We’ve seen an abundance of first-round upsets over the years in New York, and this year will likely be no exception. Monday gives us four potential first-round upsets when the event begins at 11:00 a.m. at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Possible First Round Women’s Upsets
The US Open can sometimes be quirky, and anything can happen. We’ve seen some crazy first-round upsets over the years, and this year could be no exception. Here are four ladies who could pull off an upset Monday!
Beatriz Haddad Maia vs. Sloane Stephens 12:15 pm Eastern
Haddad Maia is seeded No. 19 and is a slight favorite (-125) at PointsBet NJ. Haddad Maia is 1-2 post-Wimbledon on the hard stuff but was upset in 2022 by former US Open champ Bianca Andreescu in the second round.
Stephens is the 2019 champion here and is 6-4 over her past 10 hardcourt matches. Theirs is the day’s second match at Louis Armstrong Stadium–Stephens should enjoy the home crowd and has a 24-12 career mark against lefties. The American seems focused, and Stephens +105 at DraftKings NJ is a decent price for this potential upset.
Sara Sorribes Tormo vs. Anhaeina Kalinina 12:15 pm Eastern
Sorribes Tormo is a -150 favorite at Caesars NJ, coming off a huge win as a qualifier in Cleveland last week, and that is probably why she’s so highly favored on Monday. The Spaniard doesn’t have a big serve or return, which poses a problem against Kalinina.
The Ukrainian is just 13-14 on the hard courts this season but has one of the more robust return games with a decent enough serve to win her maybe some free points. Kalinina has pulled off a pair of first-round US Open upsets during her career, and +125 at DraftKings is a reasonable price if she does indeed win on Monday.
Ajla Tomljanovic vs Panna Udvardy 2:15 pm Eastern
Tomlijanovic is a -179 favorite but hasn’t played a match since injuring her knee in November 2022. The Australian had a solid run to the 2022 quarters and has never lost a first-round matchup in NYC. Udvardy is playing her first main draw match in Flushing but is 13-13 this season on hard courts.
The only reason we’re even considering betting against Tomlijanovic on Monday is her lack of matches and questionable health. Udvardy could pull off an upset, and +180 at DraftKings could be a good value play on Monday.
Jasmine Paolini vs Jelana Ostapenko 4:15 pm Eastern
Ostapenko is a -230 favorite at DraftKings but is just 19-15 on hard courts this year and is 1-2 post-Wimbledon. Ostapenko has a massive serve and a high double fault rate, sometimes hurting her in pressure situations.
Meanwhile, Paolini reached the quarterfinals in Cincinnati as a qualifier and has won eight of her last hardcourt tour matches. Paolini has one of the better return games on tour and is playing confidently, and +175 at Caesars is a good price for this potential first-round upset.
