French Open 2025: Predict, Odds, & Betting Tips

The action gets underway on May 25th, and for the fortnight that follows, the best players on the planet will battle it out on Roland Garros' iconic clay courts in a bid to be crowned champion. This year's tournament is perhaps the most wide open in two decades, following the retirement of Rafael Nadal late last year. The resident King of Clay ruled over the red surface with an iron fist throughout his stellar career, amassing a whopping record of 112 wins against just four losses, leading him to a record 14 titles.

Possibly Nadal’s last time at #RolandGarros, what a run it’s been

pic.twitter.com/7wTCsVmB3Y

— Bovada (@BovadaOfficial) May 27, 2024

However, Nadal's career at the top level is no more. And here is who we can expect to contend for the crown in the first tournament of the post-Rafa era.

Carlos Alcaraz: The Man to Beat

Carlos Alcaraz enters the 2025 French Open as the defending champion and the bookmakers’ top pick to reign supreme once again. The latest tennis betting odds at Bovada currently make the Spanish prodigy an even-money favorite to successfully go back-to-back in Paris. Tennis fans will be keeping a close eye on those betting odds as events unfold.

The 21-year-old has risen to become the dominant force on the tour in recent years. His maiden triumph at the US Open in 2022 was his coming-out party, while consecutive Wimbledon triumphs against all-time great Novak Djokovic cemented his legacy as the man to beat. Last year, he won in France for the first time ever with a thrilling victory against Alexander Zverev, and now he is primed and ready to continue solidifying his status as the best clay-court player around.

His prowess on this surface was most recently highlighted by his title win at the Monte-Carlo Masters. Alcaraz wasn't at the peak of his powers, but he still had enough about him to rally and overturn a first-set deficit and eventually triumph over Italian Lorenzo Musetti. Now, he has his eyes on the biggest prize.

Why Alcaraz Stands Out:

- Clay-court Superiority: With an 83-18 career record on clay, Alcaraz is built for dominance on this slow surface.

- Recent Form: Winning the 2025 Monte-Carlo Masters without being at his peak shows the strength of his game.

- Legacy Building: At just 21 years old, Alcaraz already boasts four Grand Slam titles and is the frontrunner to make it five in the City of Love.

Jannik Sinner’s Return to Glory?

Jannik Sinner is one of the few players bold enough to challenge Alcaraz’s claim to clay-court supremacy. The Italian has become known as the hard-court specialist, winning back-to-back crowns in the Land Down Under with a US Open triumph last September sandwiched in between. Now, the time has come for him to branch out on different surfaces, starting in Paris.

The 23-year-old currently sits as the +275 second favorite for the crown, making him Alcaraz's main competition. And considering his recent ban, Sinner has plenty to prove. The back-to-back Aussie Open winner was recently ruled out for three months due to a failed drug test, and the consequences of that made headlines the world over for their perceived leniency. Regardless, the Italian Stallion is back, and he certainly means business.

Sinner has never made it past the semifinals at Roland Garros, losing at that stage last year to eventual champion Alcaraz after a five-set thriller. Now, he is aiming for redemption.

Factors in Sinner’s Favor:

- Refreshed and Hungry: A three-month break might give him an edge in terms of physical recovery and renewed motivation.

- Resilience: Even after setbacks, Sinner has proven he can quickly return to form. Now, he has extra motivation to prove his critics wrong.

- Springing the upset: With his powerful groundstrokes, Sinner can disrupt even the heaviest of clay specialists.

Novak Djokovic: Rolling Back the Years

In the twilight of his career, Novak Djokovic now finds himself in an unfamiliar role as the outsider. The bookies currently price him as a distant +550 third favorite, but he can take solace from his efforts on clay last year. Last August, the Serbian supremo picked up an Olympic Gold Medal on these famous courts, with the victory resulting in Nole claiming the one prize that had eluded him throughout his magnificent career. Now, he is aiming to roll back the clock one more time by leaving Paris with a record-extending 25th Grand Slam.

The Serbian icon has a knack for thriving in high-stakes scenarios, and his two prior wins at Roland Garros prove he can excel even on the challenging clay surface. In both of those successes, Djokovic had to defeat Nadal at the peak of his powers. Now, it's Alcaraz who is the man to beat, and Nole did exactly that just under a year ago. Can he do it again?

Djokovic’s X-Factor:

- Grand Slam Prowess: He knows how to peak at the perfect time during the biggest tournaments.

- Proven Pedigree: Two French Open titles and a 2024 Olympic Gold Medal say that he can get the job done despite his advancing years.