Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have won the last two Grand Slams, so it should come as no surprise to see them listed as near co-favorites on our French Open odds board heading into the second slam of the year at Roland Garros.
Despite the fact that both men have had impressive records to this point, though, the hottest clay-courter in the world happens to be a man who’s openly denounced the surface.
That’s right; with many anticipating the second Grand Slam victory of Alcaraz’s career, Daniil Medvedev is the one who seems poised to finally put another trophy beside his 2021 US Open title. After winning the Rome Masters, he may be an even-stronger challenger to Alcaraz than Djokovic is.
Let's break down those trending in the right direction ahead of the French Open — in addition to some longshots and players to avoid — in our full Roland-Garros betting preview below.
French Open 2023 Men's odds
| Player | Odds to win |
|---|---|
| Carlos Alcaraz | +150 |
| Novak Djokovic | +225 |
| Holger Rune | +1,000 |
| Daniil Medvedev | +1,100 |
| Stefanos Tsitsipas | +1,300 |
| Jannik Sinner | +1,500 |
| Casper Ruud | +2,500 |
| Alexander Zverev | +3,500 |
| Andrey Rublev | +4,000 |
| Lorenzo Musetti | +8,000 |
| Taylor Fritz | +8,000 |
| Dominic Thiem | +8,000 |
| Cameron Norrie | +10,000 |
| Felix Auger Aliassime | +10,000 |
| Francis Tiafoe | +10,000 |
| Borna Coric | +10,000 |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of May 24, 2023.
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French Open 2023 Men's favorites
Who's hot
Carlos Alcaraz (+150)
The Spaniard lost the most recent match he played in quite a shocking fashion to unknown Hungarian Fabian Marozsan, but was on an incredible tear prior to that. He's 20-2 on clay this season, having won the title in Buenos Aires earlier this season and reeling off back-to-back wins in Spain this spring in Barcelona and at the Madrid Masters.
With Daniil Medvedev moving up to World No. 2, he is now at risk of Novak Djokovic — now the third-ranked player in the world — falling in his half of the draw. That seems like the only real obstacle for the 20-year-old in his pursuit of a second grand slam.
Holger Rune (+1,000)
Alcaraz isn’t the only 20-year-old with his sights set on the trophy at Roland Garros. Rune took out Djokovic and Casper Ruud en route to the final in Rome last week, making it three finals in four clay-court events this season.
Rune has the power to beat anyone in the world — including Alcaraz — and now seems to have the stamina to go deep in a slam after some questions about his body last season. He did make a trip to the quarterfinal in his Roland-Garros debut last year and is poised for another deep run as the No. 6-ranked player in the world.
Daniil Medvedev (+1,100)
The Russian has been open about his disdain for clay in the past, but he seems to be growing with every match he plays on the surface. Medvedev was the shocking winner at the Rome Masters last week, dusting Rune, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Alexander Zverev in straight sets.
He’s now 10-2 on clay this year and has been to the fourth round and Quarterfinals in his last two trips to Roland Garros.
Stefanos Tsitsipas (+1,300)
He did fall to Medvedev in straight sets at one of the biggest clay-court tournaments of the year, but it’s hard to say Tsitsipas isn’t playing good tennis at the moment.
He’s still 13-4 on clay this season with a trip to the semis in Rome last week and an appearance in the Barcelona final, where he lost to Alcaraz. Tsitsipas isn’t scorching hot, but he’s certainly not playing poorly, either.
Who's not
Novak Djokovic (+200)
Now, it may not matter when he steps onto the dirt in Paris given his experience, but Djokovic is certainly ice cold at the moment.
After a strong showing on hardcourts early in the season which saw him claim yet another Australian Open, Djokovic turned around and went 5-3 this clay season. He fell to Lorenzo Musetti as a huge favorite in Monte Carlo and then lost to Dusan Lajovic as an even bigger favorite in Banja Luka. It did seem like he was finding his form again in Rome, but he would go on to lose to Rune in the quarters.
Djokovic has been dealing with a few minor injuries this year — most recently to his elbow — and with the losses stacking up, it’s anyone’s guess how he fares at the French Open.
French Open 2023 Men's sleepers
Players to watch
Casper Ruud (+2,400)
I’m reluctant to say too many nice things about a player who’s had such a miserable season, but Ruud did seem to find his form again on the dirt with a trip to the Rome semifinals and is up and running in Geneva as he tunes himself up for Paris.
Ruud made the final here last year only to fall to the King of Clay — Rafael Nadal — himself, and he has a wealth of experience on clay that has to come into consideration at this price.
Taylor Fritz (+8,000)
It might sound a little wild, but Fritz is a Top-10 player who made the semis at Monte Carlo this spring and played some good tennis at altitude in Madrid.
With that, he’s proven his level is nearly the same on the dirt, making this price a pretty crazy one. With the possibility that Alcaraz and Djokovic could wind up on the same side of the draw, things could break right here for Fritz which makes this price a little hard to believe.
His Monte Carlo run included a win over Tsitsipas — who’s twice won the event — and it seems he’s somewhere close to the Top 10 in terms of the most dangerous players in the field.
Long shots to avoid
Dominic Thiem (+8,500)
I understand the temptation to play a former finalist here, but Thiem’s level simply isn’t there. He’s gone 11-9 across all levels on clay this year and is 19-20 on the surface over the last two seasons.
He's also lost to the likes of Corentin Moutet and Hamad Medjedovic in recent weeks at the ATP Challenger level. It's quite the leap to say he’s going to compete at a Grand Slam — particularly one on clay, given how much he’s struggled on the surface.
