US Open Tennis 2022: Latest Odds and Predictions for Top Contenders
The 2022 U.S. Open comes with a different feel than previous versions of the final major on the tennis calendar.
Two of the four semifinalists from the men's bracket last season, who also happen to be two of the best players in the world, will not be participating in New York.
Novak Djokovic is out because of the United States' COVID-19 vaccination requirement for entering the country, and Alexander Zverev is recovering from an ankle injury suffered at the French Open.
Reigning champion Daniil Medvedev, who did not compete at Wimbledon because of the ban on Russian players, is the betting favorite to win the men's singles draw.
Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are on a path to face each other in the semifinals if the seeds hold, as are Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz.
Over on the women's side, all of the attention to start the tournament will be on Serena Williams, who plays Danka Kovinic on Monday night inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.
No one is sure how far Williams can get in the women's singles draw, but the New York crowd will eat up every second of her being on court as retirement looms.
The women's singles draw produced one of the most unexpected Grand Slam finals in recent memory last September when Emma Raducanu beat Leylah Fernandez. Both players are now top 15 seeds and among the contenders to win the final inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in two weeks.
Men's Singles
Daniil Medvedev (+225; bet $100 to win $225)
Rafael Nadal (+400)
Carlos Alcaraz (+550)
Nick Kyrgios (+900)
Stefanos Tsitsipas (+1400)
Jannik Sinner (+1700)
Taylor Fritz (+2000)
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
The U.S. Open men's singles draw has had five winners in the last six years. Rafael Nadal is the only duplicate winner in that span.
That is by far the most variance seen at one of the four majors. Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer all dominated the other three. Andy Murray is the only male tennis player to win either the Australian Open, French Open or Wimbledon outside of the "Big Three" since 2016.
Djokovic's absence and Medvedev's success on the New York hard court in 2021 open up a chance for the Russian player to win his second straight title.
Nadal has to be viewed as Medvedev's top competition because of his major pedigree and his status as the No. 2 seed in the men's singles draw.
Carlos Alcaraz is the rising star of men's tennis, but he has yet to get past the quarterfinal stage of a Grand Slam tournament.
Nick Kyrgios may be the popular pick among fans after his run to the Wimbledon final, but he was stuck in the same part of the draw as Medvedev. The two players could face off in the fourth round.
Felix Auger-Aliassime might be viewed as a dark horse title contender after reaching the semifinals in New York last season and the quarterfinals in Australia earlier this year.
However, the sixth-seeded Canadian would have to face Medvedev in the quarterfinal round.
Nadal has the easier draw on paper to reach the final compared to Medvedev. Every match starting in the fourth round could be brutal for the No. 1 seed to get through.
The better path to the final could help Nadal stay fresh ahead of a potential No. 1-versus-No. 2 title match, or in the case that he faces someone like Kyrgios or Auger-Aliassime.
While chalk holding in the draw may seem boring, it could produce two terrific semifinals and a memorable final inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Prediction: Nadal beats Medvedev in the final
Nadal over Alcaraz; Medvedev over Tsitsipas in the semifinals
Women's Singles
Iga Świątek (+400)
Simona Halep (+700)
Caroline Garcia (+1600)
Coco Gauff (+1600)
Aryna Sabalenka (+1800)
Liudmila Samsonova (+2000)
Elena Rybakina (+2000)
Beatriz Haddad Maia (+2500)
Naomi Osaka (+2500)
Ons Jabeur (+2500)
Belinda Bencic (+2500)
Jessica Pegula (+2500)
The women's singles side of Grand Slam draws has been the more unpredictable of the two singles tournaments.
That was reinforced by Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez making the final in 2021 as unseeded players.
Five women won their first major tournament over the last three years. Elena Rybakina was the last to do so at Wimbledon.
The unpredictability could play in favor of Serena Williams as she embarks on a likely emotional run in New York. Williams could face No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit in the second round if she wins her opener. Kontaveit has not made it out of the second round at any major this season, so she could be susceptible to an upset no matter who she faces.
Fernandez and 2021 French Open champion Barbora Krejčíková both reside in Williams' side of the draw, so it may be hard to imagine a run into the second weekend of the tournament, but as we saw last year, stranger things have happened in New York.
Kontaveit will not be the favorite to get out of the bottom half of the draw. Simona Halep, Coco Gauff and Maria Sakkari share parts of that title.
Halep is a five-time Grand Slam finalist and reached the semifinals at Wimbledon. Gauff will be the emotional favorite in New York as she tries to reach her second Grand Slam final of 2022, while Sakkari should feel confident after reaching the semifinals in New York last year.
Halep recently won a hard-court event in Toronto and could end up in the final alongside Iga Świątek.
Świątek will be the favorite to reach the championship from the top half of the bracket, but she may not be the best choice.
Aryna Sabalenka reached the semifinals at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2021, and the hard court has historically been her best surface at major tournaments.
Sabalenka was a few points short of reaching the final in New York last season, and she could be poised to reach it in 2022 if she plays with confidence and delivers as the best shot to Świątek's title hopes.
Prediction: Halep over Sabalenka in the final
Halep over Ons Jabeur; Sabalenka over Świątek in the semifinals.
Serena Williams makes it into the third round.
Gambling problem? Call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369).
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visiting ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), visiting OPGR.org (OR), or calling/texting TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).
Odds and lines subject to change. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.