Serena Williams Odds To Win US Open Drift Ahead Of Her Retirement
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Serena Williams’ odds of winning the US Open have worsened ahead of her first-round match with Dana Kovinic, as betting sites back away from the prospect of one final trophy for the veteran.
Williams will retire after the US Open to bring down the curtain on a glittering career. The 40-year-old has won 23 grand slam titles over the years, and is just one short of Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24.
Injuries have steadily crept up on the American, who last won a slam at the 2017 Australian Open.
Still, she has reached four grand slam finals since then, and rarely does she take to court without the expectation of her winning.
Speaking to Vogue about her impending retirement, she said: “A few years ago I quietly started Serena Ventures, a venture capital firm. Soon after that, I started a family. I want to grow that family.”
Now, however, the focus is on plotting a path to the US Open final. For Williams, it would be an 11th final appearance in New York.
But can she overcome a gruelling two weeks of tennis to make it all the way to the second Saturday? Right now, UK bookmakers don’t think so.
Serena Williams Odds At The US Open
According to tennis betting sites, Serena Williams odds have widened from 25/1 to 50/1 on the eve of the tournament. That reflects a 2% probability of Williams winning her 24th slam title this September.
The reason for this shift isn’t to do with the US Open draw, but primarily because of punter apathy.
Williams is not one of the most-backed players in the US Open tennis betting odds this year.
That honour goes to Emma Raducanu, where 17% of all punters have wagered on the Brit at odds of around 25/1.
And because no-one is betting on Williams, her odds have inflated. Now, all that could change in an instant if she crushes Kovinic in the first round.
A convincing win here and punters will turn their heads to the odds, and bring the price in.
Serena Williams Route To US Open Final
Beat Kovinic and then the No 2 seed Anett Kontaveit would be next in on the route to the final for Serena Williams.
The pair have never played each other before but Kontaveit is in poor form right now, having bombed out in the early rounds of the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Masters.
Bypass Kontaveit and Williams could face Italy’s Martina Trevisan in the third round, and then potentially last year’s defeated finalist Leylah Fernandez in the fourth.
The second week of the tournament looks scarily competitive, with a possible quarter-final draw against Ons Jabeur – Wimbledon finalist this summer – or 2022 French Open semi-finalist and 10th seed Daria Kasatkina.
Were Williams to reach the semis then it would be a lottery as to who she could face, but Simona Halep, Coco Gauff and Maria Sakkari stand out from her half of the draw.
US Open Odds
Away from Williams, the current US Open betting favourite to win the women’s singles title remains Iga Swiatek - although her odds have nudged out from 5/2 to 4/1 with bet365 over the past few days.
Swiatek, 21, is a better clay player than she is on hard, but remains the favourite ahead of Halep, whose price has come in to 7/1 after she won the Canadian Open.
From there the odds balloon, Gauff and Caroline Garcia are both 16/1 to win the title - while Sabalenka is out at 20/1.
Naomi Osaka - a former champion at Flushing Meadows - has seen her price float out at 25/1 with BetVictor before her first-round match with America’s Danielle Collins.
As for defending champion Raducanu, a potential wrist injury has punters concerned she won’t successfully defend her crown this summer.
Her odds have stuck at 25/1 for weeks, and the Brit faces a tricky first-round tie with Alize Cornet and could meet Osaka in the third round.
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