WTA Adelaide International Odds & Betting Preview: Loaded Field Down Under

• It’s the first year of the Adelaide International Open
• The list of competitors are an impressive one
• Who will walk away with the title – read below for our best betting advice

We all know the saying, “new year, new me”.

Well, tennis has seemingly taken that mantra and turned it into their own. The 2020 Adelaide International will kick off a new yearly tournament on the hard courts in Australia. The tournament will essentially replace the Sydney International.

With new tournaments, the concern is always about whether or not the big names associated with the sport will be interested. At this particular point, it doesn’t seem as though that will be an issue, as there will be an absolutely loaded field.

WTA Adelaide International Odds

*Odds taken January 12

Should Ashleigh Barty be Considered the Favorite Going In?

It might be an obvious statement but it’s worth repeating: Ashleigh Barty is the real deal.

She completely broke out during the 2019 season. To list all of her accolades we would need several pages but we’ll highlight the most notable ones. She won a career high 59 games while losing just 14 of them. Barty proved that she can win on any surface as well. Her best moment of the year was when she took home her first grand slam title in the French Open.

Underdog alert! #AshleighBarty oust @BaraStrycova at the #AegonClassic pic.twitter.com/M6UJMcFpFx

— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) June 21, 2017

Barty has played just once in 2020, losing surprisingly to Jennifer Brady in straight sets. Just sweep that one under the rug as it won’t be an indication as to what to expect from her this year.

There’s a reason why she is tabbed the favorite to win it all. 2019 was no fluke. Barty has been about a top-15 player for years, but with her officially turning the corner and claiming the top spot, don’t expect her to fall off this year.

Don’t Sleep on Simona Halep

Simona Halep seems to always be in the mix. Her current ranking of #4 is roughly around where she has been for the past five years. At no point during that span has she dropped below fourth in the world. In back-to-back seasons in 2017 and 2018, she was ranked as the best in the world.

https://twitter.com/itsrosesgirl/status/1150045769543704576

Halep had a phenomenal year. She may have won just one title, but it was a huge one in Wimbledon. She struggled a bit down the stretch but it was mostly due to a bad back. If she’s 100% healthy, expect another monster year and a big-time run during the Adelaide Open.

Sloane Stephens a Dark Horse Candidate

Sloane Stephens is a difficult player to get a read on.

In 2017, she surprised a lot of people by winning the US Open. She followed it up with a career-high ranking in 2018 of sixth in the world. But 2019 was a disaster. She went only 24-19 and couldn’t win a single tournament.

Wow. I just watched @SloaneStephens serve 103 mph @CitiOpen. #CitiOpen #CitiOpen2015 #SloaneStephens pic.twitter.com/Zesm3IUsbO

— Shomari Stone (@shomaristone) August 9, 2015

Sloane has been out of form for quite sometime now. If — and this is a big if — she can recapture the form she showed in 2017 and 2018, she won’t just be competitive with anyone in the world, but defeat them as well.

Most Likely Outcome: Pass

There’s a reason why Barty is the favorite, and it wouldn’t be a bad bet, but right now, it’s too difficult to know who is going to win the whole thing. The year has just started and many of the top players haven’t even stepped on the courts in 2020.

In women’s tennis, it’s always a bit unpredictable. With an absolute loaded field the best choice here would be to simply pass on choosing a winner.