ATP and WTA Players to Bet in 2021 Tennis Futures

• The new 2021 tennis season is about to start this month in the ATP and WTA tours
• Dominic Thiem was the first to break a streak of men’s majors won by the Big Three, while Iga Swiatek was an underdog winner of the French Open last year
• Do they and others offer value bets in 2021?

Another tennis season is about the get started with the 20201 ATP and WTA Tours set to begin this month. First up is the WTA’s Abu Dhabi Women’s Tennis Open.

For years the men’s side has offered little betting value if you wanted to bet someone other than Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic. Well actually, there was great value in betting outside of those three, it’s just your money usually went up in flames. Dominic Thiem broke that streak with his 2020 US Open win. But others are knocking on the door as well and could win a grand slam title soon.

The women’s side is always ripe for upsets and lately even more so as Serena Williams hasn’t won a major since 2017. Iga Swiatek stormed onto the scene with her first majors win at the French, turning a tidy profit for those who backed the Polish underdog. Can she continue her success in 2021? Is there another player who could be primed to cash some underdog tickets for bettors as well?

See the odds for these players and others on both the men’s and women’s tours who could offer some betting value in 2021 below.

Men’s 2021 Grand Slam Odds

All odds taken January 5 at Bet365

Thiem Wins First Grand Slam

Look for some value on tennis futures in 2021. Some of the game’s best are on the back nine of their careers and the pandemic has meant others played very little in 2020. It’s unlikely everyone is entering 2021 in top form. 

On the men’s side, the Big Three have dominated the major events for years and it’s usually a safe bet one if not two will make the finals of most major competitions, if not win outright. But Roger Federer has openly admitted his body may not allow him to make it through 2021 at his age of 39.

.@rogerfederer’s withdrawal from the 2021 @AustralianOpen was made official this week, as he continues his recovery from a right knee injury.https://t.co/ndGeJUc32Z

— TENNIS (@Tennis) December 31, 2020

Rafael Nadal isn’t getting any younger either at 34. And 2020 finally saw a new face winning a grand slam in Dominic Thiem who won the US Open over fellow non-Big Three-member Alexander Zverev.

US Open champion Dominic Thiem says his "whole life" has been dedicated to winning his maiden Grand Slam title.

Find out more: https://t.co/KB5yTaBX4e pic.twitter.com/yRbW7cKcy6

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) September 14, 2020

The US Open was his only title of 2020, but he also reached the finals of the Nitto ATP FInals and Australian Open. Thiem is likely to be a regular in the finals of major events and will usually offer better value than betting Nadal, Federer or Novak Djokovic.

For instance, he’s +400 to win the French Open, while Nadal is +120. Thiem has reached the final of Roland Garros in both 2018 and 2019, losing both to Nadal. But, in recent head-to-heads, Thiem is now 3-1 against the Spaniard, winning two of those matches in straight sets.

Medvedev and Rublev Knocking On the Door

Other players knocking on the door of greatness (and value) have to include Daniil Medvedev. The Russian was 28-10 in 2020 and won the Nitto ATP Finals and ATP 1000 Paris Masters. In the ATP Finals, he defeated each of Djokovic, Nadal and Thiem to win the title. Avoid him on clay where he’s 10-18 in his career, but otherwise, he should be a good bet to run deep in most events.

"It's not a question of whether Daniil Medvedev will win a Slam or whether he will be No. 1; he will at one point" – Janko Tipsarevic https://t.co/d4Y76hqPHl

— Sportskeeda Tennis (@SK__Tennis) December 30, 2020

It also seems a question of “when” and not “if” fellow Russian Andrey Rublev will be a grand slam winner. He was 41-10 in 2020 and finished the year ranked eighth. He was also 5-0 in each of the finals he played in during the season. In grand slam events, he reached the round of 16 at the Aussie Open, and quarterfinals at both the French and US Opens.

2020 AWARDS 🎾🏆

Young player of the year: Andrey Rublev

Blockbuster. Rublev will light up courts & entertain people all around the world in 2021 & beyond. 5 ATP titles in 2020. Top 10 debut. ATP Finals debut. Watch out for Rublev in 2021. pic.twitter.com/KnuCpSjNek

— DanRodenby (@Tennisbrainwork) December 31, 2020

While Thiem and Medvedev are still considered top contenders in most events, Rublev can be had for +2500 (Australia Open), +3300 (French Open), +4000 (Wimbledon) and +3300 (US Open).

Women’s 2021 Grand Slam Odds

Can Iga Swiatek’s Success Carryover from French Open?

Of course, if you’re looking for real value in tennis betting that is always easier to find on the ladies’ side in most seasons. 

Serena Williams’ stellar career is slowly winding down. Despite being a top favorite in most competitions she partakes in, she’s still chasing that elusive 24th grand slam title. She hasn’t won a slam since her 2017 Aussie Open win over sister Venus. Since she’s lost each of the past four slam finals she’s played in and didn’t even reach a major final in 2020.

That’s left the door open for plenty of other women and first-time winners. Let’s look at a couple of up-and-comers who could be better value bets in major tournaments going forward.

It goes without saying that @iga_swiatek is one to watch in 2021.

By winning @rolandgarros, she became the youngest singles champion since Rafael Nadal in 2005, not dropping a single set along the way.https://t.co/E8PqbD0H5w

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) January 4, 2021

Iga Swiatek ended 2019 ranked 61st in the world and was a massive underdog to win the French Open when 2020 started. But those odds kept shortening all year with the French Open being pushed until the fall. When it was finally played, the young Pole steamrolled her way to the finals and title without dropping a single set. 

Now with her first career WTA title, she’ll enter 2021 inside the top 20 (17th) and hungry for more. If her form carries over into 2021 she could be a good bet at +1400 for the Australian Open in February, an event she reached the round of 16 in last year.

Elena Rybakina

21-year-old Kazakh Elena Rybakina has also been climbing up the WTA rankings. She was 191st at the end of 2018, 37th at the end of 2019 and finished 2020 ranked 19th. The year 2020 saw her go 29-10 and win her second WTA title (Hobart International). She also reached the finals in St. Petersburg, Dubai and Strasbourg.

Ace leader in 2020, Elena Rybakina 🙌@SAPSports | #SAPGameSetStat pic.twitter.com/WCxnWW9HEH

— wta (@WTA) November 18, 2020

The furthest she’s reached in a slam event came in the 2020 Aussie Open when she reached the round of 32. However, she put together some impressive stats along the way in 2020, ranking first in aces with 193 and winning 76.9-percent of her service games. Take a flyer on her for any of the slams or other tour events when she’s in form in 2021: Australia (+3300), Roland Garros (+2200), Wimbledon +2500 or the US Open (+3300). In fact, shop around and you may even find some longer odds for some of those events for Rybakina.