U.S. Open Picks: Betting Advice for the Men's Tennis Tournament

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U.S. Open Picks: Betting Advice for the Men's Tennis Tournament
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For the second time this year, Novak Djokovic will not take part in a grand slam because of his vaccination status. 

Djokovic was kept out of the Australian Open earlier this year and is still not allowed to enter the United States, meaning he won’t take part in this year’s U.S. Open.  

“Sadly, I will not be able to travel to NY this time for the NY Open,” Djokovic tweeted. “Thank you #NoleFam for your messages of love and support. Good luck to my fellow players! I'll keep in good shape and positive spirit and wait for an opportunity to compete again. See you soon tennis world!” 

Djokovic was victorious at Wimbledon for his lone grand slam title this year and had planned to play in the U.S. Open if travel restrictions were lifted in time for the tournament. 

But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance on international travel did not change, stating: “Non-U.S. citizen, non-U.S. immigrants: You must show proof of being fully vaccinated with the primary series of an accepted COVID-19 vaccine before you board your flight to the United States. Only limited exceptions apply.” 

With no Djokovic and concerns over Rafael Nadal’s health and form, the U.S. Open appears to be more wide open than normal. Still, I’m looking to back the betting favorite.  

Best Bet  

Daniil Medvedev +230 FanDuel Sportsbook 

It’s been an interesting grand slam season for Medvedev. He was dominant at the Australian Open and eventually was up 2-0 in the final against Nadal, appearing poised for his second straight grand slam title. 

But Nadal rallied, winning the next three sets to shock Medvedev for the title. Medvedev then gave an emotional press conference afterward where he was clearly affected by the pro-Nadal crowd and explained the disappointment he felt by how he was treated.  

Clay is far from his favorite surface, but he did manage to make it to the fourth round at the French Open. 

Then he was banned from competing in Wimbledon because the club did not allow Russian or Belarussian players to participate in this year’s event.  

Now he returns to the site of his lone grand slam title. The world No. 1 defeated Djokovic in straight sets last year in what was the best performance of his career. Medvedev only lost one set in seven matches en route to winning the championship.  

It’s been a solid hardcourt season for Medvedev so far. He won the title in Los Cabos without dropping a set and made it to the fourth round in the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati. 

But his most memorable match was a three-set loss to Nick Kyrgios in Montreal. Kyrgios now holds a 3-1 head-to-head advantage over Medvedev and the two could meet in the fourth round in New York. Medvedev did win the only grand slam matchup between the two, earning the victory at the Australian Open earlier this year.  

Matchups with Canadian Open winner Pablo Carreno Busta or No. 8 Felix Auger-Aliassime likely waits in the quarterfinals, and he could face Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals, who just beat him in Cincinatti. But the conditions in New York just seem to suit Medvedev. He’s 18-2 at this tournament since 2019 and the two losses came to the eventual champions and this is a good number for him on FanDuel