Wimbledon is just around the corner. The grand slam of the grand slams begins July 1 and WV sportsbooks are ready to accept your bets.
Sports betting on Wimbledon in WV
Although there are four grand slam events throughout the year, Wimbledon is the crown jewel.
This event is considered the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world, attracting the world’s best players on the court and royalty in the stands.
Sports betting in West Virginia may be limited, but there are options for the tennis betting aficionados out there:
- Hollywood Casino Sportsbook
- Mountaineer Sportsbook
- FanDuel Sportsbook at The Greenbrier
Even though FanDuel, DraftKings, and William Hill sportsbooks are approved for online betting in WV, it is still a dream waiting to come true. And of course, Mardi Gras and Wheeling Island sportsbooks remain closed pending litigation against its sports betting provider.
The good news is that Pennsylvania online betting is live for those bettors near the northern border.
Here is what you need to know about the tournament:
- Qualifying rounds: June 25 – June 28
- Tournament dates: July 1 – July 14
- Ladies’ Singles Final: July 13
- Gentlemen’s Singles Final: July 14
Where to watch Wimbledon in WV
Of course, WV casinos will have tennis on their screens, this is especially true for the three active sportsbooks.
US viewers can catch the action on ESPN and ESPN2.
Eurosport and Amazon Prime subscribers can watch highlights online.
Exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes action on the Wimbledon YouTube Channel.
Wimbledon sports betting considerations
Two of the four grand slams events have been played this year. The Australian Open took place in January and February and the French Open in May and June.
In these first two grand slam tournaments of 2019, the reigning champions continue to dominate on the men’s side. However, on the women’s side new, younger players are moving in.
Tennis betting can be challenging because the results are both predictable and full of unknowns. This makes understanding the nuances of the sport even more important.
A predictable Wimbledon gentlemen’s draw
The oddsmakers have picked their three favorites:
- Novak Djokovic
- Roger Federer
- Rafael Nadal
There are no surprises here.
Here’s why:
- 2019 French Open: Rafael Nadal
- 2019 Australian Open: Novak Djokovic
- 2018 US Open: Novak Djokovic
- 2018 Wimbledon: Novak Djokovic
- 2018 French Open: Rafael Nadal
- 2018 Australian Open: Roger Federer
You can see why the odds are on these three.
Unpredictable Wimbledon ladies’ draw
It’s the ladies’ draw that is going to be keeping bettors up at night.
Here’s a look at the past ladies’ championships:
- 2019 French Open: Ashleigh Barty
- 2019 Australian Open: Naomi Osaka
- 2018 US Open: Naomi Osaka
- 2018 Wimbledon: Angelique Kerber
- 2018 French Open: Simona Halep
- 2018 Australian Open: Caroline Wozniacki
Osaka is the only player to manage more than one grand slam win in the last 18 months.
In fact, in the last 10 grand slams, nine different women have won. This is unusual and obviously makes predicting a winner unpredictable.
According to the betting odds, there are no strong favorites to win this year’s Wimbledon on the women’s side. While challenging, there is an opportunity to make a decent payday.
These predictable and unpredictable odds could be a forecast for some of the best men’s and women’s matches of the year, which also lends to the unpredictability of an assured outcome.
Wimbledon: Tennis’ most prestigious tournament
Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world. It began in 1877 at the All England Club in Wimbledon, England.
This year marks the 133rd men’s championship and the 126th ladies’ championship.
Wimbledon is the only grand slam tennis tournament played on grass, the traditional surface for tennis.
Both the men’s singles and women’s singles draw have 128 players.
Additionally, there are 128 players in each men’s and women’s doubles and 96 in the mixed doubles tournament.
Add in the juniors, seniors, and wheelchair events and there are more than 1,000 athletes competing at the event.
In total, over 675 matches of tennis will be played across the tournament. That opens a lot of opportunity for betting.
Wimbledon prize money
Prize money was first awarded at Wimbledon in 1968.
At that time, the gentlemen’s singles champion received £2,000 (equivalent to about £35,000 today) and the women’s singles champion receiving £750 (equal to about £13,000 today).
Needless to say, today’s prize money reflects the attitudes and traditions of the times.
The 2019 prize money will be £2,350,000 ($2,983,748 USD) for both the men singles champion and ladies singles champion. The 2019 prize money has not yet been determined.
Wimbledon is known for its traditions
Tradition is all important for Wimbledon. The tournament maintains its century-old all-white dress code.
Refreshingly, it continues to eschew advertising on or around the courts which are ubiquitous for other tennis tournaments around the world.
Another important tradition at Wimbledon is eating strawberries and cream. And fans eat a lot of it. In 2018, 166,055 portions were served, that represents over 1.6 million strawberries served up at Wimbledon.
Obviously, fans and players eat more than just strawberries and cream and Wimbledon is the largest sporting catering event in Europe.
Another tradition is the business partnership between Wimbledon and Slazenger. Slazenger is the official supplier of tennis balls to Wimbledon and has done so since 1902. This represents the longest partnership in the history of sporting goods history.
How does the All England Club keep the pigeons off the court? Meet Rufus.
Rufus is a Harris Hawk that flies over the tournament grounds in the morning before opening to warn local pigeons to stay away. Apparently, the pigeons comply.
The tradition of royalty
Wimbledon is so prestigious, that the Royal Family usually makes an appearance, including:
- Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
- Duchess of Sussex
- Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie
Wimbledon has even seen the Queen of England in attendance. Her Royal Highness came to see the action in 1957, 1962, 1977, and 2010.
Wimbledon had its first royal personages in the stands, known fondly as the Royal Box, shortly after it opened.
The soon-to-be King George V and Queen Mary, then the Prince and Princess of Wales, attended. Prince George loved it so much he became club president in 1907. Since that time a royal family member has been either president of the club or a patron.
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, is the current president of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. His duties, among others, include presenting the trophies to the men’s and ladies’ champions and runner-ups.
