US Open Tennis 2015: Sleepers to Watch and Latest Odds to Win Championship
Although top seeds Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams come into the U.S. Open with high expectations, don't count out a surprise winner once again in New York.
The men's draw has produced six different champions in the last seven years at the final Grand Slam event of the season. As dominant as Williams has been in the women's bracket, one upset could open the door for a number of potential challengers.
While the favorites still remain the safest bets, those looking for a bigger payout could take a risk on more of a sleeper.
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| Djokovic, Novak | 6-5 |
| Murray, Andy | 7-2 |
| Federer, Roger | 9-2 |
| Wawrinka, Stan | 12-1 |
| Nadal, Rafael | 14-1 |
| Nishikori, Kei | 14-1 |
| Cilic, Marin | 25-1 |
| Dimitrov, Grigor | 25-1 |
| Berdych, Tomas | 33-1 |
| Raonic, Milos | 40-1 |
| Del Potro, Juan Martin | 50-1 |
| Tsonga, Jo-Wilfried | 66-1 |
| Kyrgios, Nick | 100-1 |
| Monfils, Gael | 100-1 |
| Gulbis, Ernests | 100-1 |
| Dolgopolov, Alexandr | 100-1 |
| Ferrer, David | 125-1 |
| Goffin, David | 150-1 |
| Isner, John | 150-1 |
| Tomic, Bernard | 150-1 |
| Thiem, Dominic | 150-1 |
| Janowicz, Jerzy | 150-1 |
| Gasquet, Richard | 150-1 |
| Anderson, Kevin | 150-1 |
| Simon, Gilles | 200-1 |
Sleepers
Nick Kyrgios
He certainly isn't one of the more popular players on tour after his comments toward Stan Wawrinka, which netted him a 28-day suspension:
Still, Nick Kyrgios is eligible for the U.S. Open, and he is certainly a player few opponents want to face.
Despite his inconsistencies, he is always a threat to win any match. He has a 3-3 record against top-10 opponents this season, although two of those losses came against Andy Murray in Grand Slams. He will have to break this stretch if he wants to have any sort of run this week, as he will face the Scot in the first round.
Even with a difficult draw, the 20-year-old player has already reached two major quarterfinals in his career and has the talent to advance even further if he is on his game. If he catches Murray sleeping out of the gate, he could pull off the massive upset and then have a relatively open draw going forward.
Feliciano Lopez
There aren't necessarily "easy" draws at the U.S. Open, but Feliciano Lopez could certainly go at least into the second weekend based on how he and the others around him have been playing lately.
If he can survive the first two rounds, the first seeded player Lopez will face is Milos Raonic. While the Canadian is always a threat to put together a strong showing, he has lost his only two matches since Wimbledon. This rough stretch on hard courts could carry into this week.
After that would be Rafael Nadal, who looks nothing like the all-time great he has been in his career. He has struggled all season long and doesn't appear likely to have a deep run in New York.
Meanwhile, Lopez is coming off a quarterfinal appearance at Cincinnati, where he defeated both Rafa and Raonic before losing to Roger Federer. Of course, even this loss featured some bright spots, as he later joked:
The Spanish player is coming on strong lately and has a chance to surprise people throughout this event.
| Williams, Serena | 4-5 |
| Azarenka, Victoria | 8-1 |
| Sharapova, Maria | 9-1 |
| Halep, Simona | 12-1 |
| Kvitova, Petra | 20-1 |
| Muguruza, Garbine | 20-1 |
| Bencic, Belinda | 20-1 |
| Wozniacki, Caroline | 25-1 |
| Keys, Madison | 33-1 |
| Radwanska, Agnieszka | 33-1 |
| Bouchard, Eugenie | 40-1 |
| Kerber, Angelique | 40-1 |
| Safarova, Lucie | 40-1 |
| Ivanovic, Ana | 40-1 |
| Stephens, Sloane | 45-1 |
| Makarova, Ekaterina | 50-1 |
| Pliskova, Karolina | 50-1 |
| Williams, Venus | 50-1 |
| Lisicki, Sabine | 80-1 |
| Stosur, Samantha | 100-1 |
| Petkovic, Andrea | 100-1 |
| Cibulkova, Dominika | 100-1 |
| Pennetta, Flavia | 100-1 |
| Suarez Navarro, Carla | 100-1 |
| Jankovic, Jelena | 100-1 |
| Garcia, Caroline | 125-1 |
| Robson, Laura | 150-1 |
| Errani, Sara | 150-1 |
Sleepers
Belinda Bencic
At just 18 years old, Belinda Bencic is quickly becoming one of the hottest names in the WTA.
The Swiss star has climbed up to 12th in the world rankings after winning a loaded tournament in Toronto and putting together another strong effort in Cincinnati. Stuart Fraser of MailOnline broke down just how good of a resume she put together over the course of a couple of weeks:
With these type of wins, including against Serena Williams, Bencic showed the skill is there to put together another strong effort at the U.S. Open. More importantly, she should have all the confidence in the world against any opponent she matches up against over the course of the tournament.
Lucie Safarova
Although she hasn't always been as good on hard courts as other surfaces, Lucie Safarova is too talented to be just a 40-1 bet to win the U.S. Open.
The No. 6 seed is only a few months removed from reaching the final of the French Open before falling to Williams in three sets. While she hasn't matched that at this event, a fourth-round appearance a year ago proves she isn't just a pushover.
Safarova has one of the better serves in the sport, and she can cause problems for a lot of opponents. Starting away from the top competition in the bracket should also help her get out to a strong start.
Aside from a potential early matchup against Victoria Azarenka, Safarova should have a relatively clear path to a deep run this week.
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