Jannik Sinner begins French Open quest as odds-on favorite

Field Level Media|published: Sun 24th May, 14:03 2026

Mar 29, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Jannik Sinner of Italy hits a backhand against Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic after beating him in the final of the men’s singles at the Miami Open at the Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images

The French Open is the lone Grand Slam that has eluded world No. 1 Jannik Sinner to date. Play also began at Roland Garros on Sunday with Sinner as the heaviest pre-tournament favorite since Rafael Nadal in 2009.

That's in large part due to Nadal's countryman and two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz being forced to sit out this French Open out due to a wrist injury.

The cards are stacked heavily in Sinner's favor. The four-time Grand Slam champion entered his opening match against wild-card entry Clement Tabur riding a 29-match winning streak. He also has a 17-0 record on clay in 2026.

The draw also stacks up favorably, with Novak Djokovic on the other side along with two-time French Open finalist Casper Ruud of Norway. One notable potential hurdle is Russian Daniil Medvedev, but Sinner has won 10 of their past 11 meetings.

It all leads to Sinner beginning the tournament as the -325 favorite at BetMGM to win the men's title. The next-closest competitor is German Alexander Zverev at +900, followed by Djokovic at +1100 and Ruud at +2000.

DraftKings has even shorter odds on Sinner at -340, followed by Zverev (+1100), Djokovic (+1300) and Ruud (+2200).

Nadal entered the 2009 French Open as the -400 favorite. While he had shorter pre-tournament odds, Sinner is the most overwhelming favorite in modern tennis history when compared to his next closest challengers.

Sinner, still only 24 years old, is a two-time Australian Open champion who also won the U.S. Open in 2024. He will be the defending champion at Wimbledon this year.

The women's draw features far more depth, at least in the eyes of sportsbooks.

Aryna Sabalenka is the +275 title favorite at BetMGM, followed by Elena Rybakina (+300), Iga Swiatek (+400), Coco Gauff (+600) and Amanda Anisimova (+800).

Sabalenka and Swiatek opened play at Roland Garros as the co-+275 favorites at DraftKings. Gauff was next at +600, followed by Rybakina (+650) and Mirra Andreeva (+900). The book had far longer odds on Anisimova at +4000, making her tied for just the 10th-shortest odds.

--Field Level Media

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