French Open Outsiders 2026: Six Each-Way Chances For Success At Roland Garros

Jannik Sinner has won three of the four grand slams, but the French Open is the one that has evaded him ahead of the tournament at Roland Garros which gets under way this weekend.

Clay is supposedly the world number one’s least favourite surface, but he recently won titles in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome to capture all nine Masters 1000 titles at the age of 24.

The Italian is the 2/5 favourite on betting sites to win the French Open in the absence of injured champion Carlos Alcaraz, who beat Sinner in last year’s final.

Sinner has won his last four tournaments, last losing a match to Jakub Mensik three months ago, so it would appear the only thing holding him back is his body.

He was beathing heavily during the changeovers in his Italian Open semi-final win over Daniil Medvedev and he also underwent some treatment on his thigh in the third set.

That will give a glimmer of hope to his rivals, who will be keeping their fingers crossed they are on the other side of the draw to Sinner.

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The women’s tournament looks to be a much closer affair, but the market is expectedly dominated by four-time champion Iga Swiatek and the world’s top-ranked player Aryna Sabalenka, who are 11/4 and 3/1 respectively with Ladbrokes to win this year.

However, Swiatek and last year's runner-up Sabalenka are by no means guaranteed to lift the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen trophy at the end of the fortnight.

Gambling.com considers three French Open each-way betting tips from the men’s and women’s tournaments which start on Sunday.

Men’s French Open Each-Way Tips: Ruud Awakening?

With 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic lacking match practice owing to a shoulder injury which forced him to pull out of the tournaments in Monte Carlo, Miami and Madrid, it’s probably best to look elsewhere for players that can upset Sinner – starting with Casper Ruud.

The Norwegian was a French Open runner-up in 2022 and 2023, and made it to the semis last year after Djokovic withdrew from their quarter-final tie.

Ruud has lost all five encounters with Sinner in straight sets, most recently in last week’s Rome final where the underdog broke in the opening game en route to a 6-4 6-4 defeat.

His record suggests an upset is not on the cards, but if he is in the opposite side of the draw to Sinner, you never know.

For a player that has reached the French Open final twice, Ruud looks a lively each-way prospect at 28/1 with Sky Bet.

Chances: A lot of things have to go Ruud’s way, but he is playing on his favourite surface and has a great record on the Parisian clay.

Men’s French Open Each-Way Tips: King Arthur On Home Soil?

It’s been 43 years since a Frenchman last won this grand slam, but the in-form Arthur Fils could be the man to emulate Yannik Noah’s 1983 success.

Fils won the clay-court title in Barcelona last month, beating Lorenzo Musetti en route to a straight-sets victory over Andrey Rublev in the final.

The world number 19 then crossed paths with Sinner during the semi-finals in Madrid where he failed to fashion a single break point in a 6-2 6-4 exit.

Obviously, that does not bode well should they meet again in Paris, but 22/1 with Star Sports could shorten if he receives a kind draw.

A week later, Fils retired with a hip injury during his round of 16 tie against Italian qualifier Andrea Pellegrino, but he has been given the all-clear to resume his French Open preparation.

Chances: Three of Fils' four ATP Tour titles have come on clay and he will hope to build on last year’s run to the third round, his best performance at Roland Garros.

Men’s French Open Each-Way Tips: Maverick Medvedev

Medvedev is renowned for detesting clay, but he surprisingly won the Rome Masters 1000 tournament three years ago and he has been playing well on the dirt this season.

The 30-year-old Russian, whose sole grand slam title came at the 2021 US Open, enjoyed a run to this year’s semi-finals in Rome where he took Sinner to three sets.

The pair also met in the final at Indian Wells in mid-March where neither player was broken in a 7-6 7-6 victory for Sinner, who holds a 10-7 lead over Medvedev in the head to head.

Admittedly, Sinner has won the last five, but this year’s meetings between the players have been close, so 50/1 on Medvedev with a couple of betting apps looks a decent price.

Women’s French Open Each-Way Tips: Rybakina A Threat

There are no surprises with our each-way possibilities in the women’s draw which start with reigning Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina, who won a clay-court title in Stuttgart for the second time last month.

The Russian-born Kazakh has reached at least the third round of the French Open in the last five years, making it to the quarter-finals in 2021 and 2024.

Although Sabalenka leads 10-7 in the head to head, Rybakina has prevailed when it mattered, beating the Belarusian in the championship-deciding WTA Finals in 2025 and in the final at Melbourne Park 12 weeks later.

Sabalenka held the upper hand in the last two meetings, but Rybakina knows she can match the aggressive world number one over three sets should they meet.

Rybakina took the opening set 6-1 against Swiatek in last year’s round of 16 tie at the French Open only to be eliminated, but she has a positive 2-1 record against the Pole on clay.

Chances: The 2022 Wimbledon champion is playing well and there is no reason why she cannot excel on one of her least favourite surfaces at 15/2 with Betfred.

Women’s French Open Each-Way Tips: Gauff Eyes Successful Title Defence

Coco Gauff won her second grand slam title at last year’s French Open and her record at Roland Garros suggests another deep run is on the cards.

The American has reached at least the quarter-finals in each of the last five years, including the 2022 showpiece when she was swept aside by Swiatek only to make amends last year with a gritty comeback victory over Sabalenka.

If you are looking for omens, then you may be interested to know Gauff was runner-up in Rome in the build-up to the 2025 French Open, just as she was earlier this month when she lost for the third time this year to Elina Svitolina in the final.

Although she lost to Swiatek at the 2024 French Open, Gauff has won the last four matches against the Pole, including a 6-1 6-1 victory on the Madrid clay at the start of May.

She also leads Sabalenka 2-1 in clay-court encounters, so there is nothing to fear for one of the most determined players on the circuit.

Chances: Gauff may be without a title this year, but her Rome exploits will give her encouragement she can launch a successful title defence and has to be considered at 9/1 with Bet365.

Women’s French Open Each-Way Tips: Svitolina A Dark Horse

Svitolina has never made it to a grand slam final, but her form suggests this could be her year if things go her way.

The Ukrainian is a five-time French Open quarter-finalist, but at 31 time is running out for her to make it to a championship decider at one of the four major tournaments.

She would have been given hope she can achieve that goal when she enjoyed three-set victories over Rybakina, Swiatek and Gauff to win the title in Rome at the weekend.

That was her second title of 2026 which she started by winning the ASB Classic in Auckland.

Svitolina has beaten Sabalenka just once in seven attempts, her sole victory coming on the Strasbourg clay six years ago, so she would prefer to avoid the world’s best player in her half of the draw.

Chances: Her confidence is high after her exploits in Italy and another deep run is expected.

Who do you think will win the French Open in the men's and women's draw this year? Comment in the box below!