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It's hard to find an athlete who is as synonymous with a sporting event as Rafael Nadal is with the French Open. Nicknamed "The King of Clay," Nadal has won 13 of the last 16 singles titles entering the 2021 French Open. He knocked off Novak Djokovic in last year's final, which took place in the fall due to the coronavirus pandemic. But Djokovic earned the No. 1 seed in the 2021 French Open bracket with Nadal No. 3 as play begins on Sunday.

However, Nadal is still the favorite to win the tournament at -120 (risk $120 to win $100) in the 2021 French Open odds per William Hill Sportsbook. Djokovic, who won at Roland-Garros in 2016, is +300 while other contenders include Stefanos Tsitsipas (+600) and Dominic Thiem (+800). The venerable Roger Federer, who is weeks shy of his 40th birthday, is a +4000 long shot in the French Open 2021 odds. Before locking in any 2021 French Open picks for the men's champion, you need to see who SportsLine's Sean Calvert is backing.

Calvert is the famed handicapper who called Stan Wawrinka winning the 2014 Australian Open at 60-1. In 2019, Calvert took down a huge score on Dominic Thiem winning Indian Wells at 80-1, among many stunning calls. Anyone following his picks is way up.

Now, Calvert has scrutinized the latest French Open 2021 field and released his coveted best bets to win it all. He's sharing all his picks and analysis at SportsLine.

Top 2021 French Open predictions

One piece of 2021 French Open betting advice from Calvert: fade No. 2 seed Daniil Medvedev. He is one of the top 10 favorites at +4000 on the heels of winning the Open 13 tournament in March. That win propelled him to No. 2 in the ATP Rankings, making him the first player outside of the Big Four to reach the top two since 2005.

But Medvedev's victory came on an indoor hard court and the Russian has struggled mightily when play shifts to clay. He's won just 35 percent of his matches on clay compared to 70 percent on all other surfaces. He's competed at Roland-Garros each of the last four years but was bounced in the first round each time.

Calvert expects him to go home early again, making him a poor value for 2021 French Open bets. 

How to make 2021 French Open picks

Calvert loves several long shots, including one who would pay out in a big way. He is "peaking at the right time after having missed much of the early season due to injury," Calvert said. He's sharing who it is, and all of his picks, here.

So who wins the 2021 French Open? And what enormous long shot could take the crown? Visit SportsLine now to see Sean Calvert's bets for the 2021 French Open, all from the renowned tennis expert who called Wawrinka winning the Australian Open at 60-1.