Kygrios emerges as bettors’ favorite to win US Open

Despite currently being ranked number five by oddsmakers at +650 to win the 2022 US Open – behind Djokovic, Medvedev, Nadal and Alcaraz - Australia’s Nick Kyrgios is nonetheless emerging as the bettors’ favorite, having attracted nearly 30 percent of wagers and over one quarter of all dollars bet on this year’s Open at online sportsbook, BetUS, just days before the tournament gets underway at Flushing Meadows on Monday (August 29th). 

“Oddsmakers set opening lines by analyzing available data and statistics, but hardcore tennis fans and our customers are often very skilled at finding the best value in early betting lines. This is sometimes referred to as ‘sharp money’ and right now Kyrgios is attracting a significant portion of that money,” says Barry Barger, senior betting analyst at BetUS. 

Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal, who hasn’t made an appearance in the Open for the last two years and is coming off a series of injuries, currently ranks fourth with BetUS oddsmakers at +450, but is a close second behind Kygrios in terms of total wagers placed and but still barely leads in terms of total dollar volume, having so far attracted nearly 28 percent of the dollars volume wagered at BetUS.  

“Betting odds and the betting public don’t always agree, particularly in tennis,” Barger says. 

While most of the big names in men's tennis are expected to make the Open, the actual favorite of the oddsmakers (at +150) Novak Djokovic’s refusal to comply with COVID-19 vaccine requirements could cause his absence from the 2022 Open. 

“Right now, more than a fifth of the dollar volume we’ve seen has been on Djokovic, but if he is unable to play those bets will be canceled,” Barger explains. “If that were to happen, which it probably will, it’s anyone’s guess on who our customers may re-place those wagers.” 

But, Barger says, Daniil Medvedev would seem to be a safe bet for some of those disaffected Djokovic bettors. “Medvedev is ranked #1 in the world and was last year’s US Open champion. “Yet somehow, despite this, he has attracted only a little more than 12 percent of the dollar volume wagered so far. I find that surprising,“ Barger adds.