No player on the WTA has a more overwhelming arsenal than Aryna Sabalenka.
The Belarusian can put you on the back foot with her serve and her powerful groundstrokes and, if she’s on her game, her aggressive style can drain the life out of her opponents.
Sabalenka’s talent has never been in question, but her ability to hold her nerves in big moments has held her back throughout her career.
Those issues seemed to be behind Sabalenka after she finally won her first Grand Slam, but they re-emerged last month at Roland Garros.
Even when it looked like the door was open for Sabalenka to get back into that match, she would make a critical error to cede momentum right back to Gauff.
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Aryna Sabalenka | -275 |
| Amanda Anisimova | +220 |
It wouldn’t be a shock to see a similar script play out against Amanda Anisimova, who is playing the best tennis of her career.
The 27-year-old looked to be in cruise control en route to the title at the French Open, but she was admittedly flat in the Final against Coco Gauff.
After putting her tennis career on hold in 2023 to focus on her mental wellbeing, Anisimova has found her level over the last calendar year, going 43-17 overall and 11-2 on grass.
There were questions a year ago about whether Anisimova would ever fulfill the promise from the early stages of her career, but now it seems like the sky is the limit for the native of Freehold, N.J.
It may be discouraging for bettors that Anisimova lost to Sabalenka in straights at the French Open, but the conditions at Wimbledon should suit her more than the clay at Roland Garros.
Perhaps Sabalenka, the World No. 1, plays right through Anisimova, but the American’s form and her opponent’s tendency to lose her cool make her a live underdog at a tempting price Thursday.
The Play: Anisimova (+220, bet365)
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.