It is the final chance of 2018 for someone to get their hands on a Grand Slam title. The 2018 US Open rounds off the top level action for the calendar year in regards to the Majors and it is homegrown talent Sloane Stephens who is heading back to Flushing Meadows as the reigning champion. She is a 10/1 shot to defend her somewhat surprise title* (betting odds taken on August 23rd, 2018 at 11:58 pm) from twelve months ago. But the interesting headline-making news ahead of the tournament is about what the draw has produced in the top section.
Multiple-time US Open champion Serena Williams is the outright favourite for this year’s edition, largely on the back of her run to the 2018 Wimbledon final. But the mouthwatering prospect of the early stages of the 2018 US Open not only sees her with a potential third round match-up against her sister Venus, but she could have an early showdown in the fourth round against current world number one Simona Halep.
The top half of the draw is congested with top talent and anyone down in the bottom half will be feeling extra confident of success. Read our US Open Betting 2018 Women prediction for more.
Women’s US Open 2018 Winner Odds*
Serena Williams 6/1
Simona Halep 7/1
Angelique Kerber 15/2
Sloane Stephens 10/1
Petra Kvitova 14/1
Garbine Muguruza 16/1
Madison Keys 16/1
Elina Svitolina 18/1
Caroline Wozniacki 18/1
Karolina Pliskova 20/1
Maria Sharapova 25/1
Daria Kasatkina 25/1
Kiki Bertens 25/1
Johanna Konta 25/1
Victoria Azarenka 33/1
Ashleigh Barty 40/1
Bar 50/1
* (betting odds taken from bet365 on August 23rd, 2018 at 11:58 pm)
Serena Williams
Serena Williams is a six-time US Open Champion, the last of which came back in 2014 when she beat Caroline Wozniacki in the final. Overall Williams holds an 89-11 match record at the US Open and she has been to the at least the semi-final in each of her last six appearances (two wins, one runner-up and two semi-final places). She had to pass on last year’s tournament because of her pregnancy but will be welcomed back for this year’s renewal where she is the 6/1 favourite* (betting odds taken on August 23rd, 2018 at 11:58 pm).
After missing four straight Grand Slams, concluding in this year’s Australian Open it has naturally been a bit of work to get back to to the top of her game. She only reached the fourth round at the French Open in her first Slam back after having given birth, but she made a run to the final of Wimbledon in the summer, which raised her stock. However, in that tournament, there was a lot of shocks with seeds falling early and Williams didn’t meet a seeded player until the semis.
She lost that final at SW19 to Angelique Kerber. Williams’s last two appearances at the US Open have been semi final berths and because of that and because of a not-so-easy draw ahead of her, she may be worth considering to oppose.
Simona Halep
Halep is the World Number one and is the 7/1 second favourite* (betting odds taken on August 23rd, 2018 at 11:58 pm) but this is where it all gets interesting. Halep and Serena Williams could meet in the fourth round and that will be an infuriating thing for Halep you would imagine. She finally landed her first Grand Slam title this year with her success at the French Open, which was after losing in the Australian Open Final. Williams is a hurdle that she doesn’t need in her way.
While she is the World Number One and did recently win the Rogers Cup in Montreal against Sloane Stephens before losing in the final the following week in Cincinnati to Kiki Bertens, Halep doesn’t have the greatest of track records at Flushing Meadows. She has only been to the semi finals once, which was in 2015 and last year she bombed to an early first-round shock exit. The US Open is her joint-lowest Slam in terms of win percentage of matches along with the Australian Open which tells you a lot about her court preference.
Angelique Kerber
The German was the 2016 US Open Champion and after her fantastic success at Wimbledon this year, having beaten Serena Williams in the final there, she had made a strong return to form. Her win at Flushing Meadows in 2016 was totally out of the blue as she had only once in nine previous appearances at the Grand Slam made it past the fourth round (a semi-final in 2011). She has had a really good year in the majors with a semi-final at the Australian Open, a quarter final at the French Open and then that Wimbledon success. Can’t be written off, especially as she’s in the less-congested bottom half of the draw.
Sloane Stephens
Stephens is the reigning US Open Champion after beating compatriot Madison Keys in last year’s final. She is seeded third for the US Open 2018 and that means she fails to avoid the easier bottom half of the draw. She is in the second quarter where the likes of Wildcard Victoria Azarenka, Elise Mertens, and Elina Svitolina are prowling around.
To be fair it is not the most difficult of sections for her to get through in her title defence. At the semi-final stage, it could be Halep or Williams though. Stephens is valued at 5/2 odds to win the second quarter which we like for our US Open predcitions* (betting odds taken on August 23rd, 2018 at 11:58 pm).
Other Contenders
Petra Kvitova has been to the quarter finals in two of the last three US Open competitions but hasn’t really knocked on the door hard enough. The Czech star hasn’t had a great second half of the season but is down in the fourth quarter of the draw and the 9/4 odds favourite* (betting odds taken on August 23rd, 2018 at 11:58 pm) to win that particular section. Garbine Muguruza was one of the favourites last season at Flushing Meadows but hasn’t been on top of her game.
Caroline Wozniacki will be up against Kvitova down in that final quarter of the draw, and there is a big opportunity for one of them put a good run together down there. Wozniacki won this year’s Australian Open for his first Slam success but really hasn’t been on the radar since then. Kiki Bertens who made quite a splash in reaching the Wimbledon quarter-finals, then the quarters at Montreal before being a losing finalist in Cincinnati.
She will have underdog, dark horse backing because of that and across the Montreal and Cincinnati events she has beaten Kvitova twice, Karolina Pliskova, Elina Svitolina and Caroline Wozniacki. She is a 5/1 odds option to win that fourth quarter* (betting odds taken on August 23rd, 2018 at 11:58 pm) and 25/1 to win the event outright* (betting odds taken on August 23rd, 2018 at 11:58 pm).
Predictions
We are going to oppose Serena Williams because her performance at Wimbledon we feel was a little skewed because of such an easy draw. This will be far more competitive for her. Her presence in the same section as Halep is fascinating and losing either one early on is going to open up the draw.
There is some great appeal on Angelique Kerber to make a serious title run here at 15/2 odds* (betting odds taken on August 23rd, 2018 at 11:58 pm). The draw is set up very nicely for her and she will get plenty of time to ease her way into the tournament. She has the defence on hard court to deliver the goods here and we are going to roll with the German to pull off a second US Open success.
