Will 2015 be the year the "King of Clay" is finally dethroned?
According to the odds, the answer is yes.
With the 114th playing of the French Open kicking off Sunday, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic has been named the 4/5 favorite to capture his first title at Roland Garros.
Five-time defending champion Rafael Nadal - the aforementioned "King of Clay" - received the second best odds at 9/4, despite entering the tournament as the No. 7 seed. Nadal will be looking to build on his record nine career titles at the only Grand Slam event played on clay.
Meanwhile on the women's side, unsurprisingly No. 1 Serena Williams sits as the favorite with 5/2 odds. Williams will be seeking her third French Open title winning in 2002 and 2013.
Defending champion Maria Sharapova gets the No. 2 seed but will share the second-best odds with No. 3 Simona Halep at 4/1. Sharapova has advanced to the finals in the three consecutive years, winning twice, and should once again be a contender.
With Andy Murray and Angelique Kerber both taking two titles on clay so far in 2015, both the men's and women's sides should be wide open as play begins May 24th.
Men's Odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Novak Djokovic | 4/5 |
| Rafael Nadal | 9/4 |
| Andy Murray | 8/1 |
| Kei Nishikori | 14/1 |
| Roger Federer | 16/1 |
| Stan Wawrinka | 25/1 |
| David Ferrer | 33/1 |
| Gael Monfils | 33/1 |
| Tomas Berdych | 33/1 |
| Grigor Dimitrov | 40/1 |
Women's Odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Serena Williams | 5/2 |
| Maria Sharapova | 4/1 |
| Simona Halep | 4/1 |
| Victoria Azarenka | 7/1 |
| Petra Kvitova | 10/1 |
| Carla Suarez Navarro | 16/1 |
| Caroline Wozniacki | 18/1 |
| Garbine Muguruza | 18/1 |
| Eugenie Bouchard | 20/1 |
| Angelique Kerber | 25/1 |
