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After being postponed to the Autumn in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2021 French Open is business as usual and will be taking place in May and June.
As Rafa Nadal goes for his 14th title, we take a look at where you can stream the French Open for free in the UK and where you can watch it on UK TV. Additionally, we’ll also take a look at the best French Open odds, predictions and the best UK betting sites for tennis.
So one of the world’s most iconic tennis tournaments is back on track after a tough year - and here are the details that you need to know.
The French Open 2021 starts on Sunday May 30th and continues for two weeks through to Sunday June 13th. Qualifying for the tournament began on Monday 24th May and will continue through to Friday May 28th.
Due to French Covid-19 restrictions, the event was delayed for a week to await the easing of measures. In turn this has allowed fans to attend with tickets still currently on sale. Considering the fact that last year the tournament was postponed for over six months, we can let a little week-long delay slide here.
UK tennis fans can watch the French Open live on TV, with ITV 4 showing extensive live coverage. The finals and a select number of other marquee matches will be shown on the main ITV channel.
You can get a French Open free UK live stream online via the ITV Hub.
Alternatively, UK viewers can also watch and stream the French Open via Eurosport, which does require a subscription. You can subscribe to Eurosport in the UK via your TV package or as an add on to your Amazon Prime account, should you wish.
As well as being able to watch the French Open for free with ITV, UK viewers can also stream French Open tennis matches via a select number of the best UK bookmakers. In order to access a free live stream via betting sites, you will need to be an account holder and have an active bet on the match that you are choosing to stream.
When it comes to the UK betting odds for the French Open, there are no surprises when it comes to the bookies’ top picks. Spain’s Rafael Nadal is the favourite to win the tournament at odds of 5/6 with 888sport. The 34 year old Mallorcan is gunning for his 14th French Open title in a bid to cement himself as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
Fellow tennis GOAT contender Novak Jokovic is the bookies’ second favourite at odds of 7/2. The 34 year old Serbian arguably tips his Spanish counterpart in terms of ability, but simply can’t match Nadal’s prowess on clay.
Swiss veteran Roger Federer will return to the tournament, but is still thought to be struggling following lengthy time out with a knee injury. Despite this, the 39 year old has gone on record as saying “this is my last chance to do something great”. The bookies clearly don’t see that “something great” as a likely possibility, with the Swiss player a rank outside, with odds ranger between 33/1 and 66/1 on UK betting sites.
At odds of 5/2 with most UK online bookmakers, teenage sensation Iga Swaitek is the favourite to win the Women’s French Open. The 19 year old Polish starlette won the tournament last year, becoming the first Polish tennis player to do so. She is currently the highest ranked teenager in women’s tennis and has a career-high ranking of number nine.
A vindication of Swaitek’s high expectations for this tournament, is the fact that she is the favourite ahead of the current women’s number one Ashleigh Barty. The 25 year old Australian is being offered at odds of 9/2 to win the tournament.
Share your thoughts, tips and predictions for the French Open with us and your fellow users via Twitter: @Betting_COUK.
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