Australian Open 2024 Women's Singles Betting Tips and Predictions: Two to back and one to lay

Iga Swiatek may have left it until the last match of 2023 to clinch the year-end number one spot but anyone who saw her perform in Cancun at the back end of the season will know why she sits at the summit of women’s tennis.

The Pole was utterly dominant against Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula during the knockout stage of the WTA Finals and if she brings that form to the Australian Open, which starts on Sunday, she may well prove to be untouchable.

Last week, she picked up where she left off, winning five out of five at the United Cup team competition as Poland finished runners-up. During that week she declared: “I feel like I have more skills to play on these faster hardcourts (these days)”.

That’s been the problem for Swiatek here in the past – the GreenSet surface gives her less time to line up her shots and she’s only been past the last 16 once, her best run being to the semi-finals in 2022.

With that in mind, the brave may want to considering laying Swiatek at 3.5, although clearly there’s plenty of risk in taking on the favourite.

I’d prefer to take on the defending champion, Sabalenka.

Since winning here 12 months ago, the Belarusian has choked away some great opportunities in big matches – there’s an argument to be made that she could have won the Grand Slam of all four majors last year.

However, she lost from match point up in the French Open semis, was beaten from a set up in the Wimbledon last four and then suffered the same fate against Coco Gauff in the US Open final.

Consistency, yes. Choking tendencies, maybe.

At this event, Sabalenka also has the added pressure of defending a title (and a heap of ranking points) and, following a mauling at the hands of Elena Rybakina in Brisbane last week, I’m happy to take her on in this market.

It’s Rybakina who looks a decent back bet, particularly how well she played in Brisbane last week.

She didn’t lose a set and won all bar one 6-3 or easier.

As a former Wimbledon champion, she knows how to win major titles and her big serve should get plenty of cut-through on the Melbourne Park courts.

Back her at 6.0.

Looking for some value further down the market, Elina Svitolina is worth considering after she produced a string of impressive performances in the Slams last year having made her comeback after becoming a mother.

She’s currently at 70 but with little liquidity for her in the market, preference at time of writing is for Qinwen Zheng.

I, and many others, believe the Chinese world number 13 is a player who will continue to rise in 2024 and she has some potential here at 40.

Qinwen went 2-1 at the United Cup in the opening week of the season, beating Wimbledon champ Marketa Vondrousova and only losing to Swiatek (no disgrace in that).

She’s another player with an excellent serve – she won a tour-high 73.7% of points behind her first delivery last season – so looks well suited to Melbourne conditions.

Australian Open Women’s Singles Predictions

Lay Aryna Sabalenka @ 6.4
Back Elena Rybakina @ 6.0
Back Qinwen Zheng @ 40