The final Major of the year is upon us, as the WTA US Open begins play. Last year’s tournament had an incredible final, which featured Aryna Sabalenka outlasting Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5 to win her third major. She’s followed up with two more Major finals this year, but has yet to win a fourth. I aim to cover as many of the first-round matches as I can, but we start with the most competitive when it comes to betting opportunities. Let me know if you agree with my best bets in the comments section.
WTA U.S. Open
Tjen – Kudermetova: Time 19:00
H2H: 0-0
Janice Tjen and Veronika Kudermetova open up our article and will meet for the first time in their career. Tjen is an Indonesian wunderkind on a hardcourt. Her overall record is 58-10, and she’s 53-10 on a hardcourt. Kudermetova is coming off a semifinal appearance at WTA Cincinnati right before the WTA US Open, and a third-round performance in Montreal, both hardcourt tournaments. Tjen has won six ITF events this year, and she’s coming into the US Open after reaching back-to-back finals at ITF Landisville 2 and ITF Lexington right before that. She has been in nine finals in 2025. This is her first WTA US Open, but Kudermetova has participated in the WTA US Open since 2017, making the round of 16 in 2022.
Best Bet to Make
The books have Kudermetova as the favorite in this match by about a point and a quarter on most books. Tjen may be one of the more live underdogs with her dominance on a hardcourt, but the WTA is a different beast, especially at a Major. Kudermetova is also in fine form, having won seven of her last ten matches. Tjen keeps pace at 8-2, but only three of those wins took place at the WTA level, and all of them were in the WTA US Open qualifiers.
That being said, Kudermetova winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Kudermetova winning @1.5 @Betfair
Ostapenko – Wang: Time 20:30
H2H: 2-0
Jelena Ostapenko and Xiyu Wang have two prior matches, both of which were won by Ostapenko in three sets on a hardcourt. One happened in 2024 in the first round of WTA Dubai, and the other took place back in 2021 in the first round of WTA Miami. Despite being over 100 spots better than Wang in the world rankings, Ostapenko has always had to fight to the very end in matches with her. It’s usually the third set where Wang runs out of steam, almost always playing the first two sets to their numerical limits. Ostapenko made the quarterfinals of the WTA US Open in 2023, whereas Wang’s best showing was a 2022 third-round exit.
Best Bet to Make
The books have Ostapenko as a confident favorite. If you were looking at their ten-match recent form, you’d think Wang would have a better line. She’s 8-2 in her last ten while Ostapenko is just 5-5. Ostapenko does have hardcourt success in 2025. She was the runner-up to Amanda Anisimova at WTA Doha, and she had a tournament victory at WTA Stuttgart. Expect her to play another three-set war with Wang, but she should be able to dominate the third set as in years past.
That being said, Ostapenko winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Ostapenko winning @1.5 @1xBet
Kessler – Linette: Time 17:00
H2H: 1-0
McCartney Kessler and Magda Linette last met on December 29th, the very first event of the 2025 WTA season. Kessler took the match 6-4,6-4 in straight sets before going on to lose to Yulia Putintseva in the next round. Since then, Kessler has won two tournaments, one on hardcourt and one on grass. Linette has had a .500 year in 2025. Reaching the semifinals in Nottingham back in June was her best result of 2025, but she has played in the WTA US Open on fourteen different occasions, so it’s safe to say that she will put up a strong fight against the much younger Kessler.
Best Bet to Make
The books favor Kessler, and I agree in spades. Not only is Kessler having a much better year, but she’s also just a better player at this stage in Linette’s career. Linette also only has four wins in her last ten matches, and she’s struggled on a hardcourt in 2025. I expect Kessler to use impressive defensive play to stifle the veteran experience possessed by Linette. When she’s on her game, Kessler has proven herself to be as competent as the best in the world, and Linette should go down in straight sets.
That being said, Kessler winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Kessler winning @1.56 @1xBet
Main Photo Credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports
