Blake Krass takes you through his preview, predictions, and best bets for the men’s and women’s side of the 2026 French Open.
The second tennis major of the year is here! The best men and women in the world are headed to Paris to try to conquer Roland-Garros. The two-time defending men’s champion, Carlos Alcaraz, will not be participating this year due to injury. That leaves the door open for Jannik Sinner to complete the Career Grand Slam. On the women’s side, Coco Gauff will look to defend her title against Roland-Garros legend Iga Swiatek and World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
These are my French Open best bets to target on DraftKings Sportsbook in the futures market.
The primary storyline in men’s tennis over the past few months has been Jannik Sinner’s dominance. However, the season started with a career-defining win by Carlos Alcaraz. Alcaraz won the Australian Open to become the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam. However, Sinner bounced back and won the Sunshine Double. An injury to Alcaraz early in the clay season then allowed Sinner to steamroll through the last few events. He broke Novak Djokovic’s record for the most consecutive Masters 1000 matches and titles, and completed the Career Golden Masters. Now, it’s Sinner’s turn to try to complete the Career Grand Slam at Roland-Garros.
With Alcaraz sidelined, there is no serious challenger to Sinner. It would take a monumental upset by somebody to stop him. The two main candidates are Alexander Zverev and Djokovic. Zverev has played well over the past couple of months, but has fallen way short when taking on Sinner head-to-head. Djokovic had been dealing with an injury for a few weeks before finally returning in Rome, where he had a poor showing. If he is back to full health, he is one of the only real threats to Sinner in this field. However, his health and form are in serious question after his bad performance in Italy.
Some really exciting young stars who have a proclivity for clay have emerged this season. Rafael Jodar and Arthur Fils headline that group, both tied for the fourth-best odds to win this tournament. Neither of them seems quite ready to make the jump to major winner, especially with Sinner in his current form in their path. However, they could still produce some magic along the way.
The only player worth betting on to win the 2026 French Open is Djokovic. The odds on Sinner are not worth a bet at -275. The youngsters like Fils and Jodar are simply not ready for this highest level yet. Zverev has proven that he can’t touch Sinner in big matches. The only person who has proven over the years that he can handle Sinner is Djokovic. Nobody in the history of the game has won more major titles than Djokovic. He won at Roland-Garros as recently as 2023. Djokovic also won the most recent meeting against Sinner in the Australian Open semi-finals earlier this year. If Djokovic is back to full fitness, he is the only man in this field who can take down Sinner head-to-head.
There are six serious contenders on the women’s side of the tournament. The favorite is Iga Swiatek, who has won four of the past six French Open titles. She also returned to form in Rome just in time for this major. Next on the list is the World No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka, who is still seeking her first Roland-Garros title. Elena Rybakina, the World No. 2, is also seeking her first-ever French Open title after winning the first major of the year in Australia.
The defending champion here in Paris is the American, Coco Gauff. She is coming off a trip to the Italian Open final, the same thing she did last year before winning her first Roland-Garros title. Meanwhile, Mirra Andreeva is seeking her first major title. Andreeva is one of the brightest young players in the world, but has yet to get it done on the biggest stage. The final contender is Elina Svitolina, who just won the title in Rome. Just like Andreeva, she is seeking her first major title.
It would not be surprising to see any of those six women win this title, including Andreeva or Svitolina, who have never won a major. That is why my best bet comes in a different market.
My best bet is on Gauff to win the second quarter and make the semi-finals at Roland-Garros. Gauff is the defending champion here in Paris and is in great form after making a run to the final in Rome. She has a really clear path to the semi-finals, based on Thursday’s draw. Swiatek might have to face Svitolina in the quarter-finals, who just beat her in Rome. Meanwhile, Sabalenka has struggled on clay so far this year and might have to face Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals.
At the bottom of the bracket, there is a potential quarter-finals matchup between Andreeva and Rybakina. Meanwhile, Gauff’s toughest competition is Amanda Anisimova, who is in awful form of late. Of the six main contenders here in Paris, Gauff and Sabalenka are the two that wouldn’t face any of the other top-tier contenders until at least the semi-finals. Between those two, Gauff is in much better form during this clay season than Sabalenka is. That is why my favorite bet on the women’s side is on Gauff reaching the semi-finals.
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