Tennis: Women’s 2020 French Open Betting Guide & Picks
The 2020 women’s French Open is the second major tournament played in September, and the first major tournament in decades to occur in the month of October, a result of a rescheduled calendar brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. Usually, the French Open is the end of a two-month clay season in springtime, but this year, it comes just two weeks after the U.S. Open with a very brief warm-up period in Rome for the top players in women’s tennis. This lack of a long build-up to the tournament makes it very unpredictable. Moreover, there are some late-breaking news stories which further change the way this tournament is shaping up.
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
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Tournament Overview
Though Naomi Osaka is not a great claycourt player, she is still a world-class player and arguably the best female tennis player right now. She made the final in the Western and Southern Open and then won the U.S. Open in New York. She is the best hardcourt player in women’s tennis. This wasn’t likely to translate to clay, but Osaka is still a great player, and that kind of quality can never be fully counted out. However, Osaka announced earlier this week that she would not participate in the French Open. This means that she won’t have a place in the draw. This will adjust the seedings and will mean a less imposing draw for at least one women’s player if not more. Players who might have faced Osaka in the second or third round won’t have to worry about facing her. This might not change who wins the title, but it could certainly change who makes the fourth round or the quarterfinals.
Another notable absence is 2019 French Open champion Ashleigh Barty, who will not defend her title in Paris. Last year’s tournament was wide open, and Barty – not known as a great claycourter, a lot like Osaka this year – took advantage. Again, the players who have asked out of this tournament might not be thought of as clay giants, but they are still quality players who were threats to do damage.
Favorite Pick: Simona Halep
Naomi Osaka was the favorite at the U.S. Open, and she won, even though the tournament was unpredictable when it began. No one, for instance, expected Victoria Azarenka to come within one set of winning the U.S. Open, but she did. Few expected Jennifer Brady to make the semifinals, but she did. So, what will happen in Paris? It’s an extremely unpredictable tournament, and don’t let anyone tell you it is obvious who will win. No, this figures to be another crazy ride. However, if you did have to choose one player, it would be Simona Halep. The 2018 French Open champion is comfortable and proven on clay. She didn’t play hardcourts in North America, choosing instead to stay in Europe. She should be physically and mentally ready for this event. Azarenka could beat her. So could Elina Svitolina. However, Halep has been a tougher, better player at Roland Garros than those other two players in recent years. If you absolutely had to choose a favorite, it’s Halep, but don’t think this is anything close to a lock.
Longshot Pick: Marketa Vondrousova
Odds: +3000 at FanDuel Sportsbook
Is it a longshot pick if a player made the final of a major tournament the year before? In most circumstances, the answer would be no, but this year, under these weird conditions, the answer could reasonably be yes.
Marketa Vondrousova made a totally unexpected run to the Roland Garros final last year before losing to Ash Barty. However, she has done very little since that magical fortnight. She has been very much under the radar in women’s tennis, and that was before the pandemic hit in early March of this year. She is a No. 12 seed at the Rome tournament and will probably be seeded slightly lower in Paris. That’s a longshot strictly in terms of seeding. Yet, she made the quarterfinals in Rome, so maybe she is picking up momentum at exactly the right time.
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Dave Golokhov is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Dave, check out his archive and follow him @davegolokhov.