marketa Vondrousova +8750
Dominika Cibulkova +11000
Draw Analysis
Williams will be unseeded for the first time, which could lead to a tougher draw than normal. Halep is the top seed and will aim to cruise by her early opponents before ramping up later in the tournament. Halep and Ostapenko are on the same side of the draw, so there will be no rematch in the finals this time around.
Sharapova is only the No. 28 seed but she has good history at the French Open and the oddsmakers like her chances much better than the seeding would indicate. Venus Williams is a longshot to win this tournament as she is no longer a powerhouse like her sister.
Elina Svitolina has been given nice odds to win but she has a tough draw, possibly needing to beat Ostapenko and then Halep to simply make the championship match. This tournament seems pretty open with Halep the favorite but many players in the mix.
Tennis Odds at BookMaker.eu
French Open Free Picks
Williams is always intriguing but it would be a surprise to see her bounce back this quickly and win the French Open without being in tip-top shape. It is tough to decipher which one of the other contenders will come away with the victory.
The odds show there is no consensus favorite, and it’s a good idea to take a look at the second tier of options because they would result in a nice payout. Garbine Muguruza has a nice seed and avoids some of the heavyweights in the draw as they would have to duke it out to meet her in the finals. Much of the time it depends on the layout of the draw in addition to a player’s talent.
Muguruza has a good situation going and at +925 has the type of odds that are intriguing. Stay away from the big names like Serena Williams, Halep and Sharapova and instead go with a player who has a good shot at a deep run and the French Open title in tennis wagering.
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