American Men Long Shots (Again) to Win Wimbledon

Roger Federer will be defending his Wimbledon title and shooting for his ninth championship at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club as this year’s tournament starts Monday and runs through July 15. Let’s take a look at the notables and the long shots as well as the corresponding odds.

Roger Dodger Now an Old Codger

In most other lines of work, 36 years old would be considered young but in the world of professional sports, it is oftentimes the age of retirement. However, Roger Federer is unlike most people in so many ways and it wouldn’t be surprising if he continued to dominate the world of tennis for at least a few more years.

That said, there may be a few tacit tell-tale signs that the man with a record 20 Grand Slam championships and eight Wimbledon titles under his belt may be slipping ever so slightly. Yes, it’s almost ludicrous to infer as Federer is not only the reigning Wimbledon champ but won the Australian Open over No. 6 seed Marin Čilić in five sets earlier this year. But over the course of his last four events, he has failed to win in three with his most recent loss coming to 21-year-old Croat Borna Ćorić last week at the grass-court warm-up Gerry Weber Open. Most of the Wimbledon field would be happy to be Roger Federer on a bad day vs. their best on a good day. However, Wimbledon will truly illustrate which way the wind is blowing for Roger and whether he will prevail atop the leader board when the year is done.

It should also be noted that Federer’s path to victory at Wimbledon last year was easy and breezy as he avoided playing top seed Andy Murray as well as No. 2 seed Novak Djokovic, No. 4 seed Rafael Nadal, and No. 5 seed Stan Wawrinka. In fact, the highest-seeded player that the third-seeded Federer battled was No. 6 Milos Raonic in the quarterfinals.

Nevertheless, Federer is seeded No. 1 in a Grand Slam event for the first time since the 2012 U.S. Open. Chances are pretty good that he will run into more experienced and talented foes as the tournament progresses this time around because this is the first time that the fearsome foursome of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray are competing in the grand Slam event since last year’s Wimbledon. The 2016 champ Andy Murray has been hampered with injuries but the current odds reflect the Brit at +1600 to win his third Wimbledon crown.

Odds Say American Men No Threat, But Serena Rules Women

Unfortunately for those in the States, it is highly unlikely we will be rooting for an American man once the tournament reaches the quarterfinals and beyond. John Isner, currently ranked No. 10 in the world and seeded ninth at Wimbledon, is perhaps our best hope after coming off his first ATP World Masters 1000 title at the Miami Open in the spring. Federer competed in that event as well but fell in the second round to Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis. After Isner, there isn’t much to say on the American front unless the likes of Sam Querrey or the legendary Jack Sock turn you on. This will come down to Federer and the Lou Gehrig to his Babe Ruth, Nadal, with a smattering of other dangerous opponents in Marin Čilić, Alexander Zverev or even the South African with the American sounding name Kevin Anderson.

On the women’s side, we have a rooting interest in Serena Williams, who was virtually inactive throughout 2017 due to her pregnancy and that sabbatical has spiked the odds on her as the second favorite to win Wimbledon behind Petra Kvitova. Speaking of odds, if you’re inclined to place a vested interest on the action at Wimbledon then turn your tennis lovin’ eyes to Sportsbook Review.

Over at SBR, they have all the odds from the best online sportsbooks in the world at your disposal. For instance, this year you can get Serena at a nifty +600 (meaning a $100 bet will net you a $600 return) while Federer is the favorite in the men’s division at about +180 depending on where you shop for your lines. If you’ve got a hunch then bet a bunch because Wimbledon is looming and you don’t want to watch your pick to win capture Wimbledon without making a few bucks yourself! SBR also is offering a Wimbledon contest.