Eight of the world’s top female tennis competitors convene in Guadalajara, Mexico this week for the 2021 WTA Finals.
Sportsbooks favor Belarussian Aryna Sabalenka to claim the victory at the 50th season of the World Tennis Association’s prestigious year-ending championship.
Aryna Sabalenka favored in WTA Finals
The WTA Finals celebrates 50 years of competition this year. And out of the 49 events held thus far, the sport’s top seed has walked away with the title 23 of those times.
Most recently, World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty won the championship in 2019. She will be the only top player not participating this year, however, as she opted to conclude her season early in order to instead focus on Australian Open preparation.
As a result, World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka enters the WTA Finals as the top seed.
Sabalenka made a name for herself at this year’s Grand Slam events, finding her way to both the US Open and Wimbledon semifinals. She also went on to win the Madrid Open. She leads the pack with +400 odds going into the first round of her first WTA Finals event.
Sabalenka is one of this year’s six participants making her singles debut. The other five players include:
- Paula Badosa
- Anett Kontaveit
- Barbora Krejcikova
- Maria Sakkari
- Iga Swiatek
Where to wager on the WTA Finals
Odds for this 2021 tennis finale are limited at sportsbooks and can vary by state. Currently, the only two major operators offering active lines are BetMGM and DraftKings.
DraftKings currently situates odds for the tournament’s overall winner as follows:
| Player | WTA Finals Winner Odds |
|---|---|
| Aryna Sabalenka | +400 |
| Anett Kontaveit | +500 |
| Barbora Krejcikova | +550 |
| Paula Badosa Gibert | +550 |
| Iga Swiatek | +600 |
| Maria Sakkari | +700 |
| Garbine Muguruza | +700 |
| Karolina Pliskova | +700 |
Tennis fans can also hop over to BetMGM, where futures options for the championship include Tournament Winner, Chichen-Itza Group Winner and Teotihuacan Group Winner.
WTA Finals individual match odds are also available at both sportsbooks, where lines for Wednesday’s first two matchups are currently live.
Krejcikova vs. Kontaveit
Barbora Krejcikova sprung into the spotlight this past June by winning the French Open and sits with +550 odds of another overall win here. The King of Sportsbooks, however, favors her opponent Anett Kontaveit in the tournament’s first matchup with -200 odds of a victory.
DraftKings situates Kontaveit behind Sabalenka with the second-best odds of winning the championship with +500 odds.
Muguruza vs. Pliskova
Garbine Muguruza secured Grand Slam wins in 2016 and 2017 and looks to earn another victory this year as she returns to the top of her game. She’ll have to beat former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova during Wednesday’s match to do so though.
BetMGM positions Muguruza as a slight underdog with +100 odds of advancing.
Karolina Pliskova, on the other hand, is looking for her first win of the season after coming in second place at the Italian Open, the Canadian Open and Wimbledon. As the oldest and most seasoned singles participant, she has participated in the event five back-to-back times now. Moreover, she made it all the way to the semifinals during the last three of those tournaments, resulting in her -125 odds of a first match victory.
Both sportsbooks give Pliskova +700 odds of a championship win, while BetMGM gives Muguruza a slightly longer chance with +750 odds.
Notable WTA Finals contenders
The tournament’s youngest player, Iga Swiatek, has consistently been a top 10 player during the 2021 season. She recently demolished Pliskova 6-0, 6-0 at the Italian Open, and DraftKings gives her +600 odds of a win here.
Paula Badosa Gibert experienced a breakout year in 2021, claiming victory at the Indian Wells Masters this October. Sportsbooks situate her with +550 odds of ending the year with another first-place finish.
Maria Sakkari falls to the back of the pack despite finding her stride this year with a 7-3 record against opponents ranked in the top 10. She made her way to two Grand Slam semifinals appearances in 2021. BetMGM gives her +750 odds of an overall victory, making her a strong value pick for the series.
