2019 Australian Open Women’s Singles Odds and Picks

• The Australian Open runs from January 14-27 in Melbourne
• Is favorite Serena Williams the best bet to win for the second time in three years?
• Can last year’s finalists, Halep and Wozniacki, make another deep run?

The first Grand Slam event of 2019 begins January 14 in Melbourne at the Australian Open. The official draw for the tournament is scheduled to take place on Thursday, January 10.

2017 Women’s Singles champ Serena Williams has opened up as the favorite to win the women’s tournament with +400 average odds to win the Australian Open.

Women’s Singles Australian Open Odds

Odds taken 1/4

New Tie-Break Rules

A quick bit of housekeeping news for this year’s tournament is that the Australian Open will no longer play advantage final sets.

This came after consulting with past and present players, as well as commentators, agents and TV analysts. Final sets ending at six-games-all will now be decided by a first to ten points tie-break.

Williams Aims For Eighth AO Win

Williams first won this tournament in 2003 and has seen much success in Australia since.

The win in 2003 came over her sister Venus, which was also the result in 2017 – the last time Serena claimed the title. Serena was unable to defend that title last year, pulling out of the event after still recovering from her first pregnancy.

ICYMI: Serena Williams was voted The Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year for the fifth time https://t.co/Zdw0xUJOcQ

— SI Tennis (@SI_Tennis) December 29, 2018

The 23-time Grand Slam champion will be aiming to tie Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 majors wins in 2019.

Serena was unable to add any more titles to her resume in 2018. She did reach the finals of both Wimbledon and the US Open, losing to Angelique Kerber and Naomi Osaka, respectively.

In fact, Williams was unable to claim a title in any tournament last year.

Williams currently holds a WTA Ranking of 16th and warmed up for the AO at the Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia. The American won all three of her singles matches over Maria Sakkari (2-0), Belinda Bencic (2-1) and Katie Boulter (2-0).

She also had a chance for a historic mixed doubles match on New Year’s Day against Roger Federer.

Dreams come true at the #HopmanCup.@serenawilliams v @rogerfederer pic.twitter.com/ml0D5hMZ2T

— Hopman Cup (@hopmancup) January 2, 2019

Will Halep’s Success Continue?

World number one Simona Halep had her best year in 2018.

Halep reached the finals of the Australian Open, losing to Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki. She then went on to win her first Grand Slam title of her career at the French Open.

Her results at the remaining two slams took a dip, going out in the Round of 32 at Wimbledon and Round of 128 at the US Open. Halep also picked up wins in the Shenzhen Open and Rogers Cup, but withdrew from the WTA Finals in Singapore in October with a herniated disc in her back.

She's the world No1 and a Grand Slam champion, but how has @Simona_Halep got there?

Acceleration, Agility, Grit…@TennisAusGIG breaks down her Player DNA: https://t.co/0xMkLTHFdH #AusOpen #GameInsightGroup pic.twitter.com/rkUEydA92u

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 3, 2019

Wozniacki Off to Slow Start

Halep came up short to Wozniacki in this event last year, but 2019 hasn’t started well for the current world number three.

Participating in the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, Woz was the tournament’s top seed yet fell in the Round of 16 to Canadian Bianca Andreescu.

The 18-year-old is currently 152nd in WTA Rankings and won in straight sets 6-4, 6-4. Andreescu followed that up with another win over the tournament’s sixth seed, Venus Williams.

Incredible performance from @Bandreescu_ !

She takes out top seed Wozniacki 6-4, 6-4 in Auckland @ASB_Classic ! pic.twitter.com/cvFhuipSwA

— wta (@WTA) January 3, 2019

Plenty of Betting Options In Women’s Singles

Women’s tennis is rife with upsets.

No matter Serena’s history in the event, there just seems to be better value out there. While sporting shorter odds herself of +800, fifth-ranked Naomi Osaka finished 16th in the AO last year and won her first slam at the US Open.

There she defeated Serena in straight sets 6-2, 6-4. Osaka is currently into the semi-finals at the Brisbane International.

For a little more value, at +1000, you can take world number two Angelique Kerber. The German has generally made a strong showing at the AO, reaching at least the Round of 16 in five of the past six years and winning the event in 2016.

.@AngeliqueKerber took the @WTA by storm in 2018:

🎾 Unforgettable #AusOpen semifinal run
🏆 @Wimbledon triumph
💪 No.3 for total match wins (46)https://t.co/a1oC1joUBh

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) December 5, 2018

Kerber had an incredible 2018 reaching the semi-finals at the AO, the quarters of the French Open, and also defeating Serena in the Wimbledon final, 6-3, 6-3. Australia proved welcoming for Kerber as she also started off 2018 with a finals win at the Apia International Sydney.

Finally let’s look at one big longshot. Belgium’s Elise Mertens has seen her WTA Ranking rise quickly. Mertens ranked 157th in Women’s Singles in 2015. That improved to 120th, 35th, and now 12th each of the following years.

Mertens reached the semis of the AO in her first appearance last year and reached the Round of 16 in both the French and US Opens. She also won three WTA tournaments in 2018. Mertens can be had for huge odds of +5000.

Best Bet: Angelique Kerber +1000