2021 US Open betting guide: Ashleigh Barty in good nick, Naomi Osaka guns for third title at Flushing Meadows

Shahida Jacobs
August 25, 2021

It is time for the final Grand Slam of 2021 and we have your 2021 US Open betting odds as Ashleigh Barty goes in search of a first major on hard court while Naomi Osaka looks for third title in New York.

The first three Grand Slams of the year have delivered three different winners with Osaka winning the Australian Open, Barbora Krejcikova victorious at Roland Garros and Ashleigh Barty claiming the Wimbledon crown.

The last time one player won more than two majors in a calendar year was in 2016 when Angelique Kerber was successful in Melbourne and Flushing Meadows.

Will the trend of four different winners continue or will one of Osaka, Krejcikova or Barty win the US Open?

Here is Tennis365’s US Open betting guide to the favourites and outsiders, with some tips on who to back to cause a few upsets with Planet Sport Bet.

CAN THE WORLD NO 1 DELIVER A HARD-COURT MAJOR?

Ashleigh Barty – 6/1

She leads the WTA Tour’s title stats as she has won five titles this season, including a maiden Venus Rosewater Dish at Wimbledon. She has proven herself on all surfaces with three of her trophies coming on hard courts. She is the world No 1 and has beaten most of the top-ranked players this year, including Aryna Sabalenka, Elina Svitolina and Karolina Pliskova.

Yet, top seed Barty finds herself second favourite behind Naomi Osaka to win and you can get her at a handy 6/1 at Planet Sport Bet.

The Australian heads to Flushing Meadows on a 12-match unbeaten run as she hasn’t lost a match since she retired from her second-round match at Roland Garros as she went on to win the Wimbledon title and last week’s Cincinnati Masters.

It will take a brave punter to look past Barty – whose two majors have come on clay and grass – if you take her 2021 stats into account.

HOW WILL NAOMI OSAKA HANDLE THE PRESSURE?

Naomi Osaka 4/1

Defending US Open champion Osaka has played only five competitive matches since withdrawing from the French Open – losing in the third round at the Tokyo Olympics and the round of 16 at the Western & Southern Open.

However, if there is one thing that the Japanese star is good at it is winning on hard courts. All four her Grand Slam titles have come on the surface (two US Opens and two Australian Opens). In fact, all seven of her WTA titles have been won on hard courts and the only final she has lost has also been on – yep, you guessed it – a hard court.

Of course with so much going on with Osaka, it is hard to know what to expect from the world No 3.

ANOTHER BREAKTHROUGH WINNER?

Aryna Sabalenka 10/1, Jennifer Brady 18/1, Belinda Bencic 22/1

Women’s tennis are known for throwing up surprise winners at Grand Slams and three of the four last four winners at Flushing Meadows were outsiders with Sloane Stephens, Osaka (2018) and Bianca Andreescu (2019) winning their first Slams in New York.

Aryna Sabalenka moved to a career-high No 2 in the WTA Rankings this week and is primed to finally make her major breakthrough. The Belarusian will feel she is edging closer following a run to the semi-finals at Wimbledon and the 10/1 could be a decent punt.

Jennifer Brady is also a juicy 18/1 and you cannot discount the American on hard courts as she finished runner-up to Osaka at the 2021 Australian Open and was a semi-finalist at Flushing Meadows last year.

Olympic champion Belinda Bencic has long been tipped for a major and maybe her success in Tokyo will push her to greater things in New York.

WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER GRAND SLAM WINNERS?

Iga Swiatek 12/1, Bianca Andreescu 12/1, Simona Halep 12/1, Garbine Muguruza 14/1, Petra Kvitova 16/1

There will once again be more than a dozen Grand Slam winners in the main draw at Flushing Meadows and any of them could put together a decent run and pick up the US Open crown.

A word of caution, though, as only Andreescu (2019 champion) has won her major on a hard court with Swiatek, Halep, Muguruza and Kvitova’s Slams coming on clay and grass.

US OPEN BETTING ODDS (Planet Sport Bet)

Naomi Osaka 4/1
Ashleigh Barty 6/1
Aryna Sabalenka 10/1
Serena Williams 10/1
Bianca Andreescu 12/1
Iga Swiatek 12/1
Simona Halep 12/1
Gabrine Muguruza 14/1
Karolina Pliskova 16/1
Petra Kvitova 16/1
Cori Gauff 18/1
Jennifer Brady 18/1