US Open 2020 – All important information, favorites & betting odds for the Grand Slam restart
The tennis world can finally breathe a sigh of relief, because with the start of the US Open soon, the stars from ATP (men) and WTA (women) are returning to the big stage. Even if a lot will be different at this Grand Slam tournament than usual, tennis fans from all over the world are looking forward to the traditional New York tournament. We will inform you about the timing, Corona-related safety requirements, the favorites, and insider tips of the individual competitions, as well as all game cancellations of the second major tennis event of the year. Tennis is one of the most popular sports, with many competitions around the world and millions of fans watching tennis events every day.We offer you the privilege to watch tennis matches live online from both ATP and WTA!
US Open 2020 – venue, schedule and safety measures
Traditionally, the US Open always takes place as the last Grand Slam tournament of the year, but in times of Corona, everything is different. While the Australian Open was still taking place normally in January / February of this year, the French Open (Roland Garros Open) normally scheduled for May / June has now been postponed to the end of September (September 27th to October 11th, 2020). The grass pitch season and thus also the Wimbledon Grand Slam were completely suspended this year due to the global coronavirus pandemic. However, the organizers of the traditional New York tournament are defying the virus and sticking to their original schedule. Even if the current health situation in the USA is anything but clear and many well-known tennis stars stay away for fear, the Grand Slam will take place from August 31 to September 13, 2020, as planned, but in a significantly slimmed-down form and without a qualification phase.
What is certain is that the game will start on August 31st. The yellow felt ball then flies in the men’s and women’s singles, as well as in the respective double category. The women’s final traditionally takes place on Saturday, September 12th, and the men’s final one day later, on Sunday, September 13th. However, the mixed competition and all junior events will be canceled. Only the wheelchair competition is allowed to compete in the New York borough of Queens. Preparations at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows are in full swing to familiarize oneself with the unusual conditions and required safety measures in good time.
Venue: New York (USA), USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center from Flushing Meadows
Tournament period: August 31 – September 13, 2020
Women’s Finals: September 12, 2020
Men’s finals: September 13, 2020
Which corona security measures apply to the US Open 2020?
The US Open will take place for the 140th time this year. For the first time since 1881, the famous tennis tournament will take place with the public excluded. This measure is part of the security package that the organizers have to adhere to this year. The Center Court, the Arthur Ashe Stadium, which was built in 1997 and normally has 22,547 seats, will, unfortunately, be deserted during matches. Of course, this security policy also applies to all other places, including the second-largest stadium at the venue, the Louis Armstrong Stadium with an actual capacity of 9,600 spectators.
All participants and team members (up to three employees per player) will be tested for the coronavirus upon arrival before they are allowed to enter the tennis facility. To be on the safe side, a second virus test is carried out 48 hours later. Players and their support staff will be isolated from the outside world as much as possible during the tournament. You are only allowed to move around your hotel or the facility. All authorized access to the facility is prohibited from visiting during the tournament. Accommodation in private houses must be requested in advance, as this requires explicit approval from the tournament management. This special regulation would include all-round surveillance 24/7. A violation of the established rules or even a positive corona test will result in disqualification.
Which stars do without the US Open 2020 or are injured?
Many tennis stars from ATP and WTA have canceled the classic New York tournament due to the unclear health situation. The tennis cracks are particularly critical of the conditions in the USA, a country in which the coronavirus is particularly raging. For most professionals, difficult travel conditions were the main reason for their cancellation. Defending champion Rafael Nadal’s non-participation in the men’s competition is particularly bitter. The Spaniard, currently number two in the ATP rankings, announced a few weeks ago that he would be suspending Flushing Meadows this year. The reason for this was not only the corona problem for Nadal but rather the preference for his participation in the French Open, which is planned to be held shortly after the US Open. For his favorite tournament in Paris, which he has won a total of 12 times, the 34-year-old will not defend his title in New York. Furthermore, eight other top-class players canceled the men, all of whom are listed in the ATP Top 100. In addition to the Swiss Roger Federer, who had to cancel due to an injury, this also includes other world-class players such as Gael Monfils, Fabio Fognini, Stan Wawrinka, Nick Kyrgios, Jo-Wilfried Tsongo, Lucas Poulle, and Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
The flood of rejections for the US open was even more severe than for the men. Six players from the current top 10 did without a trip to the USA, including the current number one in the world Ashleigh Barty from Australia and defending champion Bianca Andreescu from Canada. Simona Halep, Elina Svitolina, Kiki Bertens, Belinda Bencic, Qiang Wang, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Barbora Strycova, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Saisai Zheng and unfortunately from a German point of view also Julia Görges will not participate.
Important cancellations of the US Open at a glance (Top 100)
ATP men
Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Gael Monfils, Fabio Fognini, Stan Wawrinka, Nick Kyrgios, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Lucas Poulle, Pierre-Hugues Herbert
WTA women
Ashleigh Barty, Simona Halep, Elina Svitolina, Kiki Bertens, Belinda Bencic, Qiang Wang, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Barbora Strycova, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Saisai Zheng, Julia Görges, Fiona Ferro, Su-Wei Hsieh, Lin Zhu, Anastasia Bogan, Ana Samantha Stosur, Andrea Petkovic
Mode of the US Open 2020
The main field of every Grand Slam tournament consists of 128 starters in both individual competitions, women, and men. In the respective double competition, the field was halved from 64 to 32 teams this year. It is usually customary for the top 100 of the ATP and WTA to be seeded and eligible to participate. The remaining places are allocated through qualification and wildcards. Since the qualification for this year’s US Open Corona has been conditionally canceled and many top 100 stars have decided not to take part, players beyond the top 100 with the best ATP or WTA ranking will automatically receive a start permitted. In knockout mode, two winning sets are played out for women and three winning sets for men. If the decisive set is 6: 6, a classic tiebreak up to 7 will be played at the US Open. This makes the New York Grand Slam the only one of the four major events in which the decisive set is played normally to the end. In all other Grand Slam tournaments, such as the Australian Open, Wimbledon or the French Open, a special rule applies in the deciding set, which makes each of the Grand Slams held unique.
US Open 2020 prize money
The prize money of the US Open remains at the very highest level despite the Corona crisis. Even if the total prize money has decreased by around four million US dollars compared to the previous year, the incentive to fly to New York remains high for the tennis stars. 53.4 million US dollars (in 2019 it was 57.24 million US dollars) are waiting for the second Grand Slam of 2020. Participation in the individual competition alone promises the players an income of $ 61,000. After many big tournaments in the 2020 tennis calendar were canceled and the professionals had to forego their planned fees, there is something to get for the winners this time. This year’s winners receive three million US dollars. Due to a large number of rejections, it has never been so easy to collect big prize money. From the overview, you can find out how much prize money will be paid out at the US Open this year.
Prize money US Open – Singles WTA (women) & APT (men)
Winner – $ 3,000,000
Runner-Up – $ 1,500,000
Semi-finalists – $ 800,000
Quarter-finalists – $ 425,000
Round of 16ists – $ 250,000
Round 3 – $ 163,000
Round 2 – $ 100,000
Round 1 – $ 61,000
Prize money US Open – Doubles WTA (women) & APT (men)
Winner – $ 400,000
Runner-Up – $ 240,000
Semi-finalists – $ 130,000
Quarter-finalists – $ 91,000
Round 2 – $ 50,000
Round 1 – $ 30,000
German hope for the US Open 2020
Many tennis professionals are extremely critical of the US Open being held in the current phase of the corona pandemic, which is known to have led to various cancellations. Players from the German camp also see the situation as alarming and as a precaution are not participating. In the case of women, Julia Görges and Andrea Petkovic have canceled their New York trip. After the renunciation of the German number two, the hopes now lie with Angelique Kerber (WTA place 23) and Laura Siegemund (WTA place 67). The former number one in the world has now confirmed her coming after a long hesitation and Laura Siegemund, who had complained in advance about the ambiguities of the tournament, will start in the metropolis.
Both players can be trusted to do a lot this year in New York, especially since the women’s competition without six top 10 players will be very decimated. We have a hot iron in the fire with Alexander Zverev (ATP rank 7) in the men’s department. The Hamburger, who advanced to the semi-finals at the first Grand Slam in Melbourne, could benefit from the fact that players like Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer pass this time. We also have our fingers crossed for Jan-Lennard Struff, who will also be part of Flushing Meadows. For the 34th in the ATP rankings, it is in all probability not about the title, but rather about playing a good tournament.
Bets on the US Open 2020
Of course, a sports event like the US Open 2020 does not let any sports betting provider slip through the fingers. A popular sport such as tennis always attracts a large audience and thus new betting customers, especially events on the scale of a Grand Slam tournament. Most bookmakers put their odds for the potential winners of an upcoming tournament online early on, which is intended to attract the attention of new customers. However, the possibilities to bet profitably with a betting provider before the tournament starts are severely limited, so with many providers, you can often only bet on the winner. With the right instinct, some know-how, and the necessary bit of luck, you can still make good profits. Especially at the upcoming US Open, it is worth taking a look at the long-term bets, because the underdogs’ tennis accumulator tips are becoming significantly more important due to the strongly decimated field of participants.
With the start of the tournament, the variety of bets on offer increases at the same time. On the one hand, result tips come into focus, but also bets, such as Number of games (set/match) in an encounter, handicap bets, or the result of a set. In the first rounds of the US Open, it is often not worthwhile to determine the winner of a match. Especially not when one of the favorites meets a clear outsider. Favorites, such as Novak Djokovic usually only get low odds for a win, so a winning bet often makes little sense. It is then better to look around for alternatives and look for cheaper opportunities. Again and again, underdogs use the big stage to prove their skills. The players like to grow beyond themselves and wrestle at least one sentence from the favorite at the end. Our recommendation is, therefore, to always take a look at the handicap or set bets offered.
Favorites of the US Open 2020
Before a major sporting event like the US Open, there is always a lot of discussion about the possible winners. With the gentlemen, the matter seems to be clear. After the cancellations of last year’s winner Rafael Nadal and Grand Slam record winner Roger Federer, everything points to the current number one in the world Novak Djokovic. The Djoker, who already triumphed at the Australian Open this year and celebrated his 19th Grand Slam success in Melbourne, is hoping for the fourth title in New York. The Serb last won the Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows in 2018. However, last year Djokovic only made it to the Round of 16 when he gave up the match against Stan Wawrinka. Another favorite among the men is, in any case, the Austrian Dominic Thiem (ATP 3), who feels just as comfortable on the hardcourt as the number one seed Novak Djokovic. The Russian Daniil Medvedev (ATP 5), the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (ATP 6) or Germany’s number one Alexander Zverev (ATP 7) also have title chances.
The question of which women’s favorite is not quite as clear-cut as with men. The bookmakers give tennis legend Serena Williams the best chance of winning the title, but many hungry players in the starting field can be dangerous for the 38-year-old American. The tennis icon’s last Grand Slam victory was four years ago, which makes it doubtful whether the 23-time Grand Slam winner will win another title in her career. Stubborn competitors like Ashleigh Barty, Simona Halep and four other players from the women’s top 10 are out this year, but with Karolina Pliskova (WTA 3), Sofia Kenin (WTA 4), Naomi Osaka (WTA 10), Petra Kvitova (WTA 12), Jennifer Brady (WTA 40) or Cori Gauff (WTA 50) have several strong players ready, all of whom could lay claim to the title.
Frequently Asked Questions – US Open 2020 FAQ
When will the US Open 2020 take place?
The US Open 2020 will take place from August 31 to September 13 this year. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there will be no qualifying round this year. As in every Grand Slam tournament, the main field of women and men consists of 128 starters. The double competition was reduced from 64 teams to 32 teams due to Corona. While the first round of the game starts on August 31, the women’s final is planned for September 12. The men’s winner will be determined one day later, on September 13th.
How many winning sets are played in the US Open?
In the women’s competition, two wins are enough to advance to the next round. It takes the gentlemen three winning sets to advance to the next level of the tournament. If it is 6: 6 in the decisive set, a regularly played tiebreak (up to 7 or two points ahead) decides whether to win or lose.
Can you watch the US Open on free TV or live stream?
Yes. The free TV broadcasts the top matches of the US Open on Eurosport 1 and via the free Eurosport player via live stream. Further matches will be broadcast on Eurosport 2.
Which German players will be at the US Open 2020?
Despite Corona-related uncertainty and some inconsistencies on the part of the organizers, several German players are going to start at the US Open. In the women’s competition, hopes are based on Angelique Kerber and Laura Siegemund, while Julia Görges and Andrea Petkovic have canceled their flights to New York. From the German men, Alexander Zverez, Jan-Lennard-Struff, and Philipp Kohlschreiber can be seen in Flushing Meadows.
