French Open 2018 Betting Odds: With Roger Federer Out Of The Grand Slam, Who Are Rafael Nadal's Toughest Opponents?

The French Open begins Monday with Rafael Nadal the clear favorite to win an unprecedented 11th title and with world No. 2 Roger Federer absent from the Grand Slam.

Nadal has 2/5 odds of winning in Paris, according to betting site OddsChecker. The Spaniard has just one loss since bowing out with a leg injury in the Australian Open quarterfinals in January. Nadal has often looked invincible on clay, boasting a 408-36 record to rightfully earn the title, "King of Clay." His dominance at Roland Garros is nothing short of astounding, with a 79-2 record.

Federer, who decided to skip the clay court season, has won the French Open just once, taking home the title in 2009. But the Swiss legend has also advanced to the final a total of five times. Federer has impressed in 2018 but competing on clay may have been too tough a challenge for the 36-year-old.

With Federer out, who could give Nadal the most trouble at Roland Garros? Oddsmakers don't seem to have much confidence in the field.

World No. 3 Alexander Zverev has the best odds after Nadal at 10/1. The 21-year-old German has never advanced beyond the third round at the French but was at least able to win a set off of Nadal at the Italian Open final on Sunday. The time might finally be right for Zverev to make a serious run in a Grand Slam.

Zverev is followed by Novak Djokovic at 13/1. The Serb is still making progress from an elbow injury but could be poised for a big run in Paris. Djokovic is the last player to beat Nadal at the French Open, earning a big victory in the 2015 quarterfinals.

"Novak is one of the best players of our history of this sport. My answer is he's not coming back, he's there always," Nadal said on Friday.

Then there's Dominic Thiem, who has 14/1 odds. The 24-year-old Austrian on May 11 earned perhaps the biggest upset of 2018, knocking Nadal out of the Madrid Open in the quarterfinals, 7-5 6-3. Thiem, currently ranked No. 8, played an excellent match against Nadal, consistently keeping the ball in play for Nadal to commit 29 unforced errors.

Nadal starts the French Open against Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov.