Women’s tennis heads to Dubai next week for the first WTA 1000 event of the year. With this being the third Middle Eastern event in as many weeks, there are plenty of women who head into this tournament playing good tennis and eager to add more wins to their records this year.
Iga Swiatek will lead the field this week with nine of the world’s top ten players participating as well. Jelena Ostapenko will be eager to try defend her title, but with Aryna Sabalenka playing for the first time since winning the Australian Open and plenty of other women in excellent form, she’ll have a tough challenge on her hands.
We look at all the best bets to place ahead of the first ball being served this Sunday and break down the 2023 Dubai Open tennis odds with bookmaker William Hill.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: February 18th, 8:00 P.M. (GMT)
Bookmaker William Hill has Iga Swiatek clearly ahead in the outright winner odds and for good reason. Last week in Doha, Swiatek cruised to her second straight title in Qatar while losing only five games across the entire tournament. In each of her matches, she achieved at least one bagel set, and the most games any women was able to get off her all week was three. With odds of 2.75 and stepping out onto the court in similar conditions again this week, Swiatek is the heavy favourite to continue her fine form and win again in Dubai.
The main difference between Dubai and Doha is the return of Aryna Sabalenka for the first time since the Belarusian won the Australian Open. Sabalenka is 11-0 in 2023, having won the Adelaide International 1 prior to claiming the first Grand Slam of the year as well. The World No. 2 sits on the opposite side of the draw to Iga Swiatek. Although not a fortune-teller, this week already has a feeling of these two being on a collision course for the final. With odds of 5.50, Sabalenka is the clear second favourite to win in Dubai.
Other betting favourites are Jessica Pegula and Elena Rybakina. Both women have been playing strong tennis recently, and despite Pegula being higher in the odds at 12.00 compared to Rybakina’s 15.00, Rybakina would be the better bet here. The Kazakh managed to knock Swiatek out in the Australian Open and is placed in the Pole’s half of the draw in Dubai. Pegula, on the other hand, was swept aside 6-3, 6-0 yesterday in the Doha final by the World No. 1.
