STARNBERG, June 8, 2021
Roland Garros is into its second week, and that puts tennis pretty much in the center of the media coverage these days.
Debates about who might challenge Rafael Nadal are all over the internet. One part of the tennis community is claiming that the Spaniard is invincible, and the other that he won’t be capable of defending the throne. Of course, when such talks start, one thing leads to another, and in this case, they often finish with predictions regarding the remaining majors this year.
There are three more important tournaments until the end of 2021. The first is Wimbledon, after which we have the Olympic Games, and at last, the US Open. We shall focus only on the Grand Slams because of the possibility of seeing the Olympics postponed once again.
Tennis betting odds are favoring the world’s No.1 Novak Djokovic to pick up both trophies. The Serb is the absolute favorite in London, with the odds at 6/4. Daniil Medvedev follows the Joker, 6/1, Nadal is 7/1, while Stefanos Tsitsipas and Roger Federer sit at 8/1. A big gap comes behind these guys because the next names on the list are Alexander Zverev’s 14/1 and Dominic Thiem’s 18/1.
Djokovic won the last two editions, having five of them in total, and it is no wonder why the bookies believe in his another victory. Though, many of the fans hope to see Roger Federer lifting one more trophy at the All England Club. It would be his swan song and one of the most memorable runs in tennis history.
On the other hand, the young lions are awaiting their chance as well. Tsitsipas already indicated that he might be the next big thing. Zverev stagnates, but he could explode at any given moment, while Medvedev, too, has enough potential to stun everyone and take the most prominent title in tennis.
Djokovic is also the biggest candidate for winning the US Open, 5/4. Only here, the order of his challengers is a bit different than at Wimbledon. Medvedev, the 2019 finalist, is 5/1 and the second on the list, while the reigning champion, Dominic Thiem, comes at 11/2. Nadal is 7/1, Tsitsipas 10/1, the same as Federer.
We need to stress that Djokovic has a massive motive to win because of last year’s scandal that caused his disqualification. The incident when he hit the line judge with a ball filled the media headlines for quite some time, and for some, that was the most significant moment of the tournament, not Thiem’s surprising win.
Another big debate these days considers Naomi Osaka’s recent future. Following her recent withdrawal from Roland Garros, the Japanese player is all over the media. Some believe she won’t have the strength to come back until the end of the year, while others have the opposite stance.
She and Ashleigh Barty are the biggest favorites for taking the Wimbledon 13/2, while legendary Serena Williams follows the duo at 8/1. The veteran American lost in the previous two finals in London. The two-time champion here, Petra Kvitova, is 9/1, and another former winner, Garbine Muguruza, is 10/1.
Osaka is far ahead of the competition when discussing the US Open title, with the current odds at 5/1. Barty and Serena are 11/1, and the young Canadian, Bianca Andreescu, 12/1. Andreescu won the 2019 tournament, squeezing in between Osaka’s two victories. Simona Halep is also in the mix here, 13/1, and Aryna Sabalenka as well, 15/1.
This year is, without a doubt, the toughest one for Osaka in her career so far. Apart from her battles on the court, she took a stand for various non-sport matters. It is something that definitely requires too much energy, but Osaka’s determination will compensate for that.
