The WTA Wimbledon first-round qualifying competition begins on Tuesday. It’s the most prestigious tournament in tennis, known as The Championships in Great Britain. One interesting thing about Wimbledon qualifying, as opposed to the main draw itself, is that qualifying is not held on the grounds of the All-England Club, where the main draw occurs. Qualifying is held at Roehampton. The reason for this is simple enough: Wimbledon wants its courts clean and not chewed up for the start of the main draw, which will be this year on Monday, June 29. Roehampton hosts three days of qualifying through Thursday. Many dozens of players will try to be part of the 128-member field for the summer’s big lawn tennis party. There is abundant Wimbledon coverage at Last Word on Sports. Here are LWOS’ best bets for three matches. Post your best bets and thoughts in the comments.
WTA Wimbledon
Minnen – Ferro: 6:00 EST
H2H: 2-1
Greetje Minnen faces Fiona Ferro. Minnen has played seven grass matches this month, whereas Ferro has played none. Ferro has played just two total matches since the end of Roland-Garros, neither on grass. She has played two total matches over the past four weeks. Minnen, in her seven grass matches, most of them in qualifying rounds at multiple tournaments, has won five of those matches. She knows how to play on grass. Ferro, if she is to win this match, will rely on the fact that she is physically fresher and has played a lot less tennis than her opponent in recent weeks.
Best Bet to Make
Minnen is the massive favorite here according to the betting markets, which is entirely appropriate. She is the far better player on grass. She is in solid grass form, having gone 5-2 in seven grass matches over the past few weeks. She is in rhythm, whereas Ferro has barely played and will probably be rusty. Ferro hasn’t played at all on grass this season, so it’s really hard to expect her to play well. Therefore, it’s hard to make a pro-Ferro bet from any angle. Minnen moneyline isn’t worth a whole lot, but Minnen in straight sets offers a very good price, so that is the play here.
That being said, betting on Minnen winning 2:0 is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Minnen winning 2:0 @1.83 @Coral
Salkova – Shymanovich: Time 6:00 EST
H2H: 0-1
Dominika Salkova faces Iryna Shymanovich. Salkova has not played a grass match this year. This will be her first grass match of 2026. Shymanovich has played only three grass matches, all at one small tournament, the Ilkley WTA 125 event. She did not play a 250 or a 500-point tournament on grass. Both players don’t lean into the grass season and focus on other surfaces. Salkova is ranked close to 90 spots higher than Shymanovich, which is why the betting markets have her as a clear but not overwhelming favorite. The betting angles for this match are really interesting, so read below for lots of options to consider.
Best Bet to Make
The best bet is our recommended standalone wager, and we will get to that in a moment. However, we do offer advice on parlay pieces for a multi-leg tennis bet. The best price for Salkova moneyline is 1.56. The best price for Shymanovich plus 1.5 sets is 1.65. You could actually fold those bets into separate parlays, with a decent chance of winning on both sides. Now for our standalone wager. If you think there’s a decent chance Shymanovich will win one set, you can go with over 2.5 sets. Neither player is that impressive, but Salkova is getting the benefit of the doubt from the markets and might be overvalued. Shymanovich has at least played three matches on grass, whereas Salkova is coming in cold. The idea that Shymanovich will push this to three sets seems very reasonable. If Salkova wins in three sets, you will win each of your two separate parlay legs and will also cash the main standalone bet.
That being said, betting on over 2.5 sets is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: over 2.5 sets @2.49 @Betsson
Pigossi – Dodin: Time 6:00 EST
H2H: 0-1
Laura Pigossi faces Oceane Dodin. This is a really interesting match given that Dodin is being priced as the clear favorite by the betting markets. Dodin is ranked roughly 230 spots lower than Pigossi, yet she is the favorite. Dodin is 1-4 in her last five matches, too, but the Dodin moneyline has a best price of 1.55. Pigossi is the moneyline underdog at 2.66. The markets are showing a lot of respect for a player who isn’t highly ranked and isn’t playing well right now. Pigossi is 2-3 in her last five matches, but that really isn’t a big deal since neither Pigossi nor Dodin has played at all on grass this year. Neither player knows what to expect on grass, and neither do a lot of fans.
Best Bet to Make
The basic reality of this match, both in general and from a betting perspective, is that both players are unknowns. They haven’t played on grass this year, they aren’t playing very well, and they haven’t played a lot of tennis since Roland-Garros. Given all of that, it seems Dodin is overpriced, so if you’re going to bet on a side, it should be Pigossi. However, the most obvious play for a match which feels so uncertain, between two players who are not in form and have not played on grass this year, is over 2.5 sets. This is a match that could easily go to a third set. You could grab Pigossi plus 1.5 sets as a parlay piece, but the best bet, our recommended standalone wager, is over 2.5 sets.
That being said, betting on over 2.5 sets is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: over 2.5 sets @2.50 @bet-at-home
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
