With World No. 1 and 2019 French Open champion Ashleigh Barty recently announcing that she would not compete in this year’s event due to concerns about the global coronavirus pandemic, the big question on the women’s WTA portion of the event is, ‘who’s going to hoist the hardware at the year’s third grand slam event? On the men’s ATP side of the event, the question is the same as it’s been for well over a decade now. Can anyone stop the incomparable Rafael Nadal and the world No. 2 looks to add to his unprecedented 12 titles on the red clay at Roland Garros. Let’s get started with the ladies first, along with their French Open odds!

2020 French Open: Ashleigh Barty Withdraws / Can Nadal win 13th Title?

French Open Odds

• Simona Halep +450
• Serena Williams +900
• Kiki Bertens +1000
• Garbine Muguruza +1000
• Bianca Andreescu +1200
• Naomi Osaka +1400
• Angelique Kerber +1600
• Elina Svitolina +1600
• Johanna Konta +2000
• Petra Kvitova +2000
• Karolina Pliskova +2000
• Madison Keys +2200
• Elise Mertens +2000
• Amanda Anisimova +2000
• Belinda Bencic +2200
• Jelena Ostapenko +2500
• Sloane Stephens +2500
• Victoria Azarenka +3300
• Anett Kontaveit +4000
• Venus Williams +8000

Barty Is Out

Barty, the 2019 French Open champ announced her withdrawal via Instagram.

“It has been a challenging year for everyone and, although I am disappointed on a tennis front, the health and wellbeing of my family and my team will always be my priority. Thank you to my fans for your continued support, I can’t wait to play for you again,” Barty said.

Serena Williams and Osaka Out Too?

“I was planning to play when I came here, but I guess I’ll see what happens,” Osaka said shortly after winning her third grand slam title in New York.

The legendary Serena Williams may also be pulling out of the event, with the 38-year-old citing health concerns.

“If there are fans, then we should be able to stay elsewhere,” Williams, who has twice had blood clots on her lungs, said recently.”That’s interesting, because there is no private housing but there’s fans. I’m super conservative because I do have some serious health issues.

“I try to stay away from public places, because I have been in a really bad position in the hospital a few times. So I don’t want to end up in that position again

“I’m going to have to make the best decision for my health. Maybe it will be good for me to talk to the organizers just to see how that works with the crowd and how we will be protected.”

Now, let’s look at the women that could win this year’s French Open title. Here are my top five picks.

Simona Halep

Maybe everyone is forgetting about world No. 2 Simona Halep, but I’m not. The feisty Halep reached the finals at Roland Garros in 2014 and 2017 before winning it all in 2018. Halep is 28-9 all-time at the French OPen and made a run to the quarterfinals just last year. The 28-year-old Romanina is my top pick to bag this year’s 2020 French Open title.

Jelena Ostapenko

Ostapenko has had a rough go of it in recent years, but the Lativan-born star is still just 23-years-old and she did win the French Open title just three years ago while beating Halep in the finals. While the world No. 41 has been bounced out in the first round of the French in each of the last two years, I’m sensing she could pull off her second stunner at Roland Garros in what has been an absolutely strange year.

Garbine Muguruza

Still, just 26-years-old, the powerful Spaniard has gone 27-6 all-time at Roland Garros while winning the title on the red clay in 2016. Muguruza has reached the fourth round in two of the last three years while reaching the semis in  2018.

Bianca Andreescu

The 2019 US Open champ has never been past the second round in three appearances in the French Open, but the world No. 6 has plenty of firepower and an outside chance to upset the entire apple cart if you ask me.

Victoria Azarenka

While the 31-year-old Belarus native fell in the finals at the U.S. Open, I fully believe her run to her first slam final in seven long years is going to spur another lengthy run at the top of the game where she regularly competes for slam titles. I know Azarenka has never made it further than her run to the semifinals in 2013, but she’s got the type of game that should hold up well on the red clay and now that she’s reenergized, I think she could surprise.

Men’s ATP Odds To Win 2020 French Open

• Rafael Nadal -120
• Novak Djokovic +300
• Dominic Thiem +300
• Alexander Zverev +2000
• Daniil Medvedev +2500
• Stan Wawrinka +3300
• Marin Cilic +4000
• Juan Martin Del Potro +4000
• Borna Coric +5000

When it comes to the now, age-old question of whether Rafael Nadal can and will win this year’s French Open title, the answer is quite simple. The 34-year-old world No. 2 is completely rested after sitting out the recently-completed US Open.Nadal has gone 13-3 on the year – and an insane 93-2 at Roland Garros while winning a mind-boggling 12 French Open titles.

World No. 2  Novak Djokovic and U.S. Open winner Dominic Thiem will challenge Rafa, but in the end, the smart money has to be on Nadal!

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Odds and Lines : Tennis | ATP Odds | WTA Odds | Australian Open | US Open | Wimbledon | French Open

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