When examining the pre-tournament landscape of the 2021 U.S. Open, one may be tempted to focus on the players that will not participate on the men's side. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are both unable to play due to injury. Elsewhere, former champions like Stan Wawrinka and 2020 title winner Dominic Thiem also won't make the trip to New York. With that said, there is a clear appeal when considering Novak Djokovic's pursuit of history, and plenty of worthy challengers for the crown.
Djokovic is the pre-tournament betting favorite, with Caesars Sportsbook installing him at -150 (risk $150 to win $100) in the latest 2021 U.S. Open odds. With a bit of a thinner field, that isn't a surprise, though no other player has better odds than Daniil Medvedev at +400. Elsewhere, 2020 runner-up Alexander Zverev is +550 to win the grand slam title, and Stefanos Tsitsipas is +900. Before making any 2021 U.S. Open picks or tennis predictions, see what renowned tennis handicapper Sean Calvert has to say.
Calvert is the handicapper who called Stan Wawrinka winning the 2014 Australian Open at 60-1, the last Australian title won by someone other than Djokovic or Federer.
In 2019, Calvert took down a huge score on Dominic Thiem winning Indian Wells at 80-1. And earlier in 2021, he nailed both of his bets for the Wimbledon men's singles final: Djokovic to win three sets to one (+275) and Djokovic to win and both players to win a set (+130).
Now, Calvert has broken down the latest U.S. Open 2021 odds and released his coveted best bets to win it all. Head to SportsLine to see them.
Top 2021 U.S. Open predictions
One surprise Calvert is calling for at the U.S. Open 2021: He doesn't like the value of Djokovic. On a match-by-match basis, Djokovic will be favored every step of the way in the 2021 U.S. Open. He is the top-ranked player in the world, playing on a surface friendly to his talents, and some of his top challengers are not participating in the event due to injury concerns.
Beyond that simple appeal, Djokovic is also looking to make history. He is already one of the all-time greats, but Djokovic can set a new bar with a 21st grand slam win and he can become the first player in decades to hold all four grand slam titles at once. Given that formula, it isn't a surprise that he is the clear betting favorite in Flushing Meadows, but Calvert doesn't love his price at -150.
Fitness is at least something of a concern for Djokovic, who hasn't played as much as some top contenders recently. In addition, he wasn't his best self at the Olympics in Tokyo, and this is the first prime event since then. Djokovic is the most logical option if simply looking to pick the winner, but value is the primary concern in the futures market, which needs to be remembered.
How to make 2021 U.S. Open picks
Instead, Calvert has locked in a stunning pick to win on a player going off higher than +6000. Find out who it is, and see all of Calvert's picks and analysis, over at SportsLine.
So who wins the U.S. Open 2021? Which massive long shot stuns the tennis world? Visit SportsLine now to see Sean Calvert's coveted U.S. Open picks, all from the renowned tennis expert, and find out.
2021 U.S. Open odds
Novak Djokovic -150
Daniil Medvedev +400
Alexander Zverev +700
Stefanos Tsitsipas +900
Matteo Berrettini +1600
Jannik Sinner +2500
Andrey Rublev +2500
Milos Raonic +3300
Andy Murray +3300
Denis Shapovalov +3300
Aslan Karatsev +4000
Felix Auger-Aliassime +5000
Hubert Hurkacz +6600
Juan Martin del Potro +6600
Grigor Dimitrov +6600
Nick Kyrgios +6600
Sebastian Korda +6600
Pablo Carreno-Busta +6600
Alex De Minaur +6600
Karen Khachanov +8000
Roberto Bautista Agut +8000
