While most Grand Slams have seen repeat champions in recent years, the U.S. Open has seen more variety in its winners. On both the women’s and men’s singles sides, there have been five different champions in the last five years. To some extent, that goes along with the favorites for this year’s tournament.
Aryna Sabalenka, who has never won the U.S. Open but was the runner-up last year, is the betting favorite on BetMGM with +275 odds. Carlos Alcaraz, who won in 2022 but lost in the semifinals last year, is the men’s favorite with +200 odds.
For both sides, though, the top favorites in the odds include a handful of the usual suspects: After Sabalenka on the women’s side comes Iga Swiatek (+350) and Coco Gauff (+600). On the men’s, Novak Djokovic (+225) and Jannik Sinner (+300) follow Alcaraz.
Here’s a deeper look into the U.S. Open odds below and the toughest or most exciting matchups to expect from Thursday’s draw.
Odds, via BetMGM, update live.
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On the women’s side, 2022 winner Swiatek (+350) and last year’s champion Gauff (+800) follow Sabalenka. Gauff’s odds seem long for a defending champion playing at home as the No. 3-ranked player in the world. Gauff made the semifinals at both the Australian Open and the French Open but hasn’t made a final on tour since January. Meanwhile, Sabalenka is fresh off a win in Cincinnati and has made the final of the last three hard-court slams, winning two Aussie Opens along the way, and Swiatek has been a machine as always with five tour wins this year.
Swiatek is the No. 1 seed, and Thursday’s draw paired her with American and No. 6 seed Jessica Pegula in a potential quarterfinal. Pegula is +1200, fifth in the odds, also behind Elena Rybakina (+1000). On the other half of the bracket, Sabalenka could see 2017 runner-up Madison Keys in the fourth round before a potential rematch with Gauff in a semifinal. Ons Jabeur, the 2022 runner-up, was in that section with Keys, but withdrew due to a shoulder injury.
Among intriguing first-round matchups, 2019 champion Bianca Andreescu takes on No. 5 seed Jasmine Paolini, who has skyrocketed into prominence this year with runner-up finishes at both the French Open and Wimbledon. Despite making two slam finals in a row on very different surfaces, Paolini is still viewed as a long shot at +3300 to win the tournament. The Italian has never made it past the second round in four previous U.S. Opens.
On the men’s side, it seems truly incredible that there have been five different winners in the past five years. That run includes the only slam title for Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev and the first title for Alcaraz, who has added three more championships in the two years since. Even when Djokovic won last year, it was his first U.S. Open title since 2018.
Since 2008, there have been five different winners at each of the other three slams. Meanwhile, the U.S. Open has had 10 different winners. The men’s side has been dominated by a few players at a time for two decades now, so to see so much variety in the winners in Queens stands out.
Will that continue this year, though?
If there is to be a first-time winner, No. 1 seed Sinner is the leading bet. He is +300, just behind Alcaraz and Djokovic (+225). Sinner’s draw isn’t the most pleasant. If everything goes according to seed, he would have to beat three previous champions in a row to win. He could see Medvedev in a quarterfinal, Alcaraz in a semi and Djokovic in the final.
Sinner has been in the news for his doping case, but if he beats those three all in a row, he would have earned this U.S. Open title.
Alexander Zverev (+900) and Medvedev (+1400) are next in the odds after that clear top three, but there is an even more significant dropoff after those two. Andrei Rublev is only sixth in the odds but is a long shot at +4000. If the odds are right, there are realistically only three to five contenders to win this tournament.
The U.S. Open starts Monday.
(Photo of Aryna Sabalenka: Dylan Buell / Getty Images)
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