Alexander Zverev vs Carlos Alcaraz predictions and best bets for the French Open men's final

Where to watch the French Open men's singles final

Live on Eurosport 1 & Discovery+ from 2pm Sunday

Best bet

Carlos Alcaraz -1.5 sets handicap v Alexander Zverev
2pts 7-10 Coral, Ladbrokes

Advised pre-tournament

Alexander Zverev to win men's singles
2pts 7-1 bet365, BoyleSports (Aaron Ashley)

French Open men's singles final preview 

Alexander Zverev, recommended pre-tournament at 7-1 by Racing Post's Aaron Ashley, has already justified that headline selection by reaching the French Open final, but anyone in a position to cash in their chips should give that serious consideration because Carlos Alcaraz's confidence ought to be sky-high after he eliminated Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals.

As is so often the case, it was the bookmakers who knew. They had made Alcaraz 11-4 ante-post market leader for the French Open ahead of 7-2 second favourite Novak Djokovic and 9-2 Sinner, who had collected his first Grand Slam singles crown in the Australian Open in January.

It looked as if Sinner's calmer temperament might help him win the day in his last-four clash with Alcaraz on Friday when he won the third set of the match in impressive fashion to re-establish a one-set lead.

However, Alcaraz had the final word as he fought back from two sets to one down to triumph 2-6 6-3 3-6 6-4 6-3 in a titanic battle in which the Spaniard proved to himself that he is the player to beat on clay, the terrain on which so many of his countrymen have prospered.

Sinner's camp are sure to have been aware of the possibility of their man landing a calendar Slam in 2024 following his exemplary start in Melbourne, and the race for dominance in the men's tennis season has been sprung wide open with Wimbledon champion Alcaraz in the box seat.

If Alcaraz, who turned 21 only last month, defeats Zverev he will have won three of the four majors following his triumphs at the All England Club last summer and the US Open in 2022.

As for the finalists' Grand Slam histories, it's two wins in as many singles finals for Alcaraz. Zverev, meanwhile, blew his lines big-time in his only previous major title match in the US Open in 2020, when he led Dominic Thiem by two sets and a break and was two points away from the title before collapsing in sight of the winning post.

Zverev has matured a good deal since that chastening experience. He has made the semis of the French Open in each of the last four years and this is the first time he has reached the clay championship match, although in 2022 he was wheeled off Court Philippe Chatrier after tearing ligaments in his right ankle.

After winning his second Rome Masters title last month, Zverev has beaten Rafael Nadal, David Goffin, Tallon Griekspoor, Holger Rune, Alex de Minaur and Casper Ruud in Paris.

Ruud was suffering from a stomach bug for much of their semi-final in which Zverev won 86 per cent of his first-service points, but a date with Alcaraz represents a big step up after victories over opponents Zverev ought to be defeating anyway.

Alcaraz, for his part, has seen off Sebastian Korda, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Sinner to reach his first Roland Garros singles final and that's an impressive list. In his last three matches his first-service points win percentages have weighed in at a consistent 75, 74 and 74 so that augurs well for his final chance.

Tsitsipas has played some of the best tennis in the clay season, but of those four victims only Sinner avoided a straight-sets loss and he took the Alcaraz the distance.

The Spaniard has won three of his last five meetings with Zverev and prevailed 6-3 6-1 against the German in Indian Wells in March.

The Juan Carlos Ferrero-coached ace, who has already spent some time as world number one, has dropped only seven of 31 games he has contested with the 27-year-old in their two previous clay meetings, so backing the favourite to win either 3-0 or 3-1 looks the way to go.

A fifth three-set win in seven outings for Alcaraz cannot be ruled out but as that is priced at just 2-1, backing him to win by at least two sets appeals more.

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