Women’s Olympic Tennis Odds & Preview: Naomi Osaka Going for Gold

• Women’s tennis at the Tokyo Olympics will begin Saturday, July 24th
• Naomi Osaka is the favorite to win gold
• Continue below for odds and how women’s tennis may play out in Tokyo

It’s hard to believe that the Olympics are actually here. After being postponed last year, with fans and athletes patiently waiting, the time has come. Tokyo 2020, the Summer Olympics, kicked off today, July 23rd, with women’s tennis play beginning this weekend.

It should not be a surprise whatsoever to see Osaka’s name leading the odds to win gold. In a 64-player women’s single draw, Osaka is favored at +250 to go home with gold. The 23-year old has been given the second seed, and will be playing a match for the first time since she withdrew from the French Open earlier this year.

If everything goes according to schedule, the gold medal match will happen in just a week’s time on Saturday, July 31st. Who’s most likely to be there? Take a look below for the odds, and a preview of what we may be able to expect at the Olympics.

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Women’s Tennis Odds

Odds as of July 23rd

Osaka Going for Gold

The four-time Grand Slam champion returns to tennis after almost two months away.

Osaka leads the fourth quarter of the draw, and should be fairly happy how the draw turned out. All eyes will be on her as she competes in Tokyo. She’ll be the overwhelming favorite in her first round match against Saisai Zheng, who she holds a 2-1 head-to-head record against.

.@naomiosaka has arrived #Tokyo2020 #UnitedByEmotion | #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/zpxTqkbDTk

— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) July 22, 2021

Osaka most likely won’t be tested until the quarterfinals where she could possibly face sixth seed Iga Swiatek. But once again, the Japanese star holds a winning record against the 20-year old.

It will be interesting to see how the tournament plays out for Osaka. The star has been very public with her mental health issues, but here’s hoping that the few weeks off were able to help, and she’s able to let her tennis playing do the talking.

Barty the No. 1 Seed

Coming off a Grand Slam win, having defeated Karolina Pliskova in the Wimbledon finals, Barty enters Tokyo 2020 looking for gold.

But unlike Osaka, who has a more straightforward path to the finals, Barty will be tested earlier on. The Australian will open up her Olympic run against Sara Sorribes Tormo, who she’s never faced before. It’s then possible she faces Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, a finalist at the French Open this year, in the Round of 16.

The draws are out.
The gold is waiting.

Who will take the 🥇 for their country?@ashbarty | @naomiosaka | @SabalenkaA | @ElinaSvitolina | #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/0k8XyABVc2

— TENNIS (@Tennis) July 22, 2021

If she’s able to make it through the first couple of rounds, she’ll then be challenged again, possibly seeing Barbora Krejcikova and Aryna Sabalenka in the quarters and semifinals.

Barty has shown time and time again why she is No. 1 in the world. If she’s able to get through that tough patch on route to the finals, she should be able to go home with a medal.

Dark Horses to Watch

A few names you should keep an eye out for in the next week are Ons Jabeur, Maria Sakkari, Sabalenka, and Pavlyuchenkova. It seems like gold and silver are Osaka and Barty’s to lose, but we also do have one more spot on the podium, that a number of players could end up on.

The third quarter is a bit more open, that could allow Sakkari to come through for the bronze medal match. But Sabalenka and Pavlyuchenkova have the opportunity to disrupt Barty’s run in Tokyo.

Best Bet

Don’t be surprised if we see an Osaka vs Barty final here in Tokyo. The draw sets it up perfectly. Barty will have to get through a tough part of her half, which includes that possible semifinal match, but if she does, it’ll be a blockbuster of a final match for gold.

Osaka and Barty’s head-to-head record is tied at 2-2, but they haven’t played each other since 2019. Both have already won a Grand Slam this year, and continue to have impressive records. Barty has played significantly more matches than Osaka has in 2021, but if Osaka is able to just focus on the tennis, she’s the one to beat.

Best Bet: Osaka to win gold (+275)