US Open Tennis 2024: Bracket Predictions, Odds for Top Players, Prize Money Info
The 2024 U.S. Open begins on Monday with the first rounds of the men's and women's singles.
For 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, the final major of the year is especially important.
The 37-year-old, who in July became the oldest men's tennis player to win an Olympic gold, is hoping to end what would be his first calendar year without a Grand Slam title since 2017.
The Serbian is the defending champion, but the playing field is open, with Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Daniil Medvedev all more than capable of winning the title.
On the women's side, Coco Gauff is the defending champion, hoping to become the first woman to win in consecutive years at the U.S. Open since her idol, Serena Williams (2013, 2014), did so.
However, Aryna Sabalenka is the favorite to win the title and has won three of the last four hard-court Grand Slams.
Bragging rights aren't the only thing on the table; indeed, prize money is up roughly 15% from 2023, with players playing for a record $75 million in total at this year's 2024 U.S. Open.
You can find everything you need below, from financial breakdowns to overall predictions.
2024 U.S. Open
When: August 26 - September 8
Where: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City.
Field: 128 players for each singles tournament
Prize Pool: $75 million ($3.6 million to winners)
TV and Live Stream: ESPN and ESPN+
Men's Singles
Odds (via DraftKings Sportsbook)
Carlos Alcaraz +200 (bet $100 to win $200)
Novak Djokovic +250
Jannik Sinner +350
Alexander Zverev +800
Daniil Medvedev +1600
Carlos Alcaraz enters as the slight favorite, but Novak Djokovic is the reigning champion, hungry for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam.
The Serbian opens up with a very favorable draw, but he may face the dangerous task of playing either Frances Tiafoe or Ben Shelton in the fourth round, two in-form Americans playing on home soil who have both reached the U.S. Open semifinals in the past.
Then, there's the daunting task of facing Alexander Zverev in the semifinal.
The German is still looking for his first Grand Slam title and has come so close this year, holding a two-set-to-one lead against Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final before falling.
In the top half of the draw, Carlos Alcaraz might have the shortest odds to win, but Jannik Sinner has been playing the best tennis in 2024.
The Italian has won 28 of 30 on hard-court surfaces this year, including the 2024 Australian Open and the Cincinnati Open.
In the end, Sinner's momentum and form just might be too much for Alcaraz to overcome.
It would not be surprising to see the 23-year-old reach his second major final of the year, where a matchup with Djokovic would likely await.
Prediction: Djokovic over Sinner in five sets.
Women's Singles
Odds (via Draftkings Sportsbook)
Aryna Sabalenka +240 (bet $100 to win $240)
Iga Swiatek +370
Coco Gauff +1000
Jessica Pegula +1200
Elena Rybakina +1200
Reigning champion Coco Gauff has struggled in the last few weeks, losing in the second round and first round, respectively, of the two tournaments she competed in.
While the 20-year-old American has the tools necessary for a deep run, U.S. Open favorite Aryna Sabalenka also happens to be in the bottom half of the draw.
Sabalenka, who fell to Gauff in the 2023 U.S. Open final—the only hard-court Grand Slam she's lost in her last four tries—is currently operating in a league of her own.
The 27-year-old enters the tournament fresh off a dominant Cincinnati Open campaign, where she did not surrender a set.
Unlike the bottom half of the draw, the top is not a two-person battle.
Iga Swiatek is the favorite to emerge, though it would not be wise to rule out the rest of the draw, which features players such as No. 4 seed Elena Rybakina, 17-year-old phenom Mirra Andreeva, and two-time U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka.
Despite the challenges in Swiatek's path, the world No. 1 has shown time and time again that in the biggest moments, she's not going to back down from a challenge.
In the end, it's likely that the former U.S. Open champion will advance to the final and face Sabalenka.
Prediction: Sabalenka over Swiatek in three sets.