Three outside bets for the US Open men’s singles

As we enter August, the final Grand Slam of the 2022 tennis calendar looms on the horizon. That’s right, the US Open will take place at the iconic Flushing Meadows in New York City at the end of month and stateside fans of the sport will be eagerly anticipating their covid-free return to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

With the news that Wimbledon winner Novak Djokovic might be denied access to the United States due to his vaccination status and the fitness concerns surrounding 2019 US Open champion Rafael Nadal, there could be a shock in the US Open tennis odds this year — with several players on the hunt for their maiden Slam perhaps seeing this as their prime opportunity.

So, with that in mind, read on as we take a look at three players who could prove to be good outside bets for the US Open.

Nick Kyrgios – 25/1

Kicking things off with Nick Kyrgios, the Australian has been in inspired form so far this year and a maiden men’s singles Grand Slam title would be a just reward for the 27-year-old as he is finally starting to show the world that he can live up to his true potential.

It’s not yet clear how much that run to the final of Wimbledon has taken out of Kyrgios both physically and mentally, as he had to withdraw from the men’s singles at the Atlanta Open in his first tournament back. But he did win the doubles with his Aussie partner Thanasi Kokkinakis, which will be much needed boost for his confidence and fitness levels.

Kyrgios doesn’t have the best return at the US Open, never progressing past the third round, but he’s perhaps at his best on hard courts and on current form he has the potential to go all the way to successive Slam finals in New York.

Alexander Zverev – 13/1

Battling to be fit in time for the US Open after he tore his ankle ligaments in the semi-final of the French Open against Nadal, having to leave Roland Garros in a wheelchair following the nasty injury, Zverev could prove to be a good bet at 13/1 if his recovery goes to plan.

Second to Daniil Medvedev in the ATP singles rankings, Zverev has enjoyed runs to the latter stages of the US Open in recent years — blowing a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem in the 2020 final before suffering a semi-final defeat at the hands of eventual winner Medvedev last year.

If the German, who won Gold at last year’s Summer Olympics, can get back to full fitness before the end of the month then he will be in with a great chance of finally winning his long overdue first Slam.

Dominic Thiem – 25/1

Since his Slam breakthrough at the 2020 US Open, Thiem has struggled with injuries and inconsistent form — missing four of the last seven renewals of the four majors, including the defence of his stateside title, while he’s failed to progress further than the fourth round in the Slams he did appear in.

But after that difficult 14-month layoff due to a worse than expected wrist injury, which was a mental and physical battle for Thiem, the Austrian is finally starting to discover some form — reaching two quarter-finals and a semi-final in his last three tournaments.

Thiem was a regular in the business end of Slams before his injury, with three final appearances before his victory at Flushing Meadows, so if he can find a bit of rhythm before the end of the month, he might be in contention. The only concern is that it might come too soon for the 28-year-old.