French Open 2018: Schedule, TV Info, Live Stream and Odds for Top Favorites
A pair of dominant Grand Slam tennis champions enter the 2018 French Open with plenty of buzz surrounding them.
Rafael Nadal comes into the tournament, which begins May 27 at Roland Garros, in strong form on his favored surface, while Serena Williams is set to make her return to the major championship stage in the women's tournament.
Nadal, who is the defending champion on the men's side, is in search of his 11th French Open title, while Williams will be chasing her 24th overall Grand Slam crown.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Nadal won't face a challenge from Roger Federer, who is skipping the clay court season, but he will be tested by some of the other top players in the world.
The women's tournament has seen four winners in the last four years, with Jelena Ostapenko winning it all a year ago.
2018 French Open Information
Dates: May 27-June 10
TV: NBC & Tennis Channel
Live Stream: NBC Sports Live & NBC Sports App
Odds (via OddsChecker)
Men's Tournament
Rafael Nadal (1-2)
Alexander Zverev (9-1)
Dominic Thiem (12-1)
Novak Djokovic (12-1)
David Goffin (40-1)
Women's Tournament
Simona Halep (6-1)
Elina Svitolina (12-1)
Maria Sharapova (12-1)
Garbine Muguruza (14-1)
Jelena Ostapenko (14-1)
Favorites
Rafael Nadal
The king of the clay court is expected to cruise into the later rounds at Roland Garros once again, and this time Nadal will do so as the No. 1 player in the ATP World Rankings.
The 31-year-old Spaniard defeated Alexander Zverev in three sets to win the tune-up event in Rome, in which he also knocked off Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.
Nadal enters with wins in three of his last four tournaments, with victories also coming in Monte Carlo and Barcelona.
The only loss suffered by the left-handed player since April came in the quarterfinals in Madrid to Dominic Thiem, who is in search of his first major.
In addition to being in impressive form on the clay, Nadal's strung together a solid collection of recent Grand Slam results.
Nadal won the 2017 French Open and U.S. Open and reached the quarterfinal round of the 2018 Australian Open.
Although a number of contenders, like Zverev, Thiem and Djokovic, are lining up to strip Nadal from his throne, he has to be the favorite because of his impeccable track record in Paris.
Simona Halep
Much of the fanfare on the women's side of the draw should surround Williams, and rightfully so, but the 23-time Grand Slam winner won't enter Roland Garros as the favorite.
Simona Halep has been a fixture in the late rounds of major tournaments, as she's made two of the last four championship matches.
Despite all of the success she's achieved in her career, Halep is still in search of her first major, which adds extra pressure to a tournament that has plenty of title contenders.
Halep fell in the 2018 Australian Open final to Caroline Wozniacki and lost to surprise champion Ostapenko a year ago at Roland Garros.
The No. 1 player in the WTA World Rankings will face stiff competition from Elina Svitolina, who beat the Romanian in straight sets in the final in Rome.
In addition to Svitolina, the last two champions at Roland Garros, Garbine Muguruza and Ostapenko, as well as 2014 French Open Maria Sharapova, could pose threats to Halep's chase for her first major victory.
While Halep is expected to go far, there is a possibility chaos erupts in the women's bracket, like it did a year ago when just three of the top 10 seeds advanced to the quarterfinals.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90
Statistics obtained from ATPWorldTour.com and WTATennis.com
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
