The final tennis Grand Slam tournament of the year – the US Open – may still be months away yet, with qualifying scheduled to begin on August 19th and the first round to commence on August 26th, but that hasn’t stopped fans placing early bets on who they think will be successful at Flushing Meadows this year. In Mens US Open Odds, reigning champion Novak Djokovic is the favourite; while for the Women, it’s Serena Williams – six-time US Open singles winner.
When it comes to picking out the players who are most likely to win the upcoming tournament, it can be hard to make a well-educated guess, especially when no one has taken to the courts yet. Players that you might not have considered may have decided to take this tennis rating quiz during the break and could have changed their training regime, as well as their coach to help give them a better chance at advancing in the sport’s biggest tournaments like the US Open and Wimbledon. It can be easy to discard them from your guesses but they may come out and surprise you. So, who are the favorites?
Novak Djokovic – Men’s singles champion
The current ATP singles world number 1, Novak Djokovic has 15 Grand Slam titles to his name and sits third in the list of men’s singles players with the most titles, behind rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. By defeating Argentine Juan Martin del Potro last year in the US Open, he made it a third victory in the tournament. This year, he’s already had success at the Australian Open, but got knocked out of the French Open in the semi-finals to eventual runner-up, Dominic Thiem. There’s no doubt that Nole is one of the greatest tennis players of his generation and will be looking to retain his title.
Naomi Osaka – Women’s singles champion
Last year’s winner Naomi Osaka of Japan is the second-favourite to retain her US Open title, at odds of 6/1. She is the current WTA singles world number 1 and at 21-years-old, already has two grand slam singles titles to her name. By beating Serena Williams at Flushing Meadows last year (6-2, 6-4), Osaka became the first Japanese tennis player to win a Grand Slam singles title, as well as being the youngest US Open champion since Maria Sharapova in 2006. Earlier this year, she beat Petra Kvitová in the final of the Australian Open and has a bright future ahead of her, with so much court experience already.
Jack Sock & Mike Bryan – Men’s doubles champions
2018 US Open men’s doubles champions Jack Sock and Mike Bryan are currently ATP doubles world numbers 3 and 1, respectively. Bryan has spent a total of nine years at the top. He holds the record for the most Grand Slam doubles titles (18) and the 41-year-old previously played with his twin brother Bob. He’s won two doubles titles with Sock, winning Wimbledon last year as well. He has since returned to partnering his brother.
Much younger than his former doubles partner at 26, Sock has three doubles Grand Slam titles to his name. In addition to last year’s Wimbledon and US Open titles he won with Bryan, he first won Wimbledon in 2014, partnered with Vasek Pospisil. Interestingly, the pair beat the Bryan brothers in the final. He played the Australian Open with Jackson Withrow earlier this year, before injuries have ruled him out of tournaments since.
Ashleigh Barty & CoCo Vandeweghe – Women’s doubles champions
Ashleigh Barty is currently second in the WTA doubles rankings, while CoCo Vandeweghe is 25th. The pair only have one doubles title together, last year’s US Open, while Barty won the French Open earlier this month, her first as a singles player.
As a doubles player, Barty has made finals in every grand slam, but turned her back on tennis for two years between September 2014 and February 2016, in preference for cricket. In this year’s two Grand Slams, she has partnered the Belarussian, Victoria Azarenka.
Injuries have cost Vandeweghe and she’s not participated in a tournament this year, as a singles or doubles player, with her last participation, the China Open in September 2018. Predominantly a singles player, she has made semi-finals in two of the four Grand Slam tournaments, but has had more success in women’s doubles.
