Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams installed as U.S Open Favourites

Defending champion Novak Djokovic and 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams have been installed as the favorites at the US Open, which begins Aug. 26 in New York.

Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams

Djokovic, who captured Wimbledon after fending off double-match point against Roger Federer to win in a nearly five-hour epic, is listed as the favorite at +125, according to this US Open odds analysis graph on SportsBettingDime.com. He is followed by 2017’s Open winner Rafael Nadal (+400) and five-time Open winner Federer (+500). Federer won the Open five straight years from 2004-08 but hasn’t hoisted the trophy in Queens in more than a decade.

The “Big Three” have combined to win the last 11 straight Grand Slam titles — and 54 of 65 since Wimbledon 2003.

Williams, who turns 38 next month, has been installed as the favorite (+350) despite not having won a tournament of any kind since giving birth to her daughter and returning to the tour in early 2018. She lost in last year’s US Open final to Naomi Osaka, who is listed at +700 at the Open, and has also lost in back-to-back Wimbledon finals — to Angelique Kerber in 2018 and to Simona Halep this year.

Halep (+700), Kerber (+1000) and French Open champ Ash Barty (+1000) are the other favorites at the year’s final Grand Slam. Sloane Stephens, the 2017 Open champ, is also at +1000, as is two-time Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova.

The top-ten contenders for men’s and women’s singles are listed below: