Alcaraz Favored To Capture First French Open Title
Either No. 3 Seed Alcaraz or No. 4 Seed Zverev Will Win at Roland Garros for First Time, at 2024 French Open Final
From A (Alcaraz) to Z (Zverev) Let’s Break Down The French Open Finals Clash
Alexander Zverev will have a hard act to top in the 2024 French Open men’s final when he faces favored Carlos Alcaraz in the 2024 French Open men’s final after the show that Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner put on the first of the two semifinals.
This will be the first men’s singles final at Roland Garros that doesn’t include Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, or Rafael Nadal. Even with Nadal and Djokovic in the singles draw, the French Open odds had the third-seeded Alcaraz was the pre-tournament favorite.
This is the third meeting of the year between Alcaraz and Zverev. Zverev took out Alcaraz in four sets in the Australian Open quarterfinals in January. Alcaraz made quick work of Zverev, losing just four games in a straight-set win at the Indians Wells quarterfinals. Zverev leads the all-time series 5-4 and is 2-1 against Alcaraz at Grand Slams.
The French Open men’s singles final is set to start shortly at 9 a.m. ET on Sunday and it will be televised on NBC and also is available on the Peacock live stream.
Alcaraz sets the stage as the big favorite at -285 with Zverev the equally large underdog at +230. Too rich for your blood? The total has been established at 38.5.
The next Grand Slam tournament is Wimbledon. With Novak Djokovic doubtful to play in the tournament, defending champion Alcaraz is the favorite at +135 with Australian Open champ Sinner at +150 in the Wimbledon men’s singles outright.
Alcaraz Goes After First Title at Roland Garros
Even though Alcaraz has already won the singles titles at Wimbledon and the US Open, he seemed destined to make even more noise at the French Open.
He has gradually worked his way to the 2024 French Open men’s final. Alcaraz lost in the first round qualifying in his Roland Garros debut in 2020, got to the third round in 2021, reached the quarterfinals in 2022, and lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in four sets in the 2023 semifinals.
Despite playing in just one clay-court event leading into the French Open due to injury, Alcaraz lost just one set in his first five matches before having to slug it out with Sinner.
When looking at today’s French Open scores, Alcaraz emerged with a 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory in a match that took more than four hours.
“Four-hour matches, five sets, you have to fight, you have to suffer but I talk to my team many, many times that you have to enjoy suffering,” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview after reaching his first French Open final. “It is probably the toughest match I have played in my short career. The US Open in 2022 and this one against the great player that Jannik is, the team he has as well, the great work he puts in every day and I hope to play many more matches like this against Jannik.”
FINAL!!!!!! ❤️ @rolandgarros
📸 Getty pic.twitter.com/6cAIqdTwrj
— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) June 7, 2024
Fourth Time Was the Charm for Alexander Zverev at Roland Garros
After falling in the semifinals in each of the last three French Opens, Zverev overcame losing the first set to two-time French Open finalist Casper Ruud to advance to his first Grand Slam singles final since the 2020 US Open. He is now the underdog in the 2024 French Open men’s final but there are plenty of players on tour who would be more than happy to take the court against Alcaraz in Sunday’s final.
The big news early in the French Open bracket came when Zverev opened this year’s French Open by topping 14-time champion Rafael Nadal in three sets. He was pushed to five sets by Tallon Griekspoor and Holger Rune.
It was a different story in the semifinals against Casper Ruud as he had two of his 19 aces in the final game in the 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 win.
Zverev was getting plenty of love from the tennis betting community coming into the French Open after winning the Italian Open on clay as he dropped just one set in his six matches. That run in Rome was a boost to his confidence after he failed to get past the quarterfinals in the three warm up tournaments.
“Before this tournament, the clay court season didn’t go as well as I would have hoped for,” Zverev told the media after winning in Rome. “Of course, it’s all about finding your rhythm. I’m happy that I did it here right before Roland Garros.”
Zverev vs Alcaraz Betting Preview
It will be the big serving of Zverev against the defense and creative shot-making brilliance of Alcaraz as one of them will win at Roland Garros for the first time.
In their nine matches, Alcaraz has won 113 games to 109 for Zverev. Zverev has more than twice as many aces but also has 15 more double faults than Zverev.
Alcaraz, on the other hand, has been more successful in winning points on his second serve. This could be a crucial advantage, while Zverev has won two of the three tiebreakers they’ve contested.
While Zverev boasts a strong serve, there’s a recent trend to consider for those looking at props for him to win the first set. Keep in mind that he has lost the opening set in three of his first six matches at Roland Garros this year, needing a tiebreaker in another of those encounters.
Alcaraz had won the first set in every match at this tournament before Sinner took the opening set in the semifinals.
It is hard to pick against Alcaraz as he eyes his first French Open title.
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