[sc:AUS15-250 ]2015 was a near miss for Serena Williams. She was having a career year, winning the Australian and French Opens as well as Wimbledon. The only thing missing was a victory at the U.S. Open for a historic Grand Slam. But Williams will have to wait for another shot; she lost in the semifinals against a substantial underdog, Roberta Vinci, in the final Grand Slam tournament of the year.
Can Williams get a shot at another calendar Grand Slam? If not, how many will she win? Read on as we take a look at Williams’ chances for each of the major tournaments this season.
If you’re looking to make money on tennis, then check out our complete previews for the Australian Open’s Men’s and Women’s Singles Draws.
[sc:TennisArticles ]Serena Williams’ 2016 Grand Slam Preview
Australian Open
[sc:Other240banner ]Serena Williams has been the most dominant Women’s Singles player the past couple of years. She was absolutely incredible last season, going a stellar 50-3 to win 17 singles titles, including three Grand Slams. Williams is the unquestioned +175 favorite heading into this year’s Australian Open. But a nagging knee injury could have her vulnerable. She’s already pulled out of the Brisbane warmup tournament due to injury concerns.
If Williams is to lose a Grand Slam, then it may be the Australian Open. She has only won the event once (last year) since 2010.
French Open
There’s no question that Williams is the most powerful player in Women’s Singles. While her power translates very well on hard courts (Australian Open, U.S. Open) and grass courts (Wimbledon), it won’t help her much when she plays on clay. Roland Garros is the only Grand Slam tournament, which Williams struggles in.
Williams has just three French Open titles in her career, whereas she’s won each of the other three Grand Slams six times. Despite playing with less power on clay, Williams has still won this tournament in two of the past three years.
Wimbledon
Williams has been a slow starter when it comes to the calendar year. She seems to start heating up when it’s time to don her white outfits for Wimbledon. Williams has won three of the last Wimbledon Championships in the past six years. Most recently, Williams won Wimbledon in 2015, defeating Maria Sharapova in the semifinals and Garbine Muguruza in the final.
Williams should have one of her best games at Wimbledon, especially if she’s able to get over the injury issues that are plaguing her right now.
U.S. Open
Williams has been at her best when at home in the United States. She had won three straight U.S. Open titles from 2012-2014. Williams was on her way to a historic calendar Grand Slam last year, but she ultimately bowed down to Roberta Vinci in the semifinals of the 2015 U.S. Open. She’ll have the sting of that loss motivating her to greater heights this season.
It’s incredibly tough to beat Williams at the U.S. Open. It tournament is played on hard surfaces, which Williams loves to utilize for her speed and power. You can already count the U.S. Open as a victory for Williams as early as now.
Writer’s Prediction
Wimbledon and the U.S. Open are Williams’ strongest tournaments. You can already lock on her +275 line of winning two Grand Slams this year. But the price of +800 to win three Grand Slams is too tasty to ignore, especially if you already bet her to win two to cover potential losses.
Create a betting account now and get started on a big tennis season ahead.
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