US Open women's singles winner predictions, odds & tennis betting tips

Tennis tips, best bets and preview for the US Open women's singles, which starts at Flushing Meadows, New York City on Monday.

Where to watch

Live on Eurosport & Amazon Prime from 4pm Monday

Best bets

Serena Williams
1pt each-way 50-1 general

Serena Williams to win fourth quarter
2pts 10-1 Hills

Amanda Anisimova
1pt each-way 50-1 Betfred, BoyleSports

Preview

The fact that Caroline Garcia is co-third favourite for the concluding Grand Slam of the season, the US Open, shows how open women's tennis is right now.

Not that the Frenchwoman doesn't deserve such respect from oddsmakers. She has been superb in recent months, winning titles in Bad Homburg on grass, Warsaw on clay and then stepping up further on hardcourts in Cincinnati, where she defeated Maria Sakkari, Jessica Pegula, Aryna Sabalenka and Petra Kvitova on the way to lifting the trophy.

It's not the first time Garcia has shown she has the talent and potential to be a top player, and whether she merits the lofty status or not is somewhat irrelevant. The main thing is that all of a sudden there are just two players who are deemed to have a better chance of winning at Flushing Meadows than the world number 17.

And that fact alone should tell punters how wide open the women's game is currently, especially given world number one Iga Swiatek, who was so dominant in the first half of the season, has gone off the boil a little in recent months.

Humphries's top tips

Serena Williams 50-1

Serena Williams to win fourth quarter 10-1

This year's US Open is scheduled to be the last tournament of Serena Williams' legendary career and it wouldn't be the biggest surprise if she were to hog the limelight one more time in her home major, which she has won six times.

Wimbledon, with its uneven ball bounce, saw Williams produce arguably the finest tennis any woman has ever produced in 2015 and 2016, but there was a time before that when Flushing Meadows was her domain. There was no-one to touch her on the Decoturf with its reliable bounce.

Williams' movement has waned in recent years and maintaining requisite fitness must be a big issue for the mother of one, who turns 41 next month. But there was a lot to like about the way she turned up at Wimbledon in decent shape and actually performed well in defeat to Harmony Tan, a loss that few observers anticipated.

Williams has since been found wanting against Belinda Bencic in Toronto and defending US Open champion Emma Raducanu in Cincinnati, but we may still see a much more assertive effort from the best female player in history in New York City.

The draw has been kind to Williams, who will be attempting to match Margaret Court's tally of 24 singles Slam crowns at Flushing Meadows. After an opener against Danka Kovinic she is likely to meet second seed Anett Kontaveit in round two, but the Estonian has been below her best in recent months.

Karolina Muchova could be a threat, but the Czech hasn't long returned from a lay-off herself so Ajla Tomljanovic may lie in wait in round three. The Croatia-born Australian is hardly the most resolute of performers, though.

Leylah Fernandez, last year's runner-up, or Barbora Krejcikova may block Williams' path in the last 16 but either looks beatable if the legend finds her A-game. After that it could be fifth seed Ons Jabeur for a place in the semi-finals – and if Williams is still standing at that point, it would be pretty clear that she means business.

Because her draw looks so inviting, don't be afraid to back Williams to win her quarter as well as in the outright market. It's five-and-a-half long years since she last won a singles Slam.

She has reached four finals in that time though - two at Wimbledon and two in New York - so backing Williams each-way could be the way to go as she seeks a fairytale ending to her legendary career.

Next best bet

Amanda Anisimova 50-1

If Pole star Swiatek, winner of six titles this season between February and June, does come an early cropper in the Big Apple it could be against Amanda Anisimova.

The American, 20, is one of the leading young players in the women's game and she has already threatened a Slam breakthrough in her teenage years.

After her father died in 2019, it took Anisimova time to rediscover her form, love and appetite for tennis. But recently the signs are that she is ready to cause problems for the majority of her opponents again – and in the tournament which will be more dear to her than any other.

This season Anisimova has reached the last 16 of the Australian Open, the semi-finals in Charleston, the quarter-finals in Madrid and Rome, the last 16 of the French Open and the quarter-finals of Wimbledon.

That's a pretty consistent roster and although she needs to step up again to lift some trophies, that could happen any time soon.

Players to note

Caroline Garcia
The Cincinnati champion is co-third favourite for the title, despite never having made it past the third round at Flushing Meadows. But after failing to do her talents justice in the Grand Slams this could be the time she goes closest to winning a major singles title.

Belinda Bencic
With doubts surrounding Naomi Osaka's commitment, the Swiss ace could be the one to benefit most in the second quarter should the Japanese two-time US Open heroine underperform.

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