This article is part of our Tennis Picks series.
The first round of the US Open begins Monday from the hard courts of the USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Queens, New York. Some Americans in both the women's and men's draws will look to ride the crowd support to impressive victories Monday, while one of the top seeds on the men's side could be in for another early US Open exit. All Tennis Odds & Lines are taken from DraftKings Sportsbook, but you can sometimes find more favorable odds on some of these matches by checking mobile sportsbooks such as FanDuel Sportsbook, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, or any of the other best sports betting sites. We offer exclusive sign-up bonuses for some of those sportsbooks in states where sports betting has gone live.
All men's singles matches at Grand Slams such as the US Open are best of five sets, while women's singles matches are best of three sets. A mix of players' previous hard court results, recent form and stylistic matchups can help pinpoint intriguing betting opportunities, both among favorites likely to cruise to victory and underdogs ready to pull off upsets. The aforementioned underdogs are highlighted in the Upset Alert section, the Lock It In section covers players who can safely be considered overwhelming favorites, while the Value Bets section recommends enticing options in matchups that are considered closer to toss-ups.
US Open Picks: Upset Alert
Bernarda Pera (+310) vs. Veronika Kudermetova
Kudermetova missed Wimbledon with a hip injury and has struggled to a 1-2 record since returning, with losses to Venus Williams and Sara Sorribes Tormo, both of whom are ranked outside the top 90. Pera's best results have come on clay, but the 61st-ranked American is still a better hard-court player at this point than either of the two women that recently defeated Kudermetova on this surface. With little margin for error built into Kudermetova's attacking game style, the No. 16 seed is at risk of being sent packing early if she can't regain her timing here.
Milos Raonic (+270) vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas
Tsitsipas has failed to find success at the US Open in his career. He's just 5-5 in five previous appearances and hasn't advanced past the third round. Another early exit could be on the table for the No. 7 seed against one of the most dangerous unseeded players in the draw. Raonic can take the racquet out of your hand with his massive serve, and the 32-year-old Canadian will be playing with house money considering he's just happy to be on tour again after missing more than two years due to injuries. Raonic has made the quarterfinals or better at a Grand Slam 10 times, including the final at Wimbledon in 2016.
Honorable Mention
Pedro Cachin (+370) vs. Ben Shelton
US Open Odds: Lock It In
Caroline Wozniacki (-215) vs. Tatiana Prozorova
Wozniacki unretired earlier this month after spending a couple years in the commentary booth. The former world No. 1 is just 1-2 since making her return, but she's poised for success in what will be her first Grand Slam match since the 2020 Australian Open. Both of Wozniacki's losses came against top-40 opponents, and she blew out 111th-ranked Kimberly Birrell 6-2, 6-2. The 227th-ranked Prozorova will be making her Grand Slam debut, and the 19-year-old Russian will likely be a bit starstruck against a 33-year-old opponent whom Prozorova grew up watching.
Christopher Eubanks (-300) vs. Soonwoo Kwon
Like Wozniacki, Eubanks has dabbled in announcing, but he's firmly focused on his on-court career heading into the US Open, as the 27-year-old American is in the midst of a breakout season. Coming off a quarterfinal run at Wimbledon, Eubanks will be seeded at a Grand Slam for the first time. The 6-foot-7 Eubanks has a comfortable matchup against the 5-foot-11, 159-pound Kwon, who is ranked outside the top 100 and doesn't have enough power to really hurt the big-serving Eubanks. It took Eubanks five sets to beat Kwon at the Australian Open this year, but given the progress we've seen from Eubanks since then, he should have a far easier time in this rematch.
Honorable Mention
Sorana Cirstea (-350) vs. Kayla Day
US Open Predictions: Value Bets
Mackenzie McDonald (+115) vs. Felix Auger-Aliassime
This is one of the most anticipated matches of the first round, and despite what their rankings say, this would hardly be much of an upset if the 39th-ranked McDonald knocks off the 15th-ranked Auger-Aliassime. McDonald's 20-11 on hard courts in 2023, and he made his first career Masters 1000 quarterfinal in Toronto earlier this month. Meanwhile, FAA has had a nightmare season and comes into the US Open having lost six of his last seven matches.
Jiri Lehecka (-175) vs. Aslan Karatsev
Lehecka has enjoyed a breakout year at age 21, reaching the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and fourth round at Wimbledon to climb to No. 35 in the rankings. Karatsev has been trending in the opposite direction. The 29-year-old Russian's 2021 semifinal result at the Australian Open is now a distant memory, and Karatsev has gone just 4-7 on hard courts in 2023 while dropping to 76th in the rankings. At this stage of their respective careers, Lehecka should have little trouble in this matchup.
Honorable Mention
Sloane Stephens (+105) vs. Beatriz Haddad Maia
