WTA Wimbledon first-round play begins. For many, this is the crown jewel of all tennis tournaments, known locally as The Championships. The women’s tournament begins with Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina as the top two seeds. Still, they are not playing well and are not entering the All-England Club with much of any confidence. Iga Swiatek is the defending champion but is not playing well, either. There are a lot of questions in the women’s tournament, and there is a real chance the tournament will be as unpredictable as the French Open was a few weeks ago, with Mirra Andreeva playing Maja Chwalinska in a very unexpected final. What will happen at Wimbledon? There’s a lot of uncertainty, which should create a very exciting tournament. LWOS has our best bet for three matches. Post your best bets and thoughts in the comments.
WTA Wimbledon
Andreescu – Zhang: 8:00 EST
H2H: 0-0
This will be a very emotional WTA Wimbledon moment for Bianca Andreescu. The 2019 US Open champion has seen her career get derailed by a series of injuries. She just has not been able to stay healthy for long periods of time, and that will unavoidably affect anyone’s ability to compete at a high level. Andreescu will go through powerful emotions here because her appearance in the main draw of WTA Wimbledon will mark her first main draw appearance at a major tournament since the 2024 US Open. She didn’t qualify for any major tournament main draw in 2025, and she lost in the qualifying at Roland-Garros in May. This is a very big deal for her. Andreescu made it through three rounds of qualifying at Roehampton to get back to Wimbledon. Let’s see what she is able to do as the betting favorite against Shuai Zhang.
Best Bet to Make
This is not an easy match to call. Andreescu did well in qualifying, but Zhang has won four grass matches this season, so she is confident and capable, too. Andreescu is not a heavy favorite, but she is a clear favorite. This is not priced as anything close to a toss-up. One thing to note about both players is that they have lost to quality opponents in this grass season. Zhang has lost to Karolina Muchova and Alexandra Eala. Andreescu has lost to Elise Mertens. Those are good, solid players. You could go with the over 2.5 set bet, but we think that a more strategic approach is warranted here. You could fold Zhang plus 1.5 sets into a parlay for the modest price of 1.55. Our standalone bet, however, is Andreescu winning at 1.64. You get a slightly better price, and you have the chance to cash two tickets if you put Zhang’s set spread bet into a parlay. We think Andreescu’s wave of confidence will carry into this WTA Wimbledon match.
That being said, betting on Andreescu winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Andreescu winning @1.64 @1xbet
Ruzic – Raducanu: Time 8:00 EST
H2H: 1-0
Antonia Ruzic defeated Emma Raducanu earlier this year in Dubai. That might seem to be a good reason to pick Ruzic here, but before you do that, consider that Raducanu had not yet changed coaches, something she did later in the 2026 season. Raducanu was profoundly struggling at the time. She was performing poorly for most of the year. After her coaching change, however, she has begun to improve, going 4-1 on grass by reaching the Queen’s Club final before losing to Donna Vekic, who is a solid grass player and has been for some time. Ruzic does have four grass match victories of her own this year, so these are two solid professionals who know how to play lawn tennis.
Best Bet to Make
The price for Raducanu moneyline isn’t spectacular, but it’s just enough to warrant a wager. Raducanu looked very good on grass at Queen’s Club. She wisely chose to rest after making the run to the final. She played five matches and therefore got substantial match preparation for WTA Wimbledon. She didn’t need to play any more matches. She will have a very supportive crowd on hand to help her through any possible rough patches. Ruzic might be good enough to push this match to a third set, but Raducanu, having won four matches at Queen’s Club, showed that her form is improving and that her game is good enough to beat any opponent who is not clearly better than her right now. Ruzic is not clearly better. Raducanu moneyline feels like a very safe bet to make.
That being said, betting on Raducanu winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Raducanu winning @1.62 @betfair
Ostapenko – Dart: Time 8:00 EST
H2H: 1-0
Jelena Ostapenko used to be able to play well at WTA Wimbledon. She made the semifinals back in 2018, one year after she won Roland-Garros in 2017. Ostapenko once looked like a player who would consistently compete for major championships, but it just hasn’t turned out that way. She has become a player known for being inconsistent and not reliable. This is why tennis bettors always fear betting on Jelena Ostapenko to win a match by a large game spread or in straight sets. Ostapenko’s first-round opponent is Harriet Dart, who will be playing before a supportive British crowd but who has not done especially well on grass this season, going 1-4 in five matches. Will Dart be good enough to at least push Ostapenko into a third set, if not win outright?
Best Bet to Make
The risk of betting on Ostapenko in straight sets is always there, but the question you always have to ask is if her opponent is playing well enough to deserve respect. Harriet Dart, having lost four of five matches on grass, is not meeting that standard. She will have the crowd in her corner, so maybe you could put a game spread bet favoring Dart into a parlay, but for the single bet we recommend on this match, we aren’t getting fancy. Ostapenko should win this one in straight sets, and you’ll get a solid return on your investment if you win.
That being said, betting on Ostapenko winning 2:0 is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Ostapenko winning 2:0 @1.75 @1xbet
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
