Wimbledon 2018 Women’s Singles Preview – Tennis Betting

Serena Williams has been named as the 25th seed for Wimbledon next week after being handed a discretional leg-up the ladder by the All England Club.

The 36-year-old is only ranked at 183 in the world as she continues her comeback from giving birth to baby Alexis last year. Wimbledon officials have discretion to seed a player regardless of ranking but do normally stick to the world rankings.

Williams, who holds an Open-era record of 23 Grand Slam victories, only made her competitive return to the sport in March at Indian Wells but reached the fourth round of last month’s French Open, despite being unseeded, before being unable to fulfil her clash with Maria Sharapova due to a pectoral injury.

Wimbledon Women’s Singles Since 2000

Williams is bidding for her eight title at SW19. She’s already moved well past older sibling Venus, who has won Wimbledon five times but also been beaten finalist on four occasions including last year when she lost out to Garbine Muguruza. Dominika Cibulkova is the player to miss out on a place in the seedings as a result of the decision to promote Serena and the Slovakian player is not happy about it. A seeding, of course, means you avoid the top players until the later stages.

Petra Kvitová is the 5/1 favourite with Ladbrokes but she was forced to withdraw from Eastbourne this week due to a hamstring injury so may not be market leader much longer. The winner at Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014 has not got beyond the third round in the last three years so looks a risky proposition at relatively short odds – she is only seeded eight this year.

Serena is a general 6/1 to show she is back to her best but time is no longer on her side. Defending champion Muguruza was born in Venezuela and lives in Switzerland but pledges her allegiance to Spain. She was beaten by Serena in the final in 2015 before beating Venus last year. The 24-year-old reached the semi-finals of the French Open before losing to Simona Halep and can be backed at 8/1 with Boylesports.

The same firm have Germany’s ANGELIQUE KERBER at 14/1 and she has been back to something like her best this year, reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open and making the last eight at Roland Garros. Kerber reached the Wimbledon final in 2016 as well as winning in both Melbourne and at Flushing Meadow.

Kerber was another victim of Halep in Paris but it’s fair to say that grass is not the favourite surface of the world number one. The Romanian has gone out at the quarter-final stage in the last two Wimbledons and has not progressed beyond the second round in four of her seven previous appearances at the tournament, though did reach the semi-finals four years ago. The number one seed is 15/1 with Unibet to win the year’s third Grand Slam for the first time and they have US Open champion and French Open finalist Sloane Stephens at 16/1.

Johanna Konta froze in her semi-final with Venus Williams last year and her form since has been disappointing to say the least. The British number one will have the crowd on her side as she tries to make amends this year but her hopes of emulating the likes of Ann Jones and Virginia Wade in giving the locals a home win look remote and even the 40/1 with Betfred makes little appeal.

Wimbledon 2018 Women’s Singles Current Best Odds

Petra Kvitová 5/1
Serena Williams 6/1
Garbine Muguruza 8/1
Angelique Kerber 14/1
Simona Halep 15/1
Sloane Stephens 16/1
Karolina Pliskova 16/1
Maria Sharapova 16/1
Madison Keys 16/1
Elina Svitolina 25/1
Ashleigh Barty 28/1
Caroline Wozniacki 33/1
Naomi Osaka 33/1
Johanna Konta 40/1
Magdalena Rybarikova 40/1
Coco Vandeweghe 50/1
Victoria Azarenka 50/1
Jelena Ostapenko 50/1

(Odds Correct at 2.15pm on June 27)