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The 2022 US Open is not scheduled to begin until the end of August, however it is one of the most anticipated majors of the year and one that all tennis fans will continue to look forward to each year.
The event is held at Flushing Meadows in New York, with it being the crowing competition of a tough and arduous calendar that will see the very best male and female stars come to the closing stages of an intense global tour playing the sport that they are clearly talented at.
This article will take a very early look at which players are already considered to be the favorites for the upcoming event and will look to suggest why the names that have been priced as favorites are listed on the sportsbooks that can be found.
When is the 2022 US Open?
Before we begin looking at the favorites, it is perhaps wise to take a look at some background of the major and provide a history lesson about what happened in last year's competition across the Men's and Women's singles events.As mentioned, the US Open does not take place until late August, with the First Round scheduled to begin on Monday, August 29, with the final game - the Men's singles final - concluding the event on Sunday, September 11.
The event will take place in New York as tradition, with matches being played at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows. Venues such as the Louis Armstrong Stadium and the Arthur Ashe Stadium are both being used, whilst the Grandstand will also be used on select days.
Who won the 2021 US Open?
© ReutersLast year's competition provided us with something rather different in regard to the winners, as we were able to see new champions be crowned in the Big Apple.
In the Men's competition, Daniil Medvedev won his first-ever major after defeating Novak Djokovic in straight sets 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
Additionally, the Women's competition saw history be made when Emma Radacanu managed to win her first major at the age of 18, as she became the second debutant to win the tournament following Canadian Bianca Andreescu, whilst also being the first qualifier of any gender to reach the final and then go on to win it.
She managed to defeat Canadian Leylah Fernandez in straight sets 6-4, 6-3.
Who are the favorites to win the 2022 US Open?
Looking ahead to the upcoming competition, there will be plenty of interest from punters around the world regarding who could potentially win the US Open, although it would not be a surprise if we were to see even more interest from those that are based in New York.The Big Apple has recently seen sports betting go live, which has led to the availability of the BetMGM New York sportsbook where enthusiasts who are located in the state can now access a plethora of different bets.
Indeed, those who use the operator will also find that they are able to find a number of tennis odds available to utilize and wager on, including the futures market of the US Open. Let's take a look at which players are expected to challenge for honors this summer when they take to the hard courts of Flushing Meadows.
Men's Singles
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Novak Djokovic has been priced as the favorite to win this competition with odds of +160. Many expect him to be able to bounce back from the defeat he suffered to Medvedev in last season's final, whilst last year's champion has been priced as the second favorite at odds of +275.Teenage sensation and perhaps tennis' next global phenomenon, Carlos Alcaraz Garifa has already been listed as the third favorite to take honors at a price of +400. Many might already believe this is great value for the 19-year-old, as the French Open and Wimbledon are still yet to take place.
One of the world's best when it comes to winning majors, Rafael Nadal is ranked fourth with odds of +600 and will be looking to add to his four titles thus far when he heads to the court in New York. Alexander Zverev completes the top five with odds of +800 having already been made available to take advantage of.
Women's Singles
When taking a look at the odds to have been made available for the Women's Singles events and who the favorite is, it would seem that there is less debate about who could become the potential 2022 US Open champion.Indeed, Iga Swiatek has been priced as a heavy favorite compared to the other competitors likely to compete in American major as she has been priced with odds of +250. The 20-year-old Polish star has been improving with each major that she participates in.
Naomi Osaka is thought to be her most likely challenger, with the sportsbook pricing her at odds of +500 and making her the second favorite, and it is not hard to see why given her history in the event. She won the 2018 and 2020 editions of the US Open, but there will be questions about her form between now and August.
Aryna Sabalenka has been listed as the third favorite to win this event at +1100, with the Belarusian tennis star yet to win a major. She did make the semifinal in last year's competition, though, before she was beaten by Fernandez as the No. 2 seed for the event.
Last year's champion, Radacanu is priced at +1200 as of now, although that could be down to the injuries and continual changes of coaches that she goes through. Additionally, many would be shocked if she were to be able to replicate what she achieved last year straight away.
Lastly, Anett Kontaveit is the last player worth potentially taking note of, with the 26-year-old Estonian having been provided with odds of +1200 to potentially win this year's upcoming event.
