Back in the mid-2000s, Grand Slam tournaments in men’s tennis were little more than foregone conclusions while a while host of women battled it out for titles th tournaments that were mostly wide-open. Roger Federer was at the peak of his power, but the Williams sisters at times grew tired of their dominance and instead focused on off-the-court endeavors.

Now the script is flipped. The first three majors of 2013 have been split by three different men, and the last four—counting Federer at Wimbledon in 2012—have been won by four different players. Other contenders like Juan Martin Del Potro and Tomas Berdych, combined with the lack of one dominant player at the top, make for a realistic chance of the stretch reaching five.

Three winners have also made their presence felt on the women’s side (Victoria Azarenka in Australia, Serena Williams at the French Open, and the now-retired Marion Bartoli at the All-England Club), but it’s not the same. Serena’s losses in Melbourne and London were absolute stunners. Aside from those, she has been a dominant force on tour and—for good reason—goes to New York as a heavy US Open favorite.

All odds provided by Bovada Sportsbook

MEN’S

FAVORITE

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal (+200) – Nadal was the third choice behind Djokovic and Andy Murray until he went on a torrid run through both Montreal and Cincinnati en route to back-to-back Masters 1000 titles. The second-ranked Spaniard is undefeated on hard courts in 2013. Djokovic, though, has reached the final of two Grand Slams this season (won the Australian Open). The one in which he fell before the title match was Roland Garros, where he lost to Nadal in a five-set semifinal thriller.

HOT

John Isner (+5000) – Saying Isner enjoys summers in the United States is like saying teenage girls enjoy Justin Bieber. This is always the big man’s favorite time of year, and 2013 is proving to be no different. After Wimbledon, Isner was 16-15. Since Wimbledon, he is 16-4—including 16-2 on hard courts in the USA, with a title in Atlanta and runner-up showings in Washington, D.C. and Cincinnati. The bad news for Isner is that he could have to face Nadal in the fourth round.

DARK HORSE

Juan Martin Del Potro (+1000) – Del Potro may not be 100 percent due to recent back and wrist problems, but he almost never is. The 2009 US Open champion reached the quarterfinals last year in even worse physical condition and even gave Djokovic a run for his money. Del Potro triumphed in Washington, D.C. before reaching the Cincinnati semifinals—where he had a match point on his own serve against Isner.

VALUE VILLAGE

Andy Murray (+275) – Murray has not done anything since Wimbledon, but he also played poorly at the Cincinnati event in 2012, and that did not exactly turn out to mean much. The Scot won this thing last year, and he now heads into New York as a two-time Grand Slam champion. Murray has been to the final of his last four major appearances, winning two titles.

2013 US Open Picks: Men’s Winner

Djokovic – Watching Murray land in his half of the draw for a potential semifinal is not good news for Djokovic, but at least he won’t have to go through both Nadal and Federer. Djokovic’s Montreal thriller against Nadal came down to no more than one or two points, so the story heading into the year’s final Grand Slam could easily be much, much different. A Cincinnati loss to Isner was not encouraging, but it only means more rest for the Open.

WOMEN’S

FAVORITE

Serena Williams (-135) – Serena is a ridiculous 60-4 this season. One of her losses came earlier this month in the Cincinnati final to Victoria Azarenka, but a minor abdominal injury plagued the American throughout the week, and she still came within one game of the title.

HOT

Simona Halep (+8000) – Best known for getting a breast reduction, Halep is now letting her tennis do the talking. The Romanian won a clay-court title last month in Bucharest, reached the Cincinnati quarterfinals (lost to Serena), and on Saturday she upset Petra Kvitova in the New Haven final.

DARK HORSE

Caroline Wozniacki (+4000) – Not unlike golfer boyfriend Rory McIlroy, Wozniacki has never been at her best when expectations are highest. It has been a mostly dismal year for the love-struck superstars, but they may be slowly rounding into form at the same time. Wozniacki advanced to the Cincinnati quarters (lost to Azarenka) and made a run to the New Haven semis (lost to Halep). Furthermore, her US Open draw is ideal. Sara Errani is the highest-ranked player in her quarter, and Serena is on the other side of the bracket.  

VALUE VILLAGE

Samantha Stosur (+2500) – Stosur won the US Open in 2011, so she knows how it’s done. The Aussie is also a former French Open runner-up (2010). She may not be playing her very best right now, but Stosur did capture the Carlsbad title earlier this month (beat Azarenka in the final). Stosur could play Azarenka in the quarterfinals in New York, but the good news is they are in the half opposite Serena.

US Open Picks: Women’s Winner

Williams – It is simply unwise to pick against Serena. With Maria Sharapova out of the tournament, the world No. 1’s path is about as easy as it gets. The abdominal issue is really her only opponent worthy of concern, but it does not appear to be serious in the least. To cap it all off, Serena is a four-time US Open champion—which includes the 2012 title.

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Read more articles by Ricky Dimon