The 2020 US Open marks the return of Grand Slam tennis, but some of the sport’s biggest names have opted out of travelling to New York due to the coronavirus crisis.
Despite the tournament organisers taking a series of measures to make Flushing Meadows as COVID-safe as possible, absentees are plentiful.
They include both defending champions, Bianca Andreescu and Rafael Nadal, while other high-profile stars not playing include Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka and Nick Kyrgios on the men’s side.
World number one Ash Barty is not taking part either and the women’s draw is also missing her fellow top 10 players Simona Halep, Elina Svitolina, Kiki Bertens and Belinda Bencic.
Action gets under way on August 31 and the tournament will run until September 13 this year.
It's time to Be Open. pic.twitter.com/drEoSjFB2v
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 26, 2020
The US Open is one of the top tournaments of the tennis calendar for betting. As a result, there will be many US Open betting offers and free tennis bets available to take during the event.
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Enhanced odds will be available closer to the tournament, so keep checking back here for all the latest big offers for the 2020 US Open.
Welcome bonuses from bookmakers can also be used to earn US Open free bets this year.
If you do not have an account with a bookmaker, you should be able to get US Open free bets.
The process is simple and should only take a couple of minutes, so it is well worth taking the time to claim one of these promotions if you plan to place US Open 2020 bets.
Sometimes you need to enter a bonus code but if you click through from our site you will usually qualify automatically for the offer.
To get US Open 2020 bets, customers will typically have to place a qualifying bet, with bookmakers listing the minimum odds for this wager in the offer’s terms and conditions.
.@RafaelNadal is looking to win his fourth @rogerscup title, 13 years after taking his first title in Canada.#USOpenSeries
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 12, 2018
?: 2005 @rogerscup pic.twitter.com/J0fS5dWlkV
Top seed Novak Djokovic heads the betting on the men’s side of the draw, which is little surprise given his regular rivals Nadal and Federer have both opted not to play in New York this year.
Djokovic does not always produce his best tennis at Flushing Meadows but he is a three-time champion and a price of 5/6 for him to make it four titles makes sense – he is the man to beat.
Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are at the front of the chasing pack, with 7/1 available on both men as they seek to win a first major title of their promising careers.
Just behind them are Dominic Thiem (10/1) and Alexander Zverev (17/1) with a big gap to the next group of Milos Raonic (33/1), Felix Auger Aliassime (33/1), Roberto Bautista Agut (40/1) and Andriy Rublov (40/1). The 2012 champion Andy Murray is also 40/1 to win the US Open.
Today had me like- pic.twitter.com/R7qH4MfNy0
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) August 26, 2020
Naomi Osaka, the 2018 champion, has been installed as the favourite for the women’s title at the 2020 US Open, with the Japanese star available at odds of around the 5/1 mark.
Serena Williams (11/2) is not far behind with the American having been beaten in each of the last two finals in her home Grand Slam event. Williams is still one behind the great Margaret Court on 23 major singles titles after a series of near-misses but she cannot be discounted.
Despite so many top 10 players opting out, top seed Karolina Pliskova can be backed at 10/1 with Sofia Kenin (11/1), Petra Kvitova (14/1), Aryna Sabalenka (17/1) and Madison Keys (20/1) among the contenders according to the US Open betting odds.
Djokovic is certainly the man to beat in the US Open betting, but a price of 5/6 will be a little skinny for most tennis fans to think it is worth backing the Serbian star to come out on top. Djokovic can be backed at 3/1 to win the tournament without dropping a single set.
Better value could be found in the each-way market, which pays half the odds to reach the final with most bookmakers who are offering US Open 2020 odds. Taking a price of 10/1 on an each way basis in the US Open would therefore pay 5/1 if the player got to the final and lost.
Daniil Medvedev made last year’s final and the Russian has a good chance to do so again. At 7/1, his price is just about big enough to be worth taking on an each way basis. Another contender for a first Grand Slam title is Milos Raonic (33/1), with the big-serving Canadian having shown good form at the main warm-up event, the Western & Southern Open.
😷 game 💪 pic.twitter.com/vkLrOjM5Gn
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 26, 2020
So many high-profile absentees in the women’s draw could mean this year’s US Open offers the ideal opportunity for Serena Williams to finally draw level with Margaret Court on 24 Grand Slam singles titles. Williams – who can be backed at odds of 11/2 to win the tournament again – has won here six times, including three titles in a row between 2012 and 2014, and she has all the experience to battle through the tournament again.
On an each-way basis, value could be found with the teenage US sensation Cori Gauff, who many believe is the successor to Williams. She is available to back at 30/1 and has racked up wins over stars such as Serena’s sister Venus, as well as landing her first WTA title at age 15.
Madison Keys got to the final in 2017 and she could repeat the trick at 20/1 this time out. While Keys did crash out early at the Western & Southern Open, she should pick up some form in the early rounds of the 2020 US Open and start showing her class as the tournament goes on.
