Game, Set, Bet, presented by BetMGM: Four men's long shots to consider at Roland Garros

When Roland Garros rolls around, the public will be tempted to pick Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic or Jannik Sinner to win the event. It’s hard to blame anyone for that. BetMGM currently has those three listed as the betting favorites, and the last few years have shown us that it’s incredibly likely one of them will win. But it's also worth considering players that perform at a much higher level on clay than they do elsewhere. More than any other major—especially with Rafael Nadal less of a factor than ever‚this may be the right Slam to spray the board with some longer shots. Here are four we're eyeing now:

Stefanos Tsitsipas (12-1): Tsitsipas looked miserable towards the end of 2023, and he got off to a poor start in 2024. But Monte Carlo helped Tsitsipas seemingly get his groove back. He earned wins over Alexander Zverev, Karen Khachanov, Sinner and Casper Ruud on his way to winning his third title at the prestigious clay Masters. He’s suddenly looking extremely confident, and that makes him a player to watch in Paris.

Tsitsipas remains a very good server and has one of the most dangerous forehands on tour. Slower clay courts make things a little easier on the backhand side, so Tsitsipas’ one main weaknesses isn’t as pronounced. This bet may be worthwhile even you’re looking to hedge later in the tournament. Tsitsipas made the final of Roland Garros in 2021, and he has the game to make another deep run.

Casper Ruud (12-1): Ruud may not have the level required to beat absolutle best players in the world when they’re in form. But one thing about Ruud is that he always gives himself a chance to make deep runs in clay-court events. The Norwegian just plays such a consistent game from match to match, and the heaviness of his baseline strokes gets to lesser players. So expect another lengthy run in Paris. Ruud has been runner-up at Roland Garros the last two years, so if he makes another semifinal, you’ll have a good chance to hedge and guarantee some winnings.

Alexander Zverev (12-1): Zverev hasn’t turned in any big clay-court results this season, but Roland Garros is where he had eventual champion Nadal on the ropes before suffering a gruesome ankle injury, two years ago. The German is one of the best servers in the world, he has a world-class backhand, and he can grind from the baseline against anybody. Zverev just lacks a little consistency when it comes to the forehand side, but playing on a slow court gives him the opportunity to take his time to load up. That allows him to either slap a winner, or just put shape on the ball to continue grinding.

Easy holds come at a premium on clay, but Zverev is capable of racking them up. That puts more pressure on his opponents. It shouldn’t surprise anybody if Zverev one day wins this tournament. He has been to the semifinals in each of the last three years, so he’ll be confident that he can get it done.

Grigor Dimitrov (125-1): Dimitrov is just 17-13 at Roland Garros in his career, and clay isn’t his best surface. But he's hardly a liability on dirt, so it’s shocking to see so many names listed above him on the odds board. Dimitrov has been a Top 10 player since the second half of 2023, and he continues to make marks on big tournaments. It’s impossible to rule out a run at Roland Garros.

Dimitrov’s slice also makes him a tricky opponent on any surface, but especially so on clay. If the Bulgarian is serving at a high level, nobody will want to face him. That makes him worthy of a dart throw at his incredibly long odds.