There are no visa issues with the top contender on the women’s singles side of the 2022 Australian Open. She’s a citizen. World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty is sportsbooks’ favorite to win her third career singles Grand Slam leg.
Although Barty is sure to have the crowd behind her, she isn’t the only serious contender for the first leg of the Grand Slam this year. The draw features most of the rest of the WTA Top 20 and some wide-open quarters.
Women’s singles draw for the 2022 Australian Open
With qualifying done, the field of 128 competitors for 2022 in Melbourne is set. Two-time winner and reigning champion Naomi Osaka will try to win her third Australian Open singles title in the past four years.
If she is to do so, she will potentially face Barty perhaps a bit earlier than fans would like. As the 13-seed, she is on course to test Barty in the Round of 16. Other past winners in the field include:
- 11 – Sofia Kenin (2020)
- 16 – Angelique Kerber (2016)
- 24 – Victoria Azarenka (2012, 2013)
Six-time singles champion Serena Williams withdrew due to a hamstring injury. 2009 and 2010 doubles champion Venus Williams also will not play due to a leg injury as well.
Going by the chalk, the toughest quarter might be the third. Whoever wins that quarter could have a beeline to face either Barty or Osaka in the final.
Stacked third, unimpressive fourth quarters
If you’re watching out for early-round drama, look no further than the third quarter in this year’s draw. The quarter’s seeded players include five of the WTA Top 20, who are:
- Simona Halep
- Anett Kontaveit
- Garbiñe Muguruza
- Emma Raducanu
- Elena Rybakina
Rybakina just defeated Raducanu en route to the final in Adelaide last week. However, Raducanu was recovering from COVID-19. Halep reached the final here just four years ago and over the past two years has never failed to at least reach the quarters.
Whoever emerges from that murderers’ row could see some relief in the quarterfinals. Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek look likely to face off in the Round of 16, but there are reasons to harbor concerns about both.
Swiatek has never gone past the fourth round of any Grand Slam leg on hardcourt. Sabalenka lost both her matches in Adelaide this month due to amassing a total of 39 double faults between those appearances.
While the path seems clear for the winner of the third quarter into the final, the question remains of whether the native favorite will be there waiting. Canadian and US sportsbooks definitely expect that.
Odds favor Barty to claim first Australian singles title
If Barty can make the short-odds bets pay off this year, she’ll not only claim her first-ever Australian Open singles win but also put herself 3/4 of the way to the coveted career singles Grand Slam. She already has French Open and Wimbledon singles trophies on her mantle, needing just an Australian and US Open victories to finish the set.
Canadian and US legal sports betting apps love her next week.
| Player | Bally Bet | BetMGM Sportsbook | Caesars Sportsbook | DraftKings Sportsbook | PointsBet Sportsbook | ProLine (Ontario) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashleigh Barty | +300 | +300 | +275 | +275 | +300 | +300 |
| Naomi Osaka | +600 | +700 | +600 | +700 | +700 | +500 |
| Garbiñe Muguruza | +1000 | +1400 | +1400 | +1100 | +1200 | +900 |
| Anett Kontaveit | +1600 | +1400 | +1400 | +1500 | +1600 | +1100 |
| Aryna Sabalenka | +1800 | +2500 | +2500 | +2000 | +2800 | +1900 |
| Barbara Krejcikova | +1800 | +1600 | +1800 | +1600 | +1600 | +1900 |
| Iga Swiatek | +1800 | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 | +1400 | +1100 |
| Paula Badosa Gilbert | +1800 | +1200 | +1400 | +1800 | +1600 | +1300 |
| Simona Halep | +1800 | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 | +1300 |
| Emma Raducanu | +2000 | +3300 | +3300 | +3500 | +5000 | +1900 |
| Leylah Annie Fernandez | +2500 | +4000 | +4000 | +3000 | +4000 | +1900 |
| Cori (Coco) Gauff | +3000 | +2500 | +2000 | +2000 | +2800 | +1900 |
| Elena Rybakina | +3000 | +2000 | +2000 | +1600 | +2200 | +1900 |
| Maria Sakkari | +3000 | +3300 | +4000 | +5000 | +4000 | +2400 |
| Ons Jabeur | +3000 | +5000 | +4000 | +4000 | +6600 | +2900 |
| Belinda Bencic | +3500 | +5000 | +6600 | +6000 | +6600 | +3900 |
| Elina Svitolina | +3500 | +6600 | +6600 | +13000 | +10000 | OTB |
| Petra Kvitova | +3500 | +6600 | +5000 | +5000 | +5000 | +4900 |
| Jennifer Brady | +3500 | +5000 | +3300 | +8000 | +10000 | +8000 |
| Victoria Azarenka | +3500 | +3300 | +3300 | +2500 | +3300 | +2400 |
Promotions for the tournament online right now
Caesars is currently offering two odds boosts for the Australian. Bettors can get Coco Gauff to win at +2200 or Raducanu to win at +3500. Bally Bet has a promotion for the Open tied in with the NFL playoffs.
With that offer, bettors who place at least three wagers of $25 or more on the Australian get a free bet to use on the NFL playoffs worth $20. As the weekend moves closer to Sunday night’s start, more promos should be available at more books.
ESPN and the Tennis Channel will carry live coverage of the matches starting at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jan. 16. Eastern Time is 16 hours behind Melbourne’s local time. So for example, at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, it will be 10 a.m. Monday in Melbourne.
