Temperatures well into the 90s (35 Celsius) roasted the visitors at the Wimbledon Championships, and it apparently impacted the players as well. Two of the women’s top‑3 seeds and five of the men’s top‑10 were ousted early.
The biggest upset was of French Open champion Coco Gauff, who fell in straight sets to unseeded Ukrainian Yastremska. Her powerful baseline game overwhelmed Gauff, who committed 29 unforced errors and nine double faults.
Another American, third-seeded Jessica Pegula fell to world No. 116 Elisabetta Cocciaretto in under an hour, 6‑2, 6‑3. Pegula was a betting favorite because of her proclivity on the grass courts.
Fifth-seeded Qinwen Zheng suffered her third straight first‑round Wimbledon exit, falling to doubles specialist Kateřina Siniaková 7‑5, 4‑6, 6‑1.
It was an equal bloodbath on the men’s side with third-seeded Alexander Zverev losing in a five-set showdown to Arthur Rinderknech.
But seeded players were a curse this year, with a total of 13 men’s seeds eliminated, setting a new Wimbledon record.
Adjusting Wagers
So, if the first-round upsets destroyed your futures bets, where do we go from here?
On the men’s bracket, the top few seeds are still alive, with Carlos Alcaraz still the heavy favorite at +120. Italian Jannik Sinner is next at +160 and Novak Djokovic at +650. Brit Jack Draper was the local favorite at +1000 but failed in the second round, and American Taylor Fritz at +2000.
Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, also #1 in the world, is the favorite on the women’s side at +200. With Gauss’ exit, Elena Rybakina moves up at +400, followed by Pole Iga Swiatek at +800.
And of course, you can play the individual matches, some of which have been impacted by the first-round upsets and can offer better value. Beware of trying to ride the train of the upsetters. Very often, their Wimbledon is over with such a dramatic victory, and their effort in subsequent matches lags.
Now that the field has been narrowed, here’s a parlay that makes sense.
Bet Alcaraz to win and over 40.5 games in the final. If he faces either Djokovic or Sinner, expect a long, fiercely contested final—as seen in previous matchups. Alcaraz at +120 and the over at even money will get you a decent return, but how about adding a third leg that would dramatically increase the payout?
Still In Play
With two of the three top seeds out on the women’s side, bet the Russian, Mirra Andreeva to win at +1500. Or how about the men’s dark horse, American Taylor Fritz at +1800 to make the final or to win.
Either leg would be more risky, but the returns would be worth it if it hits.
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