Nadal French Open Odds
Nadal's expected showdown with Roger Federer fails to materialize.
Rafael Nadal can join Roger Federer atop the list for the most grand slam singles titles in a career when he takes on Novak Djokovic in the 2020 French Open men's singles final on Sunday on Court Philippe-Chatrier at Roland Garros in Paris. Nadal enters the final with 19 grand slam singles titles, one fewer than Federer's record of 20. (Djokovic is third, with 17.) A victory by Nadal on Sunday would give him 13 French Open singles titles and a 100-2 record at Roland Garros. Meanwhile Djokovic is looking for just his second French Open title. First serve on Sunday is 2 p.m. ET.
- Of the four Grand Slams, the French Open is unique in that it takes place on clay courts. There are players who love it – Rafael Nadal, being the prime example – while even some of the best.
- 2020 French Open odds, men's final predictions: Top tennis expert reveals Nadal vs. Djokovic picks CBS Sports Staff Mega Millions, Powerball jackpots rank among top 10 in US lottery.
William Hill lists Nadal as a -150 favorite (risk $150 to win $100) in the latest Nadal vs. Djokovic odds, with Djokovic listed at +120 (risk $100 to win $120). You can also pick whether Nadal will cover the 2.5-game spread and how many sets the match will last, among other wagering options. Before making any Nadal vs. Djokovic picks, see the 2020 French Open men's final predictions from elite tennis handicapper Sean Calvert.
French Open odds 2020 Until the French Open draws closer the only betting markets available on this tournament are outright winner of the men’s and women’s singles events. As expected Rafael Nadal dominates the betting for the men’s singles crown, while Simona Halep sits atop the betting for the ladies’ singles championship.
Calvert is the elite tennis handicapper who took down a huge score on Dominic Thiem winning Indian Wells at 80-1 last year, among many other stunning calls. He's racked up seven straight profitable seasons betting tennis.
At Wimbledon last year, Calvert told his followers to grab 3-1 odds on Djokovic facing Roger Federer in the final, adding Djokovic would win it all. The result: Djokovic and Federer cruised into the finals, with Djokovic winning the longest men's singles final in tournament history for his fifth Wimbledon crown. Anyone who followed Calvert's advice was handsomely rewarded.
Now, Calvert has broken down the latest odds for the men's final and released his coveted bets. Head to SportsLine to see them.
Nadal French Open 2020 Odds
Top 2020 French Open men's final predictions
Calvert likes the Set 1 score to be 6-4, a wager that's +240 at William Hill. In the last 12 sets that Djokovic and Nadal have played at major tournaments, six have finished 6-4. In addition, four of the seven sets that the two have played in the French Open have ended in that scoreline.
So far in this tournament, four of the 18 sets that Nadal has played have ended 6-4, and four of the 21 sets that Djokovic has played have finished with that score. Even though the 6-4 score provides the shortest price of any of the first-set scores offered by William Hill, Calvert believes the +240 is value.
How to make Nadal vs. Djokovic picks
Calvert has two other plays that each pay more than +400 and offer excellent value. You need to see his picks and analysis before you consider any 2020 French Open bets.
So who wins the French Open men's final 2020? And what plus-money wagers of more than +400 have excellent value? Visit SportsLine now to see Sean Calvert's bets for the 2020 French Open men's final, all from the renowned tennis expert who's had seven straight profitable seasons.
The king of clay was deposed in a bloodless coup Wednesday in Paris, as Novak Djokovic pounded nine-time clay-court champion Rafael Nadal 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 to hand the Spaniard his second-ever loss at the event and just the second loss ever in a best-of-five clay-court match. Djokovic’s win only advances him to the semifinals though, where he’ll face the winner of the Andy Murray and David Ferrer match.
The loss drops Nadal to a still-remarkable 70-2 lifetime at Roland Garros and 93-2 in those best-of-five matches. It halted his 39-match winning streak at Roland Garros and will move him outside the top 10 for the first time in a decade. But it was hardly an upset, as Djokovic was heavily favored to win and extend his current winning streak to 27, thus becoming the first man to ever defeat Nadal at all four majors.
Nadal To Win French Open Odds
The end came quickly for Nadal, a tennis version of a guillotine, if you will. He was down 0-4 to open the match, then stormed back to tie the set at 4-4, eventually saving five set points before dumping a nine-point service game at 5-6. With Djokovic complaining to the chair umpire about the condition of the courts, the two traded service games in the second until Djokovic broke in a lengthy game at 4-3, essentially ending the match. Nadal had never been down two sets at the French Open before and there was little doubt that a loss was quick to come. That was confirmed when Djokovic broke Rafa in his first two service games in the third, turning the must-see match into a must-flee. Never before has Nadal looked so lost on clay (his forehand was basically non-existent) and never before has Djokovic looked so dominant (his defense was even more spectacular than usual).
In four days, Djokovic might want to thank Nadal in his acceptance speech, should he end up winning the tournament to cap the career Grand Slam. Nadal’s quick loss will help Djokovic conserve energy for his semifinal and final matches. The last thing either man needed was to win one of their patented marathon matches that went for four-and-a-half hours. With this match coming in at well under three hours, Djokovic will be thrilled to savor the win for 24 hours before playing in Friday’s semis.
But will Djokovic win it all? He’s going to need to readjust his expectations to do so. Ever since the draw was released, all eyes were on Nadal and this match on Wednesday. Heck, Djokovic has been probably thinking about beating Nadal at the French Open for three years, when he first came close in 2012 then did so again in both 2013 and 2014. Though Djokovic surely knows he still has work to do to cap the career Slam, there has to be some feeling that the biggest win came today with his easy defeat of Nadal. A future letdown is hardly out of the question. On the other hand, the fact that he beat Nadal so easily can only be a boon. Djokovic, who isn’t exactly a wallflower, will be brimming with confidence and it’ll be impossible for the other players not to notice the scoreline.
Nadal French Open Odds
Those discussions of career Slams and getting halfway to the yearly Slam (he’d be the first man to do so since Jim Courier in 1992) are for the weekend. Today is about the end of the reign of the greatest clay-court player in history. Though Nadal still has plenty of years left to extend French Open lead, you can’t help but feel that Wednesday changed the trajectory of his career. Just 16 months ago, Nadal looked like he’d cruise to an Australian Open title to get his 14th Slam and then earn his 15th at Roland Garros, putting Roger Federer and his 17 majors directly in his sights. But Nadal stunningly lost that match to Stan Wawrinka, still won the French, and now stays stuck at 14 majors. Getting three to tie Federer, especially given Nadal’s struggles on all surfaces, seems unthinkable now.
But to count him out would be foolish. Though Nadal’s career seems to be spinning out of control, tennis has the tendency to turn on a dime. We’ll count out Nadal today, then he’ll stun us all with a deep run at Wimbledon. We’ll say he’s no longer dominant on his favored surface, until Nadal reemerges next year as the rightful heir to the throne he abdicated on a cool Paris day to Novak Djokovic, the new king of clay.