US Open 2022: Contenders, Form, Betting, Trends
Nick Kyrgios will bid to continue his resurgence when he heads to New York to contest the US Open next week.
The Australian star has stormed up to a career-high No. 18 in the ATP world rankings after reaching his first Grand Slam at Wimbledon. Kyrgios lost to Novak Djokovic in four sets, but he will hope to go one better this time around and clinch his first major title.
We make him one of the favourites to seize the crown, priced at $8.00 in our US Open futures betting market. Fellow Aussie Ajla Tomljanovic is a $151.00 underdog, but she is fresh from reaching the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, and she could spring a surprise.
Read on to learn more about the 2022 US Open, including the key talking points, the winner trends and the leading contenders for glory.
When does the US Open Start?
The US Open starts on Monday, 29 August, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. AEST is 14 hours ahead of Eastern Time in the United States. The gates open at 10am in New York, which will be midnight AEST.
Who is the reigning US Open Champion?
Daniil Medvedev is the reigning men’s champion after he beat Djokovic in straight sets in last year’s final. Unheralded British youngster Emma Raducanu won the women’s singles last year, defeating fellow teenager Leylah Fernandez in the final.
US Open Key Talking Points
The main talking point is Serena Williams’ impending retirement. The 40-year-old superstar will hang up her racket after competing in the US Open. She won her first Grand Slam in New York 21 years ago, and she has dominated the women’s game ever since. Williams has 23 Grand Slams to her name, the most in the Open era, and she needs just one more to equal Margaret Court’s all-time record of 32. She is priced at $51.00 to pull it off.
The other major talking point is Djokovic’s vaccine status. He was deported from Australia earlier this year and prevented from competing in the Australian Open. Djokovic could face a similar issue in the United States, despite playing in last year’s tournament. Current rules require all non-citizen visitors to show proof of full vaccination to enter the US, so he is likely to be turned away. We make him the $2.60 favourite, but that market will change if he is officially ruled out.
Finally, everyone will be interested to see if Kyrgios can continue his renaissance. He had never been past the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam before finishing runner-up at Wimbledon, and he could be dangerous if he maintains that form. There is rarely a dull moment when Kyrgios is involved – just this week, one of the spectators announced she was suing him for ranting about her during the final, and he was fined twice for his antics at Wimbledon – so he is likely to generate plenty of headlines.
US Open 2022 Men’s Singles Betting Odds
| Novak Djokovic | $2.6 |
| Daniil Medvedev | $2.97 |
| Rafael Nadal | $5.5 |
| Carlos Alcaraz | $6.25 |
| Nick Kyrgios | $8 |
| Jannik Sinner | $13 |
| Stefanos Tsitsipas | $14 |
| Taylor Fritz | $20 |
| Felix Auger Aliassime | $26 |
| Matteo Berrettini | $26 |
US Open 2022 Women’s Singles Betting Odds
| Iga Swiatek | $4.4 |
| Simona Halep | $7.5 |
| Cori Gauff | $15 |
| Elena Rybakina | $15 |
| Emma Raducanu | $16 |
| Caroline Garcia | $17 |
| Naomi Osaka | $19 |
| Aryna Sabalenka | $21 |
| Bianca Andreescu | $21 |
| Ons Jabeur | $21 |
US Open Men’s Singles Contenders
Novak Djokovic
Djokovic would move level with Rafael Nadal as the most decorated male player in history by winning this tournament. He earned his 21st Grand Slam after beating Kyrgios at Wimbledon, leaving him just one behind the clay court king in the all-time stakes. He has an 81-13 record at the tournament, and he has won it three times, but it looks like he will be unable to compete this year unless US authorities make an exemption.
Daniil Medvedev
The world No. 1 claimed his first Grand Slam title when he beat Djokovic at last year’s US Open. He then lost to Nadal in a gruelling Australian Open final at the start of 2022. Medvedev’s French Open campaign ended with a fourth-round defeat, and he was barred from taking part in Wimbledon after tournament organisers banned Russian players. He began the hardcourt season by winning the Los Cabos Open, but he has since lost to Kyrgios in the Canadian Open and Tsitsipas at the Cincinnati Masters, so he is not exactly surging with momentum right now.
Rafael Nadal
The Spaniard will bid for his fifth US Open title this year. He is known as a clay court specialist, boasting an outrageous 97% win percentage at the French Open, but Nadal has also enjoyed great success in New York, winning 85% of his matches there. He has not competed in the US Open since winning it in 2019. Nadal is 19-0 at Grand Slams this year, having won the Australian Open and the French Open and then retiring with an injury after reaching the semi-finals at Wimbledon, so it will be interesting to see if he can maintain his streak at the US Open.
Carlos Alcaraz
Alcaraz is seen as Nadal’s heir apparent. The 19-year-old Spaniard is also a clay court specialist, and he won the Madrid Open earlier this year, but he is also competitive on hardcourt. He went all the way to the quarter-finals in his first US Open appearance last year, and he is currently ranked No. 4 in the world.
Nick Kyrgios
Kyrgios has never been past the third round of the US Open. He has eight wins and eight losses at the tournament, and he was knocked out in the first round following a defeat to Roberto Bautista Agut last year. However, he is the 24th seed this year, and he could be bumped up if Djokovic is ruled out, so he may enjoy a slightly easier ride in the opening stages.
US Open Women’s Singles Contenders
Iga Swiatek
Swiatek assumed the world No. 1 ranking after Ashleigh Barty’s surprise retirement earlier this year. She lived up to her status by winning a second French Open title, and she will now seek to win her first US Open. She has never been past the fourth round, but she could be buoyed by reaching the semi-finals at the Australian Open earlier this year.
Simona Halep
The popular Romanian will also aim for a third Grand Slam when she heads to the Big Apple. She won the French Open in 2018 and Wimbledon the following year, but she has struggled to add to her tally since then. The US Open has historically been her weakest Slam, as she has won just 65% of her matches there, but she won the Canadian Open in the build-up, so she should be full of confidence.
Cori Gauff
Gauff is the leading contender to take on Williams’ mantle and lead US tennis into a golden new era. The teenage sensation reached her first Grand Slam final this year, losing to Swiatek at the French Open, and she will hope to maintain her upward curve. She has struggled at the US Open, but she will be cheered on by a passionate home crowd.
Elena Rybakina
Rybakina was sensational when winning Wimbledon earlier this year. Her power and accuracy from the baseline proved too much for the talented Ons Jabeur to handle in the final, and that sort of form is ominous for her US Open rivals.
Emma Raducanu
Raducanu shocked many people by winning the US Open last year. She entered the main draw as an unseeded qualifier, outside the top-100 in the world rankings, but she reached the final without dropping a set and then beat Fernandez 6-4 6-3. She has struggled to replicate that form since then, but victories against Williams and Azarenka at the Cincinnati Open bode well.
When is the US Open Final?
The US Open women’s singles final will be held on Saturday, 3 September. It usually starts at 4pm local time, so it will be at 6am AEST the following day. The men’s final takes place on Sunday, 4 September, which means Australian fans could watch it on Monday morning.
US Open Winner Trends
- Each of the last 10 men’s singles champions had previously reached the quarter-finals at least. All 10 winners from the past decade had at least 120 previous wins on hardcourt.
- Each of the previous 10 men’s winners had won at least 63% of their hardcourt matches that season. Nine of the last 10 had all won 11 hard court matches that season.
- Three of the last four US Open women’s singles winners had never previously clinched a Grand Slam.
- Nine of the past 10 female champions had won at least 96 previous hardcourt marches, and all 10 had reached at least a hardcourt quarter-final that year.
US Open Tips
Rafa Nadal at $5.50
Nadal has a great chance of winning this tournament, especially if Djokovic is ruled out. That would require him to stay injury-free, which is by no means a given when you consider his recent record, but he has been superb on hardcourt in recent years. He is unbeaten at Grand Slams in 2022, having swept his rivals aside in Melbourne, so he looks like an interesting option in the men’s winner betting.
Simona Halep at $7.50
The women’s tournament looks wide open following Barty’s retirement. Halep was terrific at the Canadian Open earlier this month, winning it for the third time, and that augurs well for her chances at Flushing Meadows. She also went to the semi-finals at Wimbledon, suggesting that she is returning to her best, and she has a strong chance of success at the US Open.
