An Expert French Open Betting Guide

Advanced French Open Betting Strategies

Outrights

For each competition in the French Open, fans can find odds on players and doubles team to win. There will be odds offered on all the players competing in the men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles. In the men’s and women’s singles, 128 players enter each competition after the qualifying rounds, meaning that there will be a large selection of players to choose from.

In tennis Grand Slams, the odds are usually incredibly generous, even for the defending champion or clear favourites in the tournament. These bets can be found before the French Open starts, meaning that keen fans will be able to view the odds and place their bets well in advance. The odds will also be longer before the competition starts, because when the tournament starts, the number of possible winners will halve after each round. Therefore practical punters who are looking for the best odds can try to get their bets in before the tournament starts.

Game Props

Once the tournament has started, there will be many game props allowing fans to bet on a lot of intriguing match statistics. These can be placed by fans who want to make smaller side bets on their favourite players, or they may be used by keen punters who want to take advantage of the huge odds and place well researched bets with the best chance of winning at the longest odds.

Whatever the reason for placing a props bet, it certainly makes the experience all the more fun for anyone watching the game.

Player to Win First Game

A bet can be placed for which player or doubles team will win the first game. In most tennis matches this will depend on which player or doubles team serves first. The serve offers a huge advantage, and players who have a specialty for serving aces will definitely want to impose a strong presence on the match early on.

However, the French Open is not the easiest place for players to serve aces. The clay court slows down the fast paced serves and usually bounces higher than the grass and acrylic courts. This means that a serve is easier to return, and as a result the match depends more on players' stamina and technique.

First Set Winner

The first set is a pivotal moment in each match. The matches in the French Open are played in a best of five set format, meaning that players cannot afford to lose the first two sets. The first set is always an interesting bet, and it pays out faster than betting on the winner of the match. Commonly, players who are the clear favourite will try to win it to discourage their opponent, whereas the underdogs may win it to try and prove that they will put up a fight and try to cause an upset.

First Player to Win Two Sets

This bet is halfway between the match winner and first player to win a set bet. The player who reaches two sets has a strong chance of winning, yet they may still lose. The player who reaches two sets first also may not necessarily win the first set. The truly professional players never lose their heads when going behind in a match, and they will know how to turn the game around in their favour should they lose the first set. The same applies if they win the first set and then draw the second, they will try to use their expertise to push themselves ahead of their opponents. The first player to win two sets may be safer to place than the first player to win a set, especially if certain players rely on their physical stamina to outlast the other player.

Double Result

The score after the first two sets will most likely determine the match winner. Punters can bet on whether the score will stand at 2-0, 1-1 or 0-2 after the first two sets have been played. This is a three way bet, so the odds offered will be significantly larger than bets such as which player will win the match. This bet is attractive to many fans because they can take advantage of the odds and also it gives them something very specific to hope for while they watch the match.

Correct Set Score

This bet may be the toughest to predict, as there are a number of possibilities. The match may end 3-0, 3-1, or 3-2, for either of the players or doubles teams involved. This is a six way bet so the odds will be high for each of the different options. Of course betting on the underdog to win the match in straight sets is a very ambitious bet, whilst betting on the favourite to win in straight sets or by 3-1 may be more realistic. Fans who place these bets will enjoy the huge rush of adrenaline that each set brings.

Come Back From 2-0

The most exciting matches are when the tables are turned right when it looks like one player will win. Tennis fans who have watched the final of the French Open over the years may think of tennis players such as Bjorn Borg, Ivan Lendi, Andre Agassi and most recently Novak Djokovic, who all came back from 2-0 in French Opens finals. This bet comes with great odds, and while it is very unlikely, tennis stars from the past and present have shown fans that anything is possible. The odds that fans would have found for the 2021 French Open final, where Novak Djokovic came back from 2-0 against Stefanos Tsitsipas must have been astronomical.

How Many Sets Will There Be

The best of five sets format means that matches can end in three straight sets, four sets or they can go to the full five sets. The odds offered for each of the possibilities will depend on the players involved and their form, which round they are playing in and external factors such as weather and lighting conditions. Of course, it is always more adventurous to place bets on the match having to be played the full five sets, especially in a semi-final or even the final.

Betting on Aces

As mentioned before, the clay court does not offer much help to players who serve as the main part of their game, though that does not mean that they do not try. Novak Djokovic hit 40 aces, along with 11 double faults, in the 2021 French Open. While the clay court may not help servers much, it certainly does help the odds on players hitting aces. Betting on the first player to hit an ace, or whether they will hit an ace in a certain game, hit a certain number of aces in a set or match are all bets that have huge odds. They can liven up the match for any tennis fan watching the game.

Conclusion

Avid tennis fans who watch all of the matches in the French Open will know the challenges that face the players and doubles partners on the famed clay court. The French Open has been the scene of late drama and drawn out battles between some of the most accomplished tennis players.

Punters can bet on any one of the players competing. Outrights may be placed on the winner of the competition, or fans can place bets on individual matches. Individual bets can also be combined into parlays to generate even better odds, but this comes with a risk as all bets in the parlay need to win for the bet to pay.

Betting on games can further enliven every single detail in matches and provide punters with more to look forward to. Fans who have watched a lot of tennis and have a good understanding of the players in the match will be able to place very specific bets that can potentially bring them huge winnings.