The WTA French Open is back for another installment. Last year, Iga Swiatek defeated Jasmine Paolini to claim the title. Swiatek has not been at her best this year, and the field seems as wide open as it gets. Here are my best bets for the opening round action. Let me know if you agree in the comment section.
WTA French Open
Osaka – Badosa: Time 11:00
H2H: 0-0
Naomi Osaka and Paula Badosa have never met before on the court of play. While Badosa is the higher-ranked player in the world standings, she is having a back-and-forth year on the court. Badosa has zero tournament victories in 2025, and she’s only reached one semifinal, but that was at the Australian Open. Other than that, she only has two quarterfinal appearances in 2025, and the rest are early exits unbefitting of a world’s Top Ten player. Osaka seems to be finding her form again. She won the WTA 125K in Saint Malo, France. She had also taken the first set against Clara Tauson in the final of the WTA Auckland Open, but retired due to an abdominal injury.
Best Bet to Make
Despite her world ranking, Badosa is the underdog in this match, and I agree. Badosa has not been playing well enough in 2025 to justify her current ranking, and she needs a deep run in France if she’s going to turn things around. Unfortunately for her, Osaka is 8-2 in her last ten matches, and both of her losses went to three sets. Badosa is 6-4 in her last ten. Even though Badosa is the better player on clay, Osaka has enough experience and skill to win this match. The great thing about betting on Osaka is that she comes with solid odds.
That being said, Osaka winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Osaka winning @1.73 @Betway
Frech – Jabeur: Time 11:00
H2H: 0-2
Neither Ons Jabeur nor Magdalena Frech has had a 2025 to remember thus far. While Jabeur is certainly in a better position at 12-10 on the year, that success has all come on the hardcourt, and she’s winless on clay. Frech hasn’t had success regardless of the surface. She’s 3-9 on hardcourt and 3-4 on clay. Frech hasn’t even gone past the third round of a tournament in 2025. Jabeur has three quarterfinal appearances in 2025, so at least she has that going for her.
Best Bet to Make
Since neither lady is having a great year, this match could really go either way. If you’re looking at the books, they have Jabeur as a favorite, and it makes sense. Jabeur has had more success this year and she’s certainly playing better than Frech. This is certainly not an upset I would choose, but there are pretty good odds on Frech and she’s more than capable of winning if she shows up in form. The best way to make money and bet on Jabuer is to pick the correct score. At 2.2, Jabeur winning two sets to none is a tremendous opportunity to cash in and would be the route I would recommend the most.
That being said, Jabeur winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Jabeur winning 2:0 @2.2 @Betfair
Kvitova – Golubic: Time 11:00
H2H: 1-0
The only meeting between Petra Kvitova and Viktorija Golubic was in 2018 at the Billie Jean King Cup. Kvitova won that match in three sets, with none of the sets being particularly competitive. While Kvitovac is currently ranked No. 608th in the world, that’s due to her taking 2024 off to give birth to her first child. She was ranked No. 14 in the world when she took her maternity leave, so she is an extremely capable tennis player. Kvitova is also a talent on clay. At 136-62, she’s more consistent on the surface than Golubic, who is 194-128 on clay.
Best Bet to Make
The books have this as a draw, and it’s easy to see why. There are a bunch of unknowns surrounding Kvitova. She pulled out of her last match against Jabeur in Rome, and there’s speculation about her ability to endure on such a tough surface. It’s been a few weeks since the injury, but the lingering questions remain. Golubic is 4-4 on clay, including being a lucky loser in Rome, where she gave Naomi Osaka a hell of a match. While you can make money betting on either lady, you’re probably not going to feel good about any of your bets. You can find plenty of great odds going the correct score route, but even a throwaway on either lady is going to come close to doubling your investment, should you choose the correct victor. Given the fact that she’s been far more consistent and has been playing a lot in 2025, I think Golubic is the smarter bet until Kvitova shows she’s really back to form.
That being said, Golubic winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Golubic winning @1.91 @WilliamHill
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
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