Aside from perennial tennis superstars Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray, there is a growing list of potential Grand Slam champions who sit outside of the top four. These hungry, young players are improving all of the time and at some point in the near future one or more of them will break through into the top echelons of the game. When the top-four players stop dominating Grand Slam tournaments, other players will step up. So, as you prepare French Open betting, let’s take a look at a few of the contenders to the top players’ thrones.
Dominic Thiem – 25/1 For The French Open
Austrian Dominic Thiem, 22, has shown lots of promise and holds a world ranking of 15 at the time of writing, having been as highly ranked as 13 previously. Thiem has banked $2.8 million in prize money since turning professional in 2012 and reached the fourth round of the US Open last year. Thiem only managed to reach the second round at the French Open last year but has won all four of his ATP titles on clay and has had success in 2016, when Thiem won the 2016 Argentina Open.
His Argentina Open win was even more impressive when you note that the field contained clay court legend Rafael Nadal, David Ferrer, John Isner and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. On the way to the title, Thiem defeated Nadal and any time the Spaniard loses on clay you must respect the player who defeats him. This suggests Thiem has a legitimate chance for a strong result at the 2016 French Open.
“Dominic Thiem” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Carine06
Nick Kyrgios – 80/1 For The French Open
Brash, unpredictable, volatile and supremely talented, when Nick Kyrgios plays tennis you have to take note and watch. It is never dull. His odds of 80/1 reflect that Kyrgios is both a hard court specialist rather than a clay court expert, but also because you never know what to expect from him and there is the prospect of implosion during high-pressure situations. No one doubts that Kyrgios has the potential to be a multiple Grand Slam champion in the future.
Turning professional in 2013, the 21-year-old Australian first came to the attention of fans when his big serve and athleticism took him to the quarter-finals of the 2014 Wimbledon tournament. At the French Open in 2015, Kyrgios reached the third round before losing to Murray, but a kinder draw may have seen Kyrgios progress a lot further. Kyrgios had another good result when he reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in January 2016, adding to a growing tennis resume which boasts $2.3 million in prize money and one ATP tour title.
Most tennis commentators believe Kyrgios has a huge upside from his current world ranking of 20, which seems underwhelming when you factor in his talent. People expect a lot more from Kyrgios and World No. 1 Djokovic gave Kyrgios some excellent advice recently when Djokovic urged Kyrgios to act more professionally. Kyrgios posted on his twitter account in late 2015 that he was looking to improve in 2016, suggesting that he was now looking to mature and learn from his previous mistakes. Nobody would be surprised if Kyrgios made a charge for the title.
Grigor Dimitrov – 50/1 For The French Open
Grigor Dimitrov is a 24-year-old Bulgarian tennis player who turned professional in 2008. He has had a steady rise up the rankings since then, amassing $6 million in prize money and winning four ATP titles. Dimitrov’s best finish at a Grand Slam was a semi-final appearance at Wimbledon in 2014 when he lost to eventual winner Djokovic in four very close sets.
Priced at 50/1 for the 2016 French Open, Dimitrov is a player who has held a world ranking as high as eight in 2014 so certainly has the talent to win in the big matches. In 2016, Dimitrov has lost twice to Federer and reached two semi-finals in ATP tournaments. He was upset at Indian Wells, however, these average results may indicate that you can grab some value as Dimitrov is a player who has such excellent athleticism and ability that it is highly anticipated that he will improve on his current world ranking of 29. Dimitrov is another player with a big upside from his current world ranking and recent results.
It is difficult to look beyond Djokovic at 8/11 and Nadal at 5/2, but if there is going to be a surprise then the players we have outlined above will be quietly confident that it may well be their name in lights.
