Daniil Medvedev is favored at SI Sportsbook to repeat as U.S. Open champ, but here are three worthy challengers.
It’s uncanny how utterly dominant the Big Three of men’s tennis has been when it comes to the four majors. The trio of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer has accounted for 20 of the last 22 Grand Slam men’s singles titles.
That said, the last two U.S. Open men’s champions were the only non-Big Three winners – Daniil Medvedev last year and Dominic Thiem in 2020 – so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to bet on someone else when the finest tennis players in the world arrive at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.
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Of course, only one of the Big Three will be in Flushing Meadows as Roger Federer hasn’t played in more than a year due to injuries and Djokovic is prohibited from competing in the Open due to his vaccination status.
That leaves Nadal – who won the first two majors this year, the Australian and French, but actually is not the favorite at the U.S. Open. That honor belongs to defending champ Medvedev, the No. 1-ranked player in the world.
Tertius Pickard/AP
Here are the top 10 betting favorites for the U.S. Open men’s singles title at SI Sportsbook. You can find the complete men’s singles odds at SI Sportsbook here.
Daniil Medvedev +225
Rafael Nadal +350
Carlos Alcaraz +500
Nick Kyrgios +800
Stefanos Tsitsipas +1200
Jannik Sinner +1600
Taylor Fritz +2200
Felix Auger-Aliassime +2500
Matteo Berrettini +2500
Borna Coric +2500
The 26-year-old Medvedev was not allowed to compete at Wimbledon because the All-England Club enforced a ban on Russian players in response to the war in Ukraine – even though Medvedev made a public call for peace shortly after Russia’s invasion.
Medvedev reached the U.S. Open final in 2019 (losing to Nadal) and the semifinals in 2020 (losing to eventual champion Thiem) before winning his first Grand Slam last year. He is a fan favorite at Flushing Meadows and is the favorite for good reason.
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Nadal has the second-best odds – he had been third, so perhaps the late bump is a sign he’s getting past the stomach injury that slowed him at Wimbledon. The third betting choice is fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who reached the quarterfinals at last year’s U.S. Open and has risen to No. 4 in the world. Alcaraz has been playing great and is an ascending star who might be just as dangerous as Medvedev. And what editor isn’t longing to write the headline, “No Escape From Alcaraz”?
But if you prefer not to bet the favorites, here are three other players to consider:
Jannik Sinner (+1600)
Think this kid’s an athlete? He was a national skiing champion as an eight-year-old. Sinner focused on his tennis career when he turned 13 and the 21-year-old Italian has been on the rise ever since.
Sinner reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year, and is ranked No. 13 in the world. He reached the fourth round at last year’s U.S. Open.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports
Matteo Berrettini (+2500)
This 26-year-old Italian is no stranger to long runs at Flushing Meadows. He was a semifinalist in 2019 (losing to eventual champ Nadal) and a quarterfinalist last year (losing to Djokovic). The 6’5” Berrettini is ranked No. 4 after being as high as sixth earlier this year when he was a semifinalist at the Australian.
Susan Mullane/USA TODAY Sports
Casper Ruud (+5000)
This 23-year-old Norwegian has quietly been climbing in the rankings, earning more attention when he reached the final at this year’s French Open, where he lost to Nadal.
Ruud has won three titles this year – he’s the first Norwegian man to win an ATP title – and he’s currently ranked No. 7 in the world.
THE WAGER
The fast courts of Flushing Meadows are conducive to powerful servers and Berrettini falls squarely in that category. Berrettini’s serve alone should propel him into the second week of the tournament. From there, he’s got as much talent and enough experience to win the title. Berrettini defeated Alcaraz at the Australian this year and took a set from Medvedev in a hard-fought match on the hard courts earlier this year.
BET: Matteo Berrettini (+2500)
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