BNP Paribas Open Women’s Singles Odds & Preview: Raducanu Makes Tournament Debut
- The BNP Paribas Open main draw play begins Wednesday, October 6th
- Bianca Andreescu will look to defend her 2019 title, while Emma Raducanu makes her tournament debut
- Continue below for a preview of the tournament and the Top 20 odds to win the tournament outright
Dubbed the unofficial fifth Grand Slam, the BNP Paribas Open, also known as Indian Wells, returns after a two and a half years due to COVID-19. The tournament that is usually held in March, is the final WTA 1000 event of the year.
Many of the top players are in California to compete. Two-time champion, and former World No. 1 Kim Clijsters received a wildcard into the main draw, and reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu will be making her Indian Well debut. Notable players who withdrew from the tournament before the draw include, World No.1 Ashleigh Barty, No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 8 Sofia Kenin, and No. 12 Naomi Osaka.
The Top 32 seeds all have byes into the second round.
Take a look below for the odds to win the tournament, as well as a breakdown of what to expect, and what to watch out for.
BNP Paribas Open Women’s Singles Odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| [17] Emma Raducanu | +900 |
| [2] Iga Swiatek | +1200 |
| [5] Garbine Muguruza | +1200 |
| [3] Barbora Krejcikova | +1200 |
| [6] Maria Sakkari | +1300 |
| [1] Karolina Pliskova | +1600 |
| [12] Ons Jabeur | +1600 |
| [13] Elena Rybakina | +1800 |
| [19] Jessica Pegula | +2000 |
| [23] Leylah Fernandez | +2000 |
| [4] Elina Svitolina | +2200 |
| [11] Simona Halep | +2200 |
| [7] Petra Kvitova | +2500 |
| [16] Bianca Andreescu | +2500 |
| [22] Danielle Collins | +2800 |
| [21] Paula Badosa Gibert | +2800 |
| [10] Angelique Kerber | +2800 |
| [15] Cori Gauff | +3000 |
| [8] Belinda Bencic | +3500 |
| [27] Victoria Azarenka | +3500 |
Odds as of October 5th at DraftKings.
Reigning Champion
It was this tournament in 2019 that put the then 18-year old Bianca Andreescu on the tennis map. She captured her first WTA title here, but little did she know that she’d be defending that title a whole two and a half years later.
Entering the tournament in 2019, Andreescu was ranked No. 60. She has since been ranked as high as No. 4, and will enter the tournament this year at No. 21.
Andreescu went on to defeat Garbine Muguruza, Elina Svitolina, and Angelique Kerber to win the title.
This year, she enters the tournament as the 16th seed, having been awarded a bye in the first round. She’ll open her tournament up against either Alison Riske or a qualifier. At +2500 odds to win the tournament, she’s not the best bet to win this year, but she’ll be interesting to watch. She hasn’t had the most success this year, but she’s in familiar territory, and knows what it takes to win here. We’ll have to wait and see if she can channel whatever it was in 2019, that took her all the way.
The Favorite
18-year old Raducanu will be making her first appearance since shocking the tennis world and winning the US Open. After she became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam singles title, she saw her world ranking jump from World No. 150 to No. 22. Raducanu has also been awarded the 17th seed here in California, meaning she won’t begin her tournament until the second round.
Look at what we have here 🇬🇧
Welcome to #TennisParadise, @EmmaRaducanu 🌴 pic.twitter.com/qO1UzVds0X
— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) October 2, 2021
The teenager will open her tournament up against either Maria Camila Osorio Serrano or Aliaksandra Sasnovich. But her draw is tough. Raducanu could possible face former World No. 1 Simona Halep as early as the third round.
Will Raducanu be able to follow up her impressive US Open tournament showing? She’s arguably in the toughest quarter, with her possible matchups getting tougher and tougher each round. But she did beat the best of the best in New York.
Others to Watch
As mentioned above, many of the top WTA players are in California ready to compete over the next week and a half.
Muguruza and Maria Sakkari are always two players to watch out for, and this tournament is no different. Listed at +1200 and +1300 odds to win the tournament outright, respectively, these two always cause problems for their opponents.
Coming off her second title of the season, winning in Chicago, Muguruza is a two-time quarterfinalist here in Indian Wells. She’s at the top of her game, and will look to keep her momentum going forward.
Sakkari has been on an absolute tear this season. She’s may have not had the outcomes she would have liked at a few tournaments, but she’s been able to go deep, having made the semifinals at the US Open, losing to eventual champion, Raducanu, and most recently making a finals appearance at the Ostrava Open. Could Indian Wells be her time?
Given the draw, Muguruza looks to be one of the best bets to win it all.
Best Bet: Muguruza (+1200)
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.
