French Open Day 4 Tips, Predictions & Best Bets - Djokovic targets third round; Kostyuk to cruise

Novak Djokovic vs Valentin Royer Tips

• Djokovic got some good match practice on clay in by chopping down the big-serving Mpetshi Perricard & this looks like a nice second round matchup
• Royer has gone 0-3 against top 10 players in his career, losing two in straight sets - the one set he won was against an injured Fritz at the AO earlier this year
• Royer hasn't won back-to-back tour-level matches since September 2025 and just doesn't have the level to trouble Djokovic in this setting
• Djokovic is 135-21 lifetime vs French opponents and he'll be motivated in front of the Parisian crowd

Joao Fonseca vs Dino Prizmic Tips

Rafael Jodar vs James Duckworth Tips

• Jodar has been on fire all season and stepped it up on clay, winning 16 of his 19 matches
• The 19-year-old is more often than not clobbering his opponents - 13 of those 16 wins have come in straight sets
• Jodar was in a ruthless mood, dropping just five games in a 6-1 6-0 6-4 rout of Kovacevic in his R1
• Duckworth hasn't won back-to-back clay matches at tour-level since 2015 & only advanced here due to Diallo retiring in R1
• Jodar has won 28 of his last 30 matches vs players outside the top 50 - this should be a quick one

Hailey Baptiste vs Xiyu Wang Tips

• Baptiste is in great form, winning six of her last eight matches coming into this clash
• Three of those wins were over top 15 players - including Sabalenka, Bencic & Paolini
• Baptiste also beat former French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova in her opening round
• Wang has lost her last 11 matches vs top 50 players and is competing in her first event outside China since August - seems like a bridge too far

Marta Kostyuk vs Katie Volynets Tips

• Kostyuk has been playing like a top five player this year and is low-key a threat for the title
• Kostyuk has a 19-4 record for the year, with three defeats coming vs the top two & the other when she was injured at the start of the year
• Kostyuk is on a 13-match winning streak on clay with titles in Rouen & Madrid, with 10 of those victories seeing Under 21.5 games
• Volynets has lost 13 of her last 16 matches vs top 20 players & looks to be outclassed here

Nuno Borges vs Miomir Kecmanovic Tips

• This one has five sets written all over it - Kecmanovic has played 1+ five-setter in his last six Grand Slam tournaments, while Borges has gone the distance at least once in three of his last four
• The pair have split their last two meetings at one win apiece, with each best-of-three match going to a deciding set
• Very even matchup - if a long match plays out, then it makes sense to take the underdog with the games start (Borges +3.5)
• Borges generally raises his level at the slams, while Kecmanovic has a negative 7-11 record in R2 matches at this level

Andrey Rublev vs Camilo Ugo Carabelli Tips

• I'll admit this isn't the most comfortable bet I've ever placed, but I don't mind somewhat fading Rublev here
• Rublev remains extremely volatile and erratic - he can lose his mind quickly when things get tough
• Rublev has failed to cover a -5.5 games line in five of his last seven Grand Slam matches & didn't look entirely comfortable against a fatigued Buse who had zero recovery time from his Hamburg title in R1
• Carabelli has improved his game in 2026 - he's beaten the likes of Khachanov, Tiafoe & Berrettini this clay swing and I have hopes he can keep this one competitive

Casper Ruud vs Hamad Medjedovic Tips

• Another somewhat risky play, but I'm banking on Ruud recovering from his gruelling R1 vs Safiullin, where he copped a fourth set bagel before coming out on top in five
• I love fading Medjedovic in best-of-five set tennis and especially in the heat - he's still not proven he's fit enough for these sorts of contests
• Medjedovic can easily throw sets away by 6-1 & 6-0 scores when things get tough - perfect for these line bets
• Medjedovic is 4-12 vs top 20 players in his career, while Ruud has gone 14-4 on clay this year - the Norwegian should be too strong