2020 US Open Women’s Singles Odds & Betting Preview: Osaka Enters as 4-1 Favorite
- The 2020 WTA US Open will take place August 31-September 13
- 2019 Champion Bianca Andreescu will not be competing and this will be the first time in the tournament’s 143-year history that it will be played without spectators
- See the odds for the top contenders and see our best bet for the tournament below
The 2020 US Open will be a little different than year’s past. Due to the ongoing pandemic, many different precautions have been put in place in order to execute the tournament, but six of the top eight women in the WTA rankings have decided to not participate in the US Open. Players entering the United States won’t be expected to quarantine, but they will be getting tested frequently throughout the tournament, and are encouraged to only interact with their team.
Going into the US Open, World ranked No. 10, Naomi Osaka is the favorite at +400 odds, just slightly in front of Serena Williams, who’s odds at +550 to win.
2020 WTA US Open Odds
| Player | Odds at DraftKings |
|---|---|
| Naomi Osaka | +400 |
| Serena Williams | +550 |
| Sofia Kenin | +1100 |
| Karolina Pliskova | +1100 |
| Petra Kvitova | +1600 |
| Garbine Muguruza | +1800 |
| Madison Keys | +2000 |
| Johanna Konta | +2000 |
| Elise Mertens | +2000 |
| Aryna Sabalenka | +2000 |
| Victoria Azarenka | +2500 |
| Anett Kontaveit | +2500 |
| Jennifer Brady | +2500 |
| Cori Gauff | +3000 |
| Karolina Muchova | +3300 |
| Elena Rybakina | +3300 |
| Angelique Kerber | +4000 |
| Petra Martic | +4000 |
| Dayana Yastremska | +4000 |
| Amanda Anisimova | +4000 |
Odds taken Aug. 28
In the past five years, no WTA player has repeated as champion at the US Open, and it won’t be happening this year. Bianca Andreescu announced earlier this month that she would not be returning to New York this year. She cited that COVID-19 has compromised her ability to prepare to compete at the highest level.
US Open Women’s Singles Past Winners
| Year | Player |
|---|---|
| 2019 | Bianca Andreescu |
| 2018 | Naomi Osaka |
| 2017 | Sloane Stephens |
| 2016 | Angelique Kerber |
| 2015 | Flavia Pennetta |
This year’s seeding is what could make the tournament very interesting from the start. We could possibly see some final-like matches just in the third round. There is a potential third-round match up between six-time champion, Serena Williams, and 2017 winner Sloane Stephens. As well, we could see 2018 champion, Naomi Osaka, face 16-year old Coco Gauff, who made a name for herself last year.
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 28, 2020
The Favorite
Osaka has been the talk of the Western & Southern Open which is known to be the warm-up for the US Open. Her level of play early on couldn’t be missed, and her willingness to withdraw from the tournament to protest racial injustice has been extremely influential on the tennis world.
The 2018 champion has the opportunity to win it all again, but it won’t be a cakewalk. In her first match, she sees Japan’s Misaki Doi, and the first seeded player she could see would be 31st seed, Anastasija Sevastova.
Osaka has said on multiple occasions that she is most comfortable on hard courts, which is evident with her amount of success at the US Open.
Serena Williams
It’s not possible to preview the US Open and not mention Serena Williams. In her quest for 24, Serena Williams may face some challenges early on, but you can never count her out. Williams has reached the finals in back-to-back years at the US Open and Wimbledon. But the 38-year old didn’t get the easiest quarter of the draw, which includes No. 7 seed Madison Keys, No. 22 Amanda Anisimova, and No. 26 Sloane Stephens.
The truth is if anyone can come back stronger after a significant break, like what all the players have been experiencing with COVID, it is Williams. There have been numerous times she has had to take long breaks due to injury or health issues and has come back to win. So she might have a bit of an edge going into New York.
2020 WTA US Open Top 10 Seeds
| Seed | Player |
|---|---|
| 1 | Karolina Pliskova |
| 2 | Sofia Kenin |
| 3 | Serena Williams |
| 4 | Naomi Osaka |
| 5 | Aryna Sabalenka |
| 6 | Petra Kvitova |
| 7 | Madison Keys |
| 8 | Petra Martic |
| 9 | Johanna Konta |
| 10 | Garbine Muguruza |
Best Bet
This year’s US Open could really go in any direction. There’s not a lack of talent in the tournament, but due to the circumstances, and many players choosing not to participate, it’s actually giving the opportunity for some other players to shine. There are still some superstars playing, with Osaka and Williams definitely being the ones to beat, but there definitely could be some surprises.
Williams returned from the layoff to play in the Top Seed Open and viewed it as a tune-up for future play, openly stating she didn’t come there to win. She eventually bowed out in the quarterfinals to Shelby Rogers in three sets, after just narrowly defeating sister Venus in the Round of 16. In the Western & Southern Open, she lasted just two rounds, defeating Arantxa Rus in three sets, before losing to Maria Sakkari in three. The final set was a 6-1 for Sakkari. So while Serena hasn’t been in her best form since the restart, her goal has always been to capture that elusive 24th slam title. Having been off since Wednesday, she’ll have a little extra rest heading into the US Open and I believe she’ll have every chance to win that 24th slam.
Pick: Serena William (+550)
A graduate of Sport Media at Ryerson University, Hayley is the ultimate student of sports. Whether she is playing it, watching it, debating it, or writing it, it's safe to assume sport consumes the majority of her life. She has worked both internationally and with the NBA.
