US Open Tennis Betting Tips
The fourth and final Grand Slam tournament of the tennis season, the US Open, starts in earnest on Sunday.
The mixed doubles standalone experiment took place earlier this week - and the top two in the men’s game are expected to battle it out for supremacy once again.
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who have had the top two world-ranking spots sewn up for most of the time since Novak Djokovic was the dominant force, are unlikely to be seriously challenged in the men’s singles.
In the women’s singles, meanwhile, Iga Swiatek is respected by the oddsmakers after her triumphs at Wimbledon and in the final warm-up tournament in Cincinnati.
But while the Pole has an obvious chance of producing her best level in New York City, recency bias with regard to Swiatek means that US Open defending champion and world number one Aryna Sabalenka may be a shade overlooked for her title defence.
Tip 1 - Jannik Sinner to win the US Open men’s singles @ 23/20
Sinner withdrew from the final of the Cincinnati Masters in the first set of his clash with Alcaraz, handing the title to the Spaniard, but the bookmakers remain firmly in the Italian’s camp and the world number one could be a different proposition in the US Open.
Sinner managed his duties perfectly in the Wimbledon final against Alcaraz in July to be crowned grass-court champion for the first time.
And while Alcaraz’s natural talent means that he should never be easily overlooked, that London lawns loss, and the manner in which it took place, will have hurt the world number two and may take a long time to get over.
That triumph finally confirmed Sinner’s supremacy over Alcaraz - a couple of Australian Open wins and last year’s US Open triumph failed to do that.
But while the Dolomites-based ace is getting closer and closer to winning the French Open - 2026 may well be his year for conquering the Paris clay - Sinner’s victory at Wimbledon, the slam that can be considered neutral territory for the top-ranked pair, finally confirms with little doubt that the player who often tops the oddsmakers’ outright lists is now fully deserving of that status.
Tip 2 - Aryna Sabalenka to win the US Open women’s singles @ 5/2
The odds cannot split the two market leaders in the US Open women’s singles and it might be right to be guarded regarding the final major of the campaign.
Swiatek was superb in winning Wimbledon, which had been viewed as the Pole’s most difficult Grand Slam tournament to conquer, and she has carried over her form nicely in the American hardcourt series.
The confidence she accrued from being crowned grass-court champion saw Swiatek lift the Cincinnati trophy earlier in August but, in this instance, the 2022 US Open champion’s recent success may be as much down to the fact that her rivals have been coming up short rather than her innate brilliance.
Coco Gauff, US Open champion two years ago, will surely win more homeland major titles but her game looked ragged going into this latest hardcourt series.
True, things looked better in Cincinnati than they had done in Montreal but right now there are still question marks surrounding the current form of this year’s French Open champion.
Sabalenka won her maiden US Open crown last September and the top seed may actually offer value to retain the trophy in the coming fortnight.
There is often added pressure in a title defence but Swiatek’s recent triumphs have taken the spotlight away from Sabalenka a little and she may go to New York City slightly under the radar, which could help her cause significantly.
Elena Rybakina, a 6-1 6-4 victor over Sabalenka in their Cincinnati quarter-final clash recently, could provide the top seed with her toughest early test.
But that too may help to ease the pressure on the champion, while ninth seeded Rybakina is far from sure to kick on after that confidence-booster.
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to change
