Novak Djokovic’s French Open Odds Improve After Australian Open Title
- Top-seeded Novak Djokovic won his record seventh Australian Open title
- His odds for the French Open, the second Grand Slam of the season, are greatly reduced
- Djokovic won his only French Open title in 2016
The French Open suddenly just got more intriguing. Thanks to Novak Djokovic’s straight-set triumph over Rafael Nadal in Sunday’s Australian Open final, sportsbooks are of the belief that maybe the world’s No. 1 player could give Nadal a run for his money on the clay surfaces of Roland Garros.
"I've done it once, why not do it again?" – Novak Djokovic said he's targeting winning the Grand Slam in Roland Garros as he showed off Norman in Melbourne on Monday. pic.twitter.com/ipxt8CzWot
— Davidde Corran (@DaviddeCorran) January 28, 2019
On January 2nd, Djokovic had +400 odds to win the 2019 French Open. Today, he’s down to +200 and the second betting choice behind perennial French champion Nadal.
2019 French Open Men’s Singles Odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Rafael Nadal | -115 |
| Novak Djokovic | +200 |
| Dominic Thiem | +800 |
| Alexander Zverev | +900 |
| Juan Martin Del Potro | +2000 |
| Marin Cilic | +2000 |
*Follow link for complete list
Djokovic beat Andy Murray 3–6, 6–1, 6–2, 6–4 to win the 2016 French Open.
He’s a Joker, and He Smoked Nadal
When Djokovic and Nadal met in the 2012 Australian Open final, it was an epic six-hour battle. This time, Djokovic made short work of Nadal via a 6–3, 6–2, 6–3 straight-set triumph. But the French Open is a different story.
.@DjokerNole sent the press into hysterics ?#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/7blHxlDfHM
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 27, 2019
Nadal is king at Roland Garros. He’s won 81 consecutive matches on clay courts, the longest single surface win streak of any player in the Open era of tennis. That includes a record 11 French Open titles, a tournament that Nadal has won the past two seasons. Nadal owns 57 career victories on clay surfaces, also a record.
The last time Nadal didn’t win the French Open, you know who did? Djokovic, that’s who. In 2016, Djokovic won his only French Open title. A wrist injury that year forced Nadal to withdraw prior to his third-round match.
A French Crossroads, Perhaps
After his powerful Australian Open performance, talk turned to whether Djokovic could make a run at Roger Federer’s mark of 20 Grand Slam titles. Djokovic now has 15 Grand Slams to his credit, and he’s won the last three – Wimbledon and the US Open in 2018 and now the 2019 Aussie Open.
He stands alone.
The story of @djokernole – the @AustralianOpen record breaker ? pic.twitter.com/kBnnMMP2OD
— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 28, 2019
The last player to win four straight Grand Slams was – you guessed it – Djokovic. His streak started at Wimbledon in 2015 and wins followed in the US Open that year and the Australian and French Opens in 2016. Gee, doesn’t that pattern sound familiar?
In tennis history, Rod Laver and Don Budge are the only other players to win at least four successive men’s singles Grand Slam titles.
Djokovic was utterly dominant in the final at Melbourne. He scored 13 of the the first 14 points. Nadal took just five points off of Djokovic’s service in the second set and only four in the third set.
Wow guys we did it #TeamDjokovic #AusOpen #15 ? #marian #uli #gebhard #miljan #ele #edo @jelenadjokovic. There aren’t enough words to express my gratitude for this group of people… https://t.co/RkIFT403x8 pic.twitter.com/9847BfN9hb
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) January 28, 2019
He’s won on the grass at Wimbledon, and on hard surfaces at Forest Hills and Australia. All that’s left for him to conquer is the clay of Roland Garros.
Should you bet on Nadal to win the French Open? The way he’s playing right now, how could you bet on anyone else?
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
