Venus Williams vs. Olga Danilovic Prediction, Odds and Best Bets (Australian Open 2026, Round of 128, January 18)

45-year-old WTA legend starts her 22nd AO campaign.

American icon Venus Williams makes a mouth-watering return to the Australian Open 2026 with a massive Round of 128 encounter against Olga Danilovic of Serbia. The left-hander will enter Melbourne Park on the back of a quarterfinal showing in Hobart, and was also a pre-quarterfinalist at this major in 2025. But as a two-time finalist, Williams won’t make it easy for the youngster to advance to the second round.

Venus Williams will start her 22nd career Australian Open against Olga Danilovic! pic.twitter.com/8mnu0ZTyUe
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) January 15, 2026

At the age of 45, Venus Williams continues to inspire women around the world. The former World No. 1 has won over 800 contests throughout her career – including seven Grand Slams and an Olympic gold medal in women’s singles. Although Danilovic is yet to face Williams on the WTA Tour, she is a former Top-35 starlet. With two singles championships to her name, the Serb will begin this duel as the favorite.

Venus Williams' R1 opponent at the 1998 Australian Open, her first appearance in Melbourne:

World No.68 Alexia Dechaume Balleret

Venus Williams' R1 opponent at the 2026 Australian Open:

World No.68 Olga Danilovic
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) January 15, 2026

According to the tennis betting odds, Olga Danilovic is the BetMGM favorite to win this match at -590. Venus Williams is an underdog with pre-match odds of +400 on BetMGM. Here’s how we are betting on this highly anticipated contest on John Cain Arena, including our best bets, supporting odds and a set-score prop for bigger prices.

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Tournament & Round: Australian Open 2026, Round of 128
Surface: Outdoor Hard Court
Format: Women’s Singles, Best of Three Sets
Date & Start Time: January 18, 19:00 Local (Approx., Subject to Change)
Court: John Cain Arena, Melbourne
Best Bet: Olga Danilovic -1.5 Sets @ -190 as per BetMGM

Venus Williams vs Olga Danilovic Betting Odds

Given below are the latest odds for Venus Williams vs Olga Danilovic from the top sportsbooks. We are looking at the match money line, game handicap and total games, plus some set betting markets where available.

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Market	BetMGM	FanDuel
Moneyline	Williams (+400), Danilović (-590)	Williams (+490), Danilović (-720)
Game Handicap	Williams +5.5 (-113), Danilović -5.5 (-115)	Williams +5.5 (-108), Danilović -5.5 (-126)
Total Games	>19.5 (-113), <19.5 (-115)	>19.5 (-110), <19.5 (-126)
Set Betting	Danilović 2-0 (-195)	Danilović 2-0 (-210)

Venus Williams vs Olga Danilovic Predictions & Picks

Our Pick: Olga Danilovic -1.5 Sets at -190

Danilovic is over two decades younger than her opponent on Sunday, and has considerably superior court coverage. While her service game success rate of 72% ranks in the mid tier of the women’s tour, the Serbian southpaw likes to dictate play on the return games. Williams’ second serve could be under siege – the American made just 55% first serves and won 30% points on her second serve.

When it comes to recent form, Danilovic has reached the quarterfinals in her last two events. She is ranked at No. 68 in the world as compared to No. 145 for the seven-time major champion. With Williams having last won a singles encounter in July 2025, placing your bets on a straight sets victory for Olga Danilovic is a low risk proposition.

Venus Williams Recent Form

ASB Classic 2026: Round of 32
US Open 2025: Round of 128
Cincinnati Open 2025: Round of 128
Citi DC Open 2025: Round of 16
Miami Open 2025: Round of 128

Olga Danilovic Recent Form

Hobart International 2026: Quarterfinal
Japan Open 2025: Quarterfinal
Wuhan Open 2025: Round of 64
US Open 2025: Round of 128
Cincinnati Open 2025: Round of 64

Venus Williams vs Olga Danilovic Head to Head Record

The head-to-head record between Williams and Danilovic is 0-0. There is no available record of their past rivalry on the WTA circuit.

How to Watch Venus Williams vs Olga Danilovic at the Australian Open 2026?

The Australian Open 2026 can be viewed live on a variety of streaming platforms and TV channels across the world. This includes Tennis Channel, Stan Sport, ESPN International, TSN, beIN Sports, SuperSport, Canal+, Sony Sports, Eurosport and TNT Sports – depending on where you are watching from.

Date	January 18, 2026
Time	19:00 Local (Approx.)
Tournament	Australian Open 2026, Round of 128
Surface	Outdoor Hard Court
Court	John Cain Arena, Melbourne
TV/Streaming	Tennis Channel, Stan Sport, ESPN International, TSN, beIN Sports, SuperSport, Canal+, Sony Sports, Eurosport, TNT Sports

(Image Credits: Geoff Burke, Imagn Images)

Sankalp Harikrishnan

A passionate sports fan through and through, I am currently pursuing my MA in Global Sports Journalism. I specialise in tennis and football writing at The Playoffs News, and I have prior experience working at EssentiallySports and Sportskeeda. Born and raised in Bengaluru, India, sport was my safe space right from my childhood. After trying my hand at multiple sports and representing my educational institutions in cricket, badminton and table tennis, I found sports media to be my calling.