Roland Garros Expert Tips and Best Bets | May 29

We’re officially into Round 3 of the 2026 French Open, with just 32 men and 32 women remaining in the hunt for the second Grand Slam title of the year. Following Jannik Sinner’s shock loss, the men’s side of the draw has opened right up, while women’s number 2 seed Elena Rybakina also suffered an early round exit. So will the upsets continue, or will the high seeds flex their muscles in Round 3? Check out what we think.

There is no denying that Joao Fonseca is an exciting young talent, but close to $1.50 with most betting sites for Djokovic to win in just the third round of a Grand Slam is impossible to ignore. The 24-time major champion has not lost in the third round of a Grand Slam since 2009 (!!), and has incredibly not lost prior to the quarter finals at Roland Garros since that same year. At just 19 years of age, Fonseca has an undeniably bright future ahead of him, but the highest ranked player he’s beaten on clay this year was ranked 26. Djokovic will likely be a bridge too far.

Alex De Minaur is an excellent player, but while he continues to struggle against the absolute top tier, he remains a top ten player courtesy of his incredible consistency in beating the players he should beat – often comfortably. He’s cruised through to the third round with a straight sets win and then a walkover; in contrast, Jakub Mensik already has plenty of miles in his legs and went perilously close to losing in the second round, only saluting in an extended tiebreak in the fifth set. Mensik is no slouch, but De Minaur is the better player and on fresher legs, and should be able to grind out a straight sets win. At comfortably better than even money odds on most betting apps, this looks like a great value bet.

While this is a seed vs seed matchup, there is a significant difference in class between these two players at this stage of their careers. Gauff, of course, is the reigning French Open champion and has made at least the quarter final in five consecutive years. She’s also been in impressive form to start the tournament, dropping just nine games in her first two matches. Potopova is an improving player, but she has made it past this round just once in her career in a Grand Slam, and was forced to battle her way past her second round opponent for a spot in this match. Gauff should be far too good in this one.