History was made on the Men’s side at the Australian Open earlier this season, as Rafael Nadal defeated Daniil Medvedev for his 21st Grand Slam title. That broke a three-way tie that he was previously a part of with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, who each have won 20 career Grand Slams.
The second major of the tennis season is the French Open at Roland Garros, which will run from May 22nd to June 5th. The clay surface is difficult for even the best of players to adapt to, as evidenced by the fact that just three of Federer’s and Djokovic’s combined 40 Grand Slam titles have been won at Roland Garros. Even Pete Sampras, who ranks fourth on the all-time list of Grand Slam champions, never won a French Open title.
This is the first annual BettingPros Guide to the French Open, where we will highlight several of the top contenders from both the Men’s and Women’s Draws.
Is Rafael Nadal a shoo-in for his 14th French Open title, which would be five more than any other player won at any Grand Slam event? Will we have our ninth different women’s champion in the last nine years? Or can Barbora Krejcikova become the first repeat champion since Justine Henin’s three-peat from 2005-07?
Read on for our thoughts and predictions for Rafael Nadal in the 2022 French Open.
Bet $5 to win $200 in FREE bets at DraftKings Sportsbook >>
Rafael Nadal Stats to Know
- Best Odds to Win: +440 (FanDuel)
- World Ranking: 4
- Best French Open Finish: 1
- Last 4 French Open Finishes: SF, W, W, W
- Last 4 tournament finishes: R16 (ATP Masters 1000 Rome), QF (ATP Masters 1000 Madrid), W (ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells), W (Acapulco)
Rafael Nadal French Open History
No Men’s player has dominated a Grand Slam event as Nadal has dominated at Roland Garros. Djokovic has nine Australian Open titles, but that is the closest anyone is at one event to Nadal’s 13 French Open championships. In Nadal’s 2020 French Open final, he beat Djokovic in straight sets and only lost seven games the entire match. It was Nadal’s 100th win at the event, and he had a 16-year stretch where he only lost once at Roland Garros. In addition, Nadal won the tournament four times (2008, 2010, 2017, 2020) without dropping a single set.
Rafael Nadal Recent Form
It is hard to argue with Nadal’s recent form from a results perspective, as he has won three of his last five tournaments. His latest loss was in straight sets, 7-5, 6-2, to Denis Shapovalov on clay in Rome. However, factoring in Nadal’s health as he enters the French Open is a different story.
In the loss to Shapovalov, Nadal had a chronic foot injury flare-up, and oddsmakers took notice, dropping Nadal from the favorite to having the third-best odds to win at Roland Garros. Nadal has added in statements that training since the loss to Shapovalov has been difficult and that he is taking his doctor with him to Paris.
Rafael Nadal French Open Predictions
The Pick: Nadal Not to Win (-800 on DraftKings)
Just three Men’s players other than Nadal have won the French Open since 2005, so the Spaniard’s dominance of this tournament is remarkable. However, how does a player who has dominated this tournament for so long get rewarded? By being placed in the same quarter as world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, the two are on a collision course to meet in the quarterfinals.
Nadal is 105-3 in his career at the French Open, but two of those losses have been to Djokovic. With his health in serious question, we give the upper hand to Djokovic in their likely eventual quarterfinal meeting, which means Nadal will not even make it out of his quarter.
French Open 2022 Betting Odds, Preview & Predictions
- Alexander Zverev
- Stefanos Tsitsipas
- Novak Djokovic
- Carlos Alcaraz Garfia
Connect with sportsbooks to automatically sync your balances and bets >>
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox | Pocket Casts
Whether you’re new to sports betting or a betting pro, our Sports Betting Strategy and Advice page is for you. You can get started with our 101 section €” including 10 Sports Betting Tips for Beginners €” or head to more advanced strategies €” like Key Numbers When Betting Against the Spread €” to learn more.
Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.
