PARIS -- Rafa, Rafa, Rafa. Need we say more? It goes without saying Rafael Nadal is the overwhelming favorite to win an 11th French Open title, extending his own record.
Heading into Roland Garros, he won three of four clay-court tuneup events. According to Ladbrokes, Nadal is a 2-5 favorite to win the French, meaning if you bet on him to win, you're not going to make a whole lot of money.
His one loss, in Madrid, came against Dominic Thiem, but that was on a clay surface that plays very different than the French Open.
The women's side is far more competitive, at least on paper. You could make a compelling case for world No. 1 Simona Halep, Elina Svitolina, Petra Kvitova and two-time French Open winner Maria Sharapova to walk out of the grounds in just over two weeks' time with the championship trophy.
Oh, and let's not forget about a certain 23-time Grand Slam winner. True, Serena Williams has not fared great since her return from maternity leave, and true, she has not played a competitive match since mid-March at the Miami Open. But who in their right mind would count her out?
And can we digress for just a moment to share this photo with you?
That time I met @djokernole you know my ole pal https://t.co/vl6mIJQ54Z pic.twitter.com/rHW0CL5jOd
- Olympia Ohanian (@OlympiaOhanian) May 26, 2018
So, how will Serena fare? Does anyone believe Rafa will stumble? Our experts reveal their picks.
Men's singles
Women's singles
Men's surprise pick
One player 17th or lower in the rankings who can make an impact:
Women's surprise pick
One player 17th or lower in the rankings who can make an impact: