US Open predictions: Big guns likely to shine in the Big Apple

The fourth and final Grand Slam of the year comes from New York, where the big guns could well dominate this eagerly anticipated edition of the US Open.

In the men’s draw, there will be no Andy Murray, following his retirement, or Rafa Nadal and Cameron Norrie, who both miss out through injury, but three Britons made the draw - Jack Draper, Dan Evans and Jan Choinski.

There are also three Brits in the women’s draw, Katie Boulter, Harriet Dart and former US Open champion Emma Radacanu, who won the tournament in 2021, becoming the first qualifier to win the title.

Radacanu is currently ranked 71 in the world, so a second title at Flushing Meadow appears unlikely and it’s hard to see past the world’s top two when it comes to picking a winner on betting sites of the women’s singles

Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka both have form at the US Open, with the former winning the title in 2022 and Sabalenka reaching the final last year, when she was beaten by Coco Gauff. It’s a similar story in the men’s game, where a certain Serb is seeking to retain his US Open title and make tennis history in the process.

He might be 37 but there is no sign of Novak Djokovic slowing down. Even a torn meniscus couldn’t keep him out for long as he returned to action just five weeks after surgery to reach the final of Wimbledon.

He couldn’t match Carlos Alcaraz on the day, going down in straight sets, but he got his revenge in the Olympics final when he secured gold and completed the rare golden slam.

In addition to his recent form, the draw is also very much in Djokovic’s favour, and his odds for a fifth US Open title on most betting apps have shortened with tennis betting sites.

The Serbian is seeded number two for the tournament and as a result is in the bottom half of the draw, which on paper looks the easier half, so it’s hard to see Djokovic not reaching his 11th final and giving himself the chance to break the all-time record for Slam wins with title number 25.

US Open prediction 1: Novak Djokovic to win US Open - 11/4 SpreadEx

The top half of the draw is far harder to call, with Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev all in there.

Alcaraz, who has won the last two Grand Slam titles, is a marginal favourite and knows what it takes to win in New York, claiming the title in 2022.

However, you can’t rule out world number one, Sinner, who found his form winning the recent Cincinnati Open, or Medvedev, who has reached three finals in New York, including winning the title in 2021.

Sinner and Medvedev could meet in the quarter-finals and that one promises to be a close encounter based on recent meetings. Sinner came from two sets down in the final of the Australian Open in January to beat Medvedev and win his first Grand Slam.

The Russian then got his revenge in another epic five-setter in the Wimbledon quarter-finals.

Medvedev will be the underdog should he and Sinner meet again, but it may be worth siding with him to dump out the Italian once more on route to a fourth final at Flushing Meadows.

US Open prediction 2: Daniil Medvedev vs Novak Djokovic in the final - 20/1 Bet365

Aryna Sabalenka was the beaten finalist in last year’s US Open, but after starting the year with a Slam when she won the Australian Open, she now wants to end 2024 with one .

She was forced to miss Wimbledon this year with injury but she says the rest has helped her focus and fully recover.

She is already showing good form, having just won in Cincinnati, defeating Toronto champion Jessica Pegula in the final.

If the world number two is to reach her second successive final and prove the bookmakers right she might have to overcome Gauff, with the two lined up to meet in the semi-finals.

With Swiatek in the other half of the draw could we see a world 1 -2 final? Several new betting sites and the more established Willam Hill go 6/1 on a Swiatek vs Sabalenka final.

US Open prediction 3: Iga Swiatek to face Aryna Sabalenka in the final 6/1 - William Hill

We like the price on a Swiatek vs Sabalenka final, but can’t overlook the fact that the women’s game is far harder to predict at the moment. What odds would you have got on a Wimbledon final of Barbora Krejcikova and Jasmine Paolini?

With Pegula reaching the final in Cincinnati and winning in Toronto, she has already found her form on the hard courts, so could this be her year, at her home slam?

She’s a 14/1 chance but the number six seed didn’t get a kind draw with American Shelby Rogers in the first round, who has just announced this will be her final tournament, and then either Radacanu or Sofia Kenin next, who have both won a Grand Slam.

Another player with a tricky draw is two-time champion Naomi Osaka on her return to the tournament she won in 2018 and 2020.

We have seen flashes of the form she showed before she took time away from the sport to have a baby but she faces Jelena Ostapenko in the first round.

The Latvian reached the quarter-finals last year before losing to Gauff. But she did beat the world number one Swiatek in the fourth round. Ostapenka is 80/1 to win outright with bet365 and she is the 10th seed! She could be an each-way consideration.

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