The WTA French Open women’s qualifying action continues. There are 128 spots in the main draw, and a lot of competition for the final places in that draw after the direct qualifiers. Playing in the first round of a major tournament is a given for the stars of tennis, but for the players ranked outside the top 100, it is often a career highlight and a very memorable moment. Let’s see which players rise or fall under the pressure of major tournament qualifying. LWOS has our best bets for three matches. Post your best bets and thoughts in the comments.
WTA French Open qualifying
Masarova – Carle: Time 8:30 EST
H2H: 0-2
Rebeka Masarova has not had the best of times against her upcoming opponent, Maria Lourdes Carle. In the two times they’ve met previously, one of which was a tournament final, Lourdes largely seems to have figured her out. She lost the first set to Masarova at WTA La Bisbal, but then Carle hasn’t allowed Masarova to win more than two games in a set since. The 2024 La Bisbal match was the final, and then she followed that up with another straight-set win over Masarova a few weeks later in Bastad. That makes this one of the more interesting matches on the qualifying card.
Best Bet to Make
Masarova is a pretty solid final, even though she has never beaten Carle before. The average line is 1.2-4.5, and we don’t have any outliers on the books. Masarova enters the match at 6-4 in her last ten matches, while Carle is 4-6 in hers. It’s not just their recent form, either. Masarova has been the better player all year long, even reaching the quarterfinals at WTA Austin. She also plays a better crop of athletes on the regular. I definitely will not be shocked if Carle pulls this out, which is why I’m recommending you use this as a flier. Just make sure to keep your losses to a minimum. Both of these ladies were around 24 years old when they played their last match, and they’re 26 now.
That being said, betting on Carle winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Carle winning @4.75 @Pinnacle
Mladenovic – Wang: Time 9:30 EST
H2H: 0-0
Kristina Mladenovic is ranked No. 860 in the World. Xiyu Wang is No. 148 in the World. One of these ladies is 2-8 in their last ten matches, and the other is 8-2 in hers. Wang is coming off a semifinal loss at WTA Huzhou to Veronika Erjavec. Wang has three ITF titles this year, and has made at least the semifinals in every tournament she’s played. Mladenovic has two wins in 2026.
Best Bet to Make
Wang is a massive favorite against Mladenovic. The average currently sits at 8.2-1, with several 9-1 odds available. The smart way to play this match is to pick Wang to do what she does against someone who simply isn’t playing well. There’s no reason why this couldn’t be a 6-1, 6-1 win for Wang. While you could make absurdly great money taking the under on 15 games, I say keep it reasonable and go with the under on 17.5 instead. I won’t be mad if you decide the 5.95 odds tempt you more, though.
That being said, Under 17.5 games is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Under 17.5 games @2.08 @1xBet
Stefanini – Charaeva: Time 10:00 EST
H2H: 0-0
Lucrezia Stefanini enters the WTA French Open at 8-13 in 2026. Alina Charaeva is her opponent, and she is 19-12 with a title this year. Charaeva’s title was won at an indoor event, but it was at the WTA level. She has also made three quarterfinals and a semifinal this year, not including the title. Most of her luck is on clay, but we should be honest about her level of competition. Even with that caveat, Stefanini is not a great player. She has yet to win a match on clay, and she’s facing someone with great skill on the surface.
Best Bet to Make
Because the odds on several of these matches feature heavily favored opponents against inferior competition, it can be hard to predict the best route to take when placing a wager. I think this is one of those times you can be sure it will be a quick victory for Charaeva. Taking her winning in straight sets maxes out at 1.5 on the books. I like the under on 18.5 games for that reason. You can also double your money while playing it safely.
That being said, Under 18.5 games is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Under 18.5 games @1.98 @1xBetet
Main Photo Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
