The month of July brings with it strawberries, cream, champagne and some of the world’s greatest grass court tennis action in the form of Wimbledon. Offering an incredible £31.6 million total prize money for the contest running from 3 to 16 July, this year’s championship will prove to be another exciting one for the books. Here’s a look at the top men and women to consider betting on this year,
Wimbledon Betting
1. Andy Murray
Looking to match Fred Perry’s of three Wimbledon wins by a British player, Andy Murray is determined to do all he can to claim this year’s title while he still has age on his side. At 30 years old, Murray said he feels he only has a couple of years left to compete for the majors. The Scotsman played a lot last year, and missed his shot at the French Open again this year – falling out at the semi-final stage when he lost to Stan Wawrinka – but he’s definitely getting back on form and is very comfortable on the grass courts. In 2016, he made the final in three of the four slams, missing out badly in the Australian Open when he was knocked out in round 16, and with no major titles this year, Murray is hungry for the win.
Current Betting odds of 33/10 to win
2. Roger Federer
At 35 years old, the Swiss tennis tornado is looking to clock up as many major wins before hanging up his racquet. And he has his eyes set on Wimbledon 2017. Federer sat out the French Open, resting up, then gearing up for the grass courts. He has even requested balls set to be used at the championship to familiarise himself with the bounce. And, so far, 2017 is going Federer’s way. He already has the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami Open titles to his name, now he’s looking to take his eighth SW19 win. Although Federer hasn’t won at Wimbledon in five years, he’s tied with Pete Sampras on the seven Wimbledon wins and is playing an incredible game. Having started 17th in the rankings at the beginning of the year, he’s smashed his way back to the top four and looks set to take the number one spot again.
Current Betting odds of 3/1 to win
4. Rafael Nadal
The 31-year-old Spaniard once again proved his ‘King of Clay’ title at the French Open where he beat Stan Wawrinka to claim his tenth French Open. Nadal was, as ever, unstoppable on the clay court but this hard-earned win might make him somewhat battle weary when stepping onto the grass courts and he has admitted to concerns over his knees. However, he’s certainly having a good year. He reached the final in Miami Open and put up a good fight in the Australian Open final against Roger Federer, so he may have what it takes to take the trophy.
Current Betting odds of 9/2 to win
Place your Wimbledon bets
Wimbledon Women’s Championship
1. Venus Williams
When it comes to Wimbledon, the Williams sisters always deserve a mention, and with top contender, Serena, unable to play because of pregnancy, older sister Venus will certainly put up a fight. At 36, most players are looking towards retirement but neither of the Williams seem to consider age a factor. Venus is a five-time Wimbledon champion and three-time runner-up, and has never lost a Wimbledon final to anyone other than Serena. She also has six Wimbledon doubles titles to her name. However, her last Wimbledon singles win was in 2008, and she can only claim two other Grand Slam titles – the US Open in 2000 and 2001. She just missed out on the Australian Open, losing to her pregnant sister, but with Serena out of this year’s contest, Venus stands a good chance.
Current Betting odds of 12/1 to win
2. Jelena Ostapenko
At only 20 years of age, Latvian tennis star, Jelena Ostapenko, pulled off one of the best Grand Slam upsets in history, beating the favourite, Simona Halep, to take this year’s French Open title. This was the first time since 1933 that an unseeded player has won at Roland Garros and it pushed her up to 12th in the rankings. It will be interesting to see if she can continue this astounding momentum going into Wimbledon. She’s a tough player and if she has a tough mindset to match, she’ll go far.
Current Betting odds of 16/1 to win
3. Simona Halep
Romania’s Simona Halep will be entering this year’s Wimbledon with a bruised ego after losing the French Open to a formerly unseeded opponent, but hopefully she has the determination to get over this and get her head in the game. The French Open would have been the 25-year-old’s first Grand Slam title – have lost out in 2014 to Maria Sharapova – but she still considers the tournament a great experience. There are concerns about her form following her recent announcement to pull out of the Aegon Open because of an ankle complaint. But, she is ranked number two in the world, and has worked hard to get to that spot. In 2013, she won her first six Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) titles as well as earning the WTA Most Improved Player title. She continued to win another six titles in 2015 and 2016 and now just needs to get that grand slam title under her belt.
Current Betting odds of 18/1 to win
4. Angelique Kerber
The World Number One looked set to dominate the grass courts but there is new concern following her recent withdrawal from the Aegon Open following the resurgence of a recurring hamstring injury. The 29-year-old German player is resting up in the hopes of returning to Wimbledon following some recent disappointments. Kerber has failed to get past the third round the last five tournaments however, she does have two Grand Slam titles – Australian Open 2016 and US Open 2016 – having reached the Wimbledon final that same year, losing out to Serena Williams who went on to Steffi Graf’s Open Era record with the win. Kerber climbed the rankings quickly from 2011 when she reached the US Open semi-finals as number 92 in the world, moving up to number one by 2016. She’s a strong player, and Wimbledon might be where she proves she deserves the ranking.
Current Betting odds of 10/1 to win
Place your Wimbledon bets here
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