Monday night in Queens, New York brought the glitz, the glamour and the pageantry. It also brought Serena Williams as a -350 favorite against the 80th-ranked player in the world, Danka Kovinic.
Wednesday night in the second round of the US Open brings a little bit of a different challenge for Serena’s potential swan song, however.
Williams faces Anett Kontaveit, a 2-seed in the bracket, but also technically the world’s No. 2 player, who has really struggled as of late, losing three of her last five matches overall.
As of now, Serena Williams is listed as a +200 underdog against Kontaveit tonight – her longest price as an underdog in any Grand Slam match since the Wimbledon quarterfinals against Justine Henin all the way back in 2007.
Not only is Serena a big underdog in a Grand Slam, but she’s also a big ‘dog in just the second round.
Tonight will be only the second time over the last 15 years she hasn’t been favored in the second round or earlier at a Slam. The last time? The 2018 French Open against Ash Barty, which she won.
_InlineAdBlock
When looking at how the betting markets are reacting to Serena’s line, Williams accounts for both the highest ticket percentage and the biggest handle at BetMGM.
The 23-time Slam champion has amassed 26.2% of the tickets and 26.6% of the handle, with her price dipping down from a pre-Round 1 number of +4000 to +2800 after a win on Monday.
Tonight, Serena is drawing 81% of the wagers, but just 58% of the handle at BetMGM against Kontaveit.