The final Grand Slam event of professional tennis for 2018 is underway in Flushing Meadows, New York, as the U.S. Open has begun. In both the men’s and women’s draws, there will be a significanount of drama as the game’s top contenders look for yet another Grand Slam trophy to add to their cases — and some of the game’s up-and-coming players look to make their mark. In the men’s draw, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer have to stand out as favorites, while Simona Halep, the top-ranked player on the women’s side, looks to win again after finally breaking through in a Grand Slam at the French Open. Take a look at some of our tennis betting insights about some of the top contenders.
2018 U.S. Open Betting Preview & Analysis
On the men’s side Rafael Nadal (1-seed) looks like a possible favorite. He is the defending champion here, and he also looked terrific in Toronto. Nadal lost at Wimbledon to Djokovic, but the play that he showed in Toronto and his reputation as a competitor make him a favorite. He opens with David Ferrer, which will give him a good challenge to open. Roger Federer (2) last won here in 2008. He rolled to victory at the Australian Open, showing promise in hardcourt play, but he has been inconsistent since then. At the Cincinnati Masters, he was up and down as well. He would have to get past Djokovic in the quarterfinals, which could be a tall order the way he’s playing. Juan Martin del Potro (3) won here in 2009 but also beat Federer at Flushing Meadows a year ago and then beat him at Indian Wells (another hardcourt tournament) in March. He has a terrific forehand that explodes off the hardcourt. But does he have the durability to make it all the way through this tournament? Novak Djokovic (6) won at Wimbledon and also at the Cincinnati Masters. It is grueling to make it all the way to final after final, but Djokovic has the mindset and the physical conditioning to accomplish it. While Nadal is going to be your favorite, Djokovic has to be right there with him. Alexander Zverev (4) is still looking for his first title at a Grand Slam, but he did win the Citi Open Washington. However, he collapsed in Toronto and Cincinnati, and there are a lot of questions as to whether he can make it through a bracket in a hot environment. Kevin Anderson (5) has made it to the finals of two of the last four majors, including the 2017 U.S. Open. He does have a monster serve, but he can follow that up with other aspects of his game. The fact that the U.S. Open includes a tiebreaker in the fifth set means that the epic finishes that we saw at Wimbledon won’t be there to test the endurance of the players. Want a dark horse? Stan Wawrinka won here two years ago and has had recent losses to Federer and Nadal that were razor-thin. Kei NIshikori has made it to the finals here in the past — can he put together another big run? As far as the women go, Simona Halep (1) showed that she can roll through a bracket with seven consecutive wins, a marathon that, even for the best players in the world, can be as mental as it is physical. She also won at Montreal, which showed that she can dominate on the hardcourt surface. She benefits from a kind draw as well. Caroline Wozniacki (2) won down under, giving her a hardcourt victory, but things have been difficult since then, and she had to withdraw in Cincinnati thanks to a bum left knee. Sloane Stephens (3) has either played brilliantly or has played dreadfully. In her last four majors, she has won one major, been to the final in another — but exited in the first round of the other two Grand Slams. Angelique Kerber (4) has won 40 matches this year and won at Wimbledon. She also won here in 2016. As far as dark horses go, Johanna Konta has beaten Serena Williams 6-1, 6-0 on a hardcourt surface. Svetlana Kuznetsova won here in 2004 — and won in Washington a few weeks ago. She entered here via a wild card, but don’t turn your back on her. And what about Serena Williams? She will be the favorite of the crowd, but her 17th seed means that she has to break through someone in the top 16 to make it past the third round, assuming that favorites hold.What an upset to kick off the 2018 #USOpen!@KanepiKaia shocks World No. 1 Halep 6-2, 6-4 in the opening round.https://t.co/3OhhZ8rhPO#USOpen pic.twitter.com/26faPkPkb4
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 27, 2018
