The tennis world has been rocked! Coco Gauff? Eliminated. Jessica Pegula? Out of the tournament. The likes of Jasmine Paolini, Qinwen Zheng, and Madison Keys also joined the ranks of the fallen in the opening week of Wimbledon. On the men’s side, half of the top eight seeds faced a similar fate. It’s a rare occurrence, as it’s been nearly 25 years since so many seeded players exited this early in a Grand Slam.
Now, we turn our attention to the quarterfinals and the exciting championship weekend that lies ahead. Will more underdogs continue to rise? Or will the remaining seeded contenders reclaim their power?
Among the women, Gauff’s first-round exit stung bettors the hardest. Nearly 10% of wagers at BetMGM were on the young American, who entered Wimbledon bursting with confidence, fresh off her French Open triumph.
In this chaotic landscape, Aryna Sabalenka has emerged as the leading favorite. Initially priced at +290 to claim her first Wimbledon title at the BetMGM sportsbook, she now stands strong at -155, well ahead of No. 8 Iga Swiatek (+400), who advanced effortlessly in the Round of 16. Rising star Amanda Anisimova, the No. 13 seed, isn’t far behind at +800. She is set to face unseeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarters.
On the men’s side, the top competitors have stayed resolute but faced their own challenges.
Carlos Alcaraz, the No. 2 seed, currently holds the title of +115 favorite at BetMGM as he seeks a third championship at the All England Club. While not in his absolute best form, Alcaraz, who has not tasted defeat since April, showcased his renowned grit by coming back from behind in the Round of 16. He will go up against Britain’s last hope, world No. 61 Cameron Norrie (+6600), in the quarterfinals.
All eyes may be focused on a potential final showdown between Alcaraz and his rival, No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner, now priced at +135. Sinner advanced after a dramatic recovery against Grigor Dimitrov, who retired due to a pectoral injury after taking the lead. Yet, if the first week at Wimbledon taught us anything, it’s that no top seed is guaranteed safety.
Novak Djokovic, aiming to disrupt the Alcaraz-Sinner narrative, made headlines as he mounted a comeback following a dismal first set, the worst he’s ever experienced at Wimbledon, to defeat No. 11 seed Alex De Minaur in four sets.
At 38, Djokovic becomes the third-oldest player in the Open Era to progress to the Wimbledon quarters. With odds of +375 at BetMGM, he remains somewhat of a long shot for his 25th Grand Slam title—yet this tournament has truly been a stage for the underdog.
