We have a new favorite to win the US Open, and his name is Kick Kyrgios, the man that just defeated World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev.
In fact, Kyrgios has never been favored to win a Grand Slam at any point in his career. This is the first time that he's been the leader to take home one of the four pinnacle events on the tennis calendar.
The Aussie made the first Grand Slam final of his career earlier this season at Wimbledon. However — even in the final when he played against Novak Djokovic — Kyrgios was +340 to win the grass-court Slam.
Now heading into the quarterfinals of the US Open, Kyrgios is listed at +200 at FanDuel to capture the title.
The 27-year old has always been one of the most talented players in the game since he burst onto the scene with a 2014 upset victory over Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon.
However, his career has been dominated by frequent dramatic and questionable moments. A quick YouTube search reveals a batch of compilations to the crazy moments of his career, but Kyrgios has finally become a reliable professional on the tennis court.
It's been impressive to see him mature on the court, with Kyrgios noting after his win over Medvedev that he's taken a considerably more professional approach to tennis.
That has been reflected in the reliability and consistency of the tennis that he's played, even if the dramatic outbursts and moments are still there.
Behind Kyrgios on the oddsboard is Rafael Nadal (+260) and Carlos Alcaraz (+350).
Nadal was slated to face off with Kyrgios in the Wimbledon semifinals, but he was forced to give Kyrgios a walkover into the final due to a torn abdominal muscle.
Alcaraz is still looking for a Grand Slam breakthrough. I say 'still' even though he's just 19-years old. The teenager has already risen to World No. 4, but his best result at a Slam is the quarters at the US Open last year and at the French Open earlier in 2022.
The World No. 1 is in play for both Alcaraz and Nadal if either can win the title.
