Welcome tennis fans! Three of this year’s four grand slams have come and gone, and it’s now time for 2023’s last” the US Open – which just so happens to be my personal favorite. This year has been full of ups and downs for our favorite stars, and there definitely has not been a shortage of surprises either: for example, two first time winners at Wimbledon were crowned last month in Marketa Vondrousova and Carlos Alcaraz. Is a similar feat possible in Flushing Meadows, New York this time around? Let’s see!
Overview, Odds and Predictions – Men’s Singles
There are but two guys to start with when analyzing the possible outcome of the US Open Men’s Singles tournament: the immortal Novak Djokovic (listed to win at 2.17) and up-and-coming superstar Carlos Alcaraz (2.65). The pair played an outstanding 4 hours 42 minutes final in London last month, where Alcaraz got his revenge for the Roland Garros loss in May where he ended the match VS Djokovic on a whimper after struggling with cramps. The Spaniard will look to win back-to-back US Open titles for the first time in his career. On the other hand, Nole will be looking for his own revenge after losing in London, as his career begins to inevitably wane at the age of 36. However, Djokovic last won the US Open five years ago in 2018, in what must feel like an enormous amount of time for a player that is used to winning multiple slams within the same year. It remains, however, difficult to bet against either of these tennis titans: a Djokovic VS Alcaraz final is listed at 2.25.
Outsiders at the tournament include Daniil Medvedev (9.20), who won the US Open in 2021, and who recently lost in straight sets to Alcaraz in the Wimbledon Semifinals and was unexpectedly eliminated as the 2nd seed on the first round at Roland Garros. But the real surprise package might be Jannik Sinner (14.00), another young star in the making. Sinner is yet to reach a Grand Slam final, however, but does tend to perform well when facing Alcaraz, as their amazing 5+ hour match in last year’s edition demonstrated, alongside a victory at the 2022 ATP Croatian Open. Other potential challengers, as usual, include Alexander Zverev (29.00) and Stefanos Tsitsipas (30.00), although both have had physical struggles recently.
Overview, Odds and Predictions – Women’s Singles
There is, effectively, only one name to start with: Iga Swiatek (3.10). The 22-year-old Polish star already has 4 grand slams to her name, and will no doubt look to rebound after unexpectedly exiting Wimbledon at the Quarter Final stage last month. She, like Alcaraz, will look to win her first back-to-back US Open title. If Swiatek returns to the red-hot form that she was in last year – during which she went on a 37-match winning streak – it will be very difficult for anyone to stop her. She is, therefore, our strongest candidate for the 2023 Women’s Singles US Open title.
Potential challengers include two American players, 19-year-old Coco Gauff (7.40) and Jessica Pegula (10.00), who has consistently made Grand Slam Quarter Finals in the last year and a half. They will be looking to be the first American players to win at Flushing Meadows since Sloane Stephens in 2017. Other two main challengers to Swiatek will be Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka (5.20), who won the Australian Open earlier in the year, and Kazakhi Elena Rybakina (7.60), who has received a tough projected path to the title, potentially playing Swiatek in the semis and then Sabalenka in the final.
