Australian Open Betting: Five Tips on Nadal, Serena & Federer

Joe Short

January 9th, 2019

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Quick Tips:

• Roger Federer to win the Australian Open – 5/1 with Volt Sports
• Simona Halep to win the Australian Open - 11/1 with Bet365
• Novak Djokovic to reach the men’s final – 5/4 with Betway

The Australian Open is almost upon us and for tennis betting fans this is a great opportunity to profit on dead certs.

Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are expected to head the men’s draw in Melbourne.

Serena Williams, meanwhile, faces stiff competition for the Australian Open women’s singles title this year, with Simona Halep leading a strong field.

Routine first-round matches mean tennis betting fans can win serious profits if they make the correct accumulator bets. And, of course, there is always competition for the best tennis odds from bookmakers across the industry.

So here are the five best bets you should consider for the Australian Open...

Nadal To Crash Early

He may be a previous champion at the Australian Open (2009) but this tournament is not right for Nadal. The Spaniard has already withdrawn from the Brisbane International this January, having found a thigh problem during an MRI scan.

Nadal has withdrawn from 10 of his last 13 hard-court events. Two – the Australian and US Opens last year – he retired during the competition. And the other he won – Toronto back in August 2018.

Nadal will not risk his body in Melbourne if it affects his chances on clay this spring. BetHard have him at 11/2 to win the Australian Open but it’s an unconvincing price on a player who could crash out injured at any time.

Closer to the opening rounds after the draw is made, the best bookmakers may offer odds on which specific round Nadal will crash out in – keep an eye out and pick between rounds 1-3.

Federer For The Title?

Roger Federer is still going strong at the age of 37 and won the Australian Open title last year. But can he repeat the feat again and make it 21 Grands Slams?

Federer endured a disappointing end to last year when losing in Paris and London. He has prepared for Melbourne by playing in the Hopman Cup – a competition effectively played at half-intensity.

Federer will be seeded third for the Australian Open draw and so should evade Novak Djokovic until at least the semi-finals. He has won this tournament in each of the last two years and Volt Sports have him at 5/1 to claim the title again.

It’s hard to see how he will cope with the young power players over two weeks. But Federer always seems to find a way. His serve remains a powerful weapon and he is worth considering for the trophy.

Stephens Should Be Avoided

Sloane Stephens has endured a miserable run in Melbourne since her semi-final achievement in 2013. She has limped out in the first round three of the last four years, and missed the 2017 tournament altogether.

Stephens is a strong hard-court player and won the US Open two years ago. But handling the sticky Melbourne surface and humidity has always been a challenge for the American.

Stephens is as short at 12/1 with some bookmakers to win the women’s singles title. But in reality she should be backed to fall early this January. Keep you eye on her opponents’ odds in the early stages.

Women’s Singles Best Bet

Serena Williams is 4/1 with Toals.com to win the Australian Open. But in reality the 37-year-old has a task on her hands to achieve a 24th Grand Slam.

Caroline Wozniaki is the defending women’s singles champion but plenty of tennis betting fans are watching Naomi Osaka with interest. She is 17/2 (BlackType) to win the title, having claimed US Open glory in 2018.

Other top seeds include Angelique Kerber and Elina Svitolina. Both should go deep in this tournament but all eyes are on one woman: Simona Halep.

If top-seed Halep can kick on from a breakthrough 2018 then no one will stop the Romanian. She backed up an Australian Open final appearance by winning at Roland Garros last summer. Now she has one Grand Slam under her belt, expect more to follow.

Halep is 11/1 to win it with Bet365, a great bet.

Djokovic The Man To Beat

Novak Djokovic is almost becoming the default men’s singles bet at Grand Slams. He has won the last two Slams and finished 2018 ranked the best male player on the planet.

Crucially, Djokovic is fit. Unlike Nadal and Andy Murray, he has no injury problems heading into the Australian Open. Granted, there are young players such as Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem hoping to upset the big boys.

But in reality Djokovic is the safe tennis bet if you’re looking for a men’s singles champion. He is 5/4 with Betway to reach the final.

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