It’s been a busy start to the season so far for the WTA Tour, with three WTA 500 events and a Grand Slam already. With the year barely six weeks old, the first WTA 1000 event will take place in Qatar this week, with the best of the WTA Tour heading to Doha for a week of non-stop tennis action.
Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina all head to Doha with thoughts of adding to their trophy cabinet. Both Swiatek and Rybakina suffered disappointing losses in Melbourne a fortnight ago, while Gauff made another impressive run to the semi-finals. However, with Rybakina winning again in Abu Dhabi last week, and Swiatek typically unstoppable at this time of year, who will come out on top?
We break down the latest odds from bookmaker bet365 ahead of the Qatar Open 2024 and outline the best bets to make on the first WTA 1000 event of the year.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: February 12th, 3:30 A.M. (GMT)
Outright betting odds reflect the reality of the Qatar Open, which is that this is very much a three-horse race. Iga Swiatek leads at 3.10, closely followed by Coco Gauff on 4.75 and Elena Rybakina on 5.00. Behind these three, the odds jump enormously at bookmaker bet365, with Qinwen Zheng the fourth favourite on 17.00. Barbora Krejcikova rounds out the top five on 19.00.
Given that Gauff and Rybakina are both in the bottom half of the draw, the most likely final is either Swiatek vs. Rybakina or Swiatek vs. Gauff. Both return 7.00, with the next best being Swiatek vs. Zheng at 21.00.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: February 12th, 3:30 A.M. (GMT)
In terms of the best bets to make here, we say betting on a Swiatek vs. Gauff final is the best bet to make on the Qatar Open. Swiatek will be disappointed to have lost in the third round of the Australian Open, however, that loss was her first in 19 matches. The Pole is still No.1 in the world, and in excellent form. She usually thrives at this time of the year in the Middle East and should make a run to the final in Doha at least.
We see Gauff being the more likely one to make the final out of her and Rybakina. This is because Rybakina has shown a little inconsistency already this year. She looked on fire early when she started the season by defeating Aryna Sabalenka 6-0, 6-3 in the Brisbane International final, however, she followed that up with two early losses in Adelaide and Melbourne. Now that she’s just own in Abu Dhabi, it would be easy to see a repeat in Doha with an early loss.
Gauff, on the other hand, has been a picture of consistency the past five months. The American is 10-1 for the season, having won in Auckland and made the Australian Open semi-finals. Expect her to make the final, and then against Swiatek, it’s a coin toss for who wins. Bet on a Swiatek vs. Gauff final, however, and you’ll receive 7.00 regardless of who takes out the match.
