Cincinnati Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Wednesday 19th August)

In a break compared with some of the other Masters events played through the course of the year, the Cincinnati Masters will have the entire Fourth Round played through Wednesday.

Manic Monday used to be the best day of the season when Wimbledon used to have the entirety of the Fourth Round played on a single day, but they have changed the schedule in SW19 and Cincinnati is one of those rare tournaments of this size that will have all of the top names in action over the course of several hours.

Of course it is also dependent on the weather with thundery conditions expected through much of the day and there is a significant chance that the majority of the Fourth Round matches are not completed.

Despite that, the Tennis Picks will be made as usual, although the short time between the end of the Third Round and one half of the draw having to play on consecutive days means there has not been the time to put the analysis down for every selection made.

Rafael Jodar - 3.5 games v Flavio Cobolli: He has had to dig in and come through a couple of very tough matches, but Rafael Jodar has managed to do that and continues producing a strong set of results during the hard court build up towards the US Open.

There will be a feeling of playing with 'house money' having somehow rallied to win his Second Round match against Denis Shapovalov, but credit has to be given to Rafael Jodar for taking advantage of any fortune that has come his way.

He is getting closer and closer to cracking the top 1o in the World Rankings for the first time and Rafael Jodar has to believe that is possible by the end of the season, while he may also harbour hopes of playing at the ATP Finals.

Winning this match against someone Ranked higher than himself would continue to the positive surge and Rafael Jodar has been set as the favourite against Flavio Cobolli.

The World Number 10 has won a couple of matches in Cincinnati to just rebuild some of the confidence that may have been lost since the disappointing Quarter Final defeat at Wimbledon. Flavio Cobolli did win the title in Acapulco, but would have a 6-8 record on the hard courts for the season if he had not won five matches at that event.

In reality, Flavio Cobolli is not quite doing enough behind serve or return, while the win over Alexander Blockx means he is just 2-3 in hard court matches against top 50 Ranked opponents. His numbers have been disappointing across those matches and Cobolli could find it tough to slow the momentum picked up by the teenager standing across the other side of the net.

The Italian can be tough to shake off with his ability to put a streaky run of points together within matches, but Rafael Jodar is playing at a level which is more than capable of producing a strong looking victory.

Thiago Agustin Tirante-Jakub Mensik over 0.5 tie-breakers: The conditions in Cincinnati have historically played faster than some of the other hard courts and both of these players have taken advantage of that by backing up huge serves and groundstrokes.

Thiago Agustin Tirante has already upset Novak Djokovic here as he built up pressure on the ailing former Champion through the serve.

He has already backed up the upset by winning his next match and the World Number 50 will continue his rise in the World Rankings by setting a new career best mark at the end of the tournament having coming into this one at his peak career Ranking.

Serving well will be key against Jakub Mensik, who has also used his delivery to strong effect throughout his time on the hard courts. He is a former Masters winner and Mensik is continuing to grow towards the very top of the sport with the potential to win Grand Slams very clear.

The lower Ranked player has played eight sets in Cincinnati this week and Thiago Agustin Tirante has played five tie-breakers in that time.

Jakub Mensik has only played a single tie-breaker in five sets, but it should be noted that both are very much stronger behind serve compared with return and this is a match that may feature plenty of easy service holds. Pressure at the back end of sets can do funny things, but there should be at least one tie-breaker played between them in the Fourth Round.

Jessica Pegula - 3.5 games v Sorana Cirstea: After dropping the first set, Sorana Cirstea did not look back in her Third Round crushing win over Anna Kalinskaya and the veteran will have picked up some confidence from earning consecutive victories.

The level is raised significantly in the Fourth Round when Cirstea is set to face Jessica Pegula, who has long been right in the mix for the biggest hard court titles.

Winning here in Cincinnati would lay a marker for the US Open, but Jessica Pegula will be aware she is still going to have to get through some difficult tests.

However, she will also be aware of not overlooking Sorana Cirstea who had put together such a strong first half of the season. Recent weeks have been tougher for a player that may see retirement looming over the horizon after announcing this will be the last year on the Tour and there is a case to be made that it has affected her recent performances.

She has always been a steady hard court player, but there is no doubt that Sorana Cirstea has found a new level this year.

In saying that, it may still not be quite as strong as Jessica Pegula can be on this surface and the more consistent tennis of the World Number 3 can help her breakthrough.

Elena Rybakina - 3.5 games v Diana Shnaider: Memories of the Semi Final loss at the French Open may have come flooding back for Diana Shnaider in the second set of her match against Maja Chwalinska and the higher Ranked player looked a little lost. She had dominated the first set and had missed multiple break points in consecutive return games early in the second set before Diana Shnaider dropped serve for the first time in the contest.

It rocked her and only a rain delay broke the negative momentu as Shnaider rallied on the return to the court and ultimately came through in straight sets.

Another level is going to have to be found if she is going to beat the Australian Open Champion Elena Rybakina in the Fourth Round.

The hard courts have long been a favoured surface of Rybakina's with her huge game perfectly suited to the surface. However, Elena Rybakina may have felt there has been an underperformance in terms of the results achieved before the Australian Open back in January, but she reached the Final in Toronto last week and is looking for another big run before the US Open begins.

If you are being critical of Elena Rybakina, you would say there is room for improvement on the return of serve- if she could move her returning points percentage by even a couple of points in a more favourable direction, Rybakina would be a player that is incredibly tough to beat.

Her current game is good enough to take care of most and the 21-3 record against those Ranked outside of the top 10 underlines that statement.

Diana Shnaider can cause problems, but facing the elite has been an issue on the hard courts and she has a 1-4 record in those matches in 2026. In those matches, the serve has been more vulnerable and Shnaider has struggled with her consistency on the return, while the sole previous meeting between the players ended in a routine win for Elena Rybakina on an indoor clay court in Stuttgart and we could see something similar here.

MY PICKS: Rafael Jodar - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 William Hill (1 Unit)

Thiago Agustin Tirante-Jakub Mensik Over 0.5 Tie-Breakers @ 1.66 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jessica Pegula - 3.5 Games @ 1.66 William Hill (1 Unit)

Elena Rybakina - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Coco Gauff - 4.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Madison Keys - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Aryna Sabalenka - 5.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Lorenzo Musetti - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Felix Auger Aliassime - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Cincinnati Update: 12-12, - 1.51 Units (20 Units Staked, - 7.55% Yield)

Cincinnati Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Tuesday 18th August)

For the second time at this tournament, a player has withdrawn from a match they were about to lose and that is now having a serious impact on the numbers.

Anna Kalinskaya retired at 7-6, 1-6, 0-5 on Monday to add to the Elena Gabriel Ruse retirement when three games away from losing her Second Round match on Saturday and it is frustrating.

Instead of two winners, which was looking incredibly likely, we have to void both and that has meant another mixed start.

Tuesday is the conclusion of the Third Round matches to be played and all will be hoping it is not a day impacted by too many rain delays- unfortunately there does look to be a real chance of some rain later in the afternoon (local time), but it should not prevent the schedule from being completed as planned.

At least the wind is not nearly as tough to deal with as it was this past weekend, which should give the players an opportunity to compete with confidence.

Andrey Rublev - 1.5 games v Nuno Borges: This will be the sixth time these two players have faced one another on the Tour and Nuno Borges is still looking to get the better of Andrey Rublev for the first time.

The most recent meeting came at the French Open and Andrey Rublev edged through in straight sets as he continued to win the big points when they were played.

It is a result that also means Andrey Rublev has won eleven of the twelve sets played between the pair, while all three hard court matches have been won in straight sets. The last of those came back in January in Hong Kong as the players prepared for the Australian Open and Andrey Rublev has been supremely dominant behind the serve.

The only nagging aspect going against this selection is that Andrey Rublev has been struggling for consistent form in recent weeks and he was beaten in the Second Round in Montreal last week. It was the fourth straight defeat in hard court matches, but Rublev will have exorcised some demons by beating Pablo Carreno Busta in the Second Round here, while also likely playing with plenty of confidence considering the head to head against Nuno Borges on the Tour.

Nuno Borges has come through a couple of matches in Cincinnati and had a decent run in Montreal last week, but he has struggled when facing top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts. The 3-5 record is a little disappointing and the World Number 47 may come up short against Andrey Rublev once again on Tuesday.

Lorenzo Musetti - 2.5 games v Michael Zheng: The return to the Tour has been pretty productive for Lorenzo Musetti with a couple of solid, if unspectacular, runs in Washington and Toronto before winning his Second Round match in Cincinnati.

The World Number 15 is in the midst of putting another solid year together on the hard courts, although that also means there is the pressure of defending the Ranking Points won last year to maintain a spot inside the top 20 of the World Rankings.

Lorenzo Musetti is down as the favourite to beat Michael Zheng who came through the Qualifiers before winning a couple of main draw matches. The young American is operating at his best career Ranking mark, but is set to move inside the top 100 for the first time and Michael Zheng will be comfortable competing on the hard courts.

However, his experience of facing top competition is pretty limited this year and the win over Ugo Humbert is the first against someone Ranked inside the top 50.

It is a performance that will give Michael Zheng confidence, but there is still some for improvement on the serve and that is an area that Lorenzo Musetti will look to exploit.

Both of these players will believe they have the return game to hurt the other and it would not be a surprise if there are a number of breaks of serve, but Musetti has remained very strong when facing those players Ranked outside the top 20. He has already won in that spot in this tournament and Lorenzo Musetti has been able to get enough out of his serve to take a real swing on the return and he can do that in this Third Round match.

Felix Auger Aliassime - 4.5 games v Juan Manuel Cerundolo: Having to miss out on competing at the Canadian Masters would have really hurt, but Felix Auger Aliassime came through his opening match in Cincinnati in impressive style.

The win over Stefanos Tsitsipas will have been a boost for Felix Auger Aliassime who had deep runs in Cincinnati and at the US Open last year.

He is facing an opponent who has won the sole previous meeting between the pair on the Tour, but Juan Manuel Cerundolo is pretty lucky to still be in the draw at this Masters event, while beating Felix Auger Aliassime on a clay court is a different story than beating him on a hard court.

It was a win in Madrid where the courts play faster, but Felix Auger Aliassime will feel he had the chances to turn that match in his favour and his strengths should be clearer on a relatively fast hard court.

Juan Manuel Cerundolo has improved his hard court record to 5-3 this year thanks to two wins here, but his numbers have been poor and Arthur Rinderknech should have beaten him in the Second Round.

Felix Auger Aliassime is not the best return player, which makes this spread a difficult one to deal with, but he should be able to serve himself into a strong position and that pressure can be applied to help him find the breaks needed.

Madison Keys - 4.5 games v Katerina Siniakova: Two previous meetings between the pair have ended in routine wins for Madison Keys, although the last of those came at the US Open in 2024.

At 31 years old, you do have to wonder how much motivation is left for Madison Keys as she has dropped out of the top 20 in the World Rankings and picked up the Grand Slam win in Australia over eighteen months ago. That Slam victory will have made it feel like Keys has achieved all she would have wanted having looked like the Major was going to escape her, but the upcoming US Open is where she will want to peak.

It has not been the best summer of preparation but Madison Keys has tended to beat those players that she would expect, especially on the hard courts where she has a 10-3 record against those Ranked outside of the top 20.

Katerina Siniakova is a dangerous player when at her best, but it has been another inconsistent season and she did have to withdraw mid-match in Toronto last week.

A Second Round win here will have given Katerina Siniakova a boost as she performs as one of the Seeded players, but Madison Keys may have too much know-how on a hard court and can pull away for a solid win.

Iva Jovic - 3.5 games v Marie Bouzkova: Both of these players are Seeded in Cincinnati and that is expected to be the case when the US Open begins, but Iva Jovic is definitely a player on a stronger positive trajectory at this stage of the respective careers.

The 18 year old has had some very strong moments on the Tour throughout 2026 and that has helped Iva Jovic move into the World Number 16 position, which is the career high so far.

It is an improvement that will allow Iva Jovic to try and put together a strong end to the season, although her Second Round win means she has only matched the run in Cincinnati produced twelve months ago.

Back then Iva Jovic had a reprieve to enter the tournament as a Lucky Loser, and the American has put a solid year together on the Tour, albeit one that still sees her having a few off days.

Marie Bouzkova will be looking to exploit any dip from the opponent on the other side of the net, but that also means finding her own consistency in what has been a difficult season on the hard courts.

The Czech player has really struggled when facing top 20 Ranked opponents on the surface and has a 2-6 record in those matches, while the numbers have taken a significant drop on the return of serve.

You always have to respect a veteran of the Tour who can call upon ample experience to change things around, but Iva Jovic has been the stronger hard court player and can push through to the Fourth Round.

Mirra Andreeva - 5.5 games v Janice Tjen: Winning the French Open means Mirra Andreeva has already begun to fulfil the obvious potential she has and this is a player who has been comfortable on the hard courts, although perhaps not putting up the results expected.

It is telling that she has yet to reach the Quarter Final at either the Australian Open or US Open with a Third Round effort the best she has had in New York City before the last Grand Slam of the season begins later this month.

Quite comfortably the best results have been at the French Open, but Andreeva has won the Indian Wells WTA 1000 event and also a big tournament held in Dubai on the hard courts.

Both of those titles were won in 2025 and Mirra Andreeva has had some disappointing early exits in the WTA 1000 events this season, including a Third Round loss in Toronto last week.

The World Number 6 did not play in Cincinnati last year, but that means the pressure is not on her shoulders and Mirra Andreeva has continued to be good enough to beat those she would expect to beat. A couple of the hard court losses have been disappointing, but a 14-3 record against those Ranked outside of the top 20 has to be respected, especially coupled with the overall numbers produced.

Janice Tjen will be looking to make it four losses in that spot for Mirra Andreeva, but the World Number 37 is still trying to find the consistency on the Tour.

She is almost certainly going to be putting up a new career-best World Ranking mark at the end of the tournament and Janice Tjen has a first serve that can put some pressure on opponents. Serving well here may give her a chance to keep things competitive, as Tjen has proven to be against many opponents on the hard courts this season, although both matches against top 10 Ranked opponents have ended in one-sided losses.

This whole match could come down to how effective Janice Tjen can serve against someone like Mirra Andreeva who has very strong returning numbers.

Janice Tjen was not able to impose the serve against Iga Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova in matches earlier this year and someone like Mirra Andreeva is capable of producing a very good looking win in this Third Round contest.

MY PICKS: Andrey Rublev - 1.5 Games @ 1.70 William Hill (1 Unit)

Lorenzo Musetti - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Felix Auger Aliassime - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Madison Keys - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Iva Jovic - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Mirra Andreeva - 5.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Cincinnati Update: 8-10, - 2.99 Units (14 Units Staked, - 16.61% Yield)

Cincinnati Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Monday 17th August)

The Tennis Gods can giveth and the Tennis Gods can taketh away.

That is how it has felt through the opening two days of selections at the Cincinnati Masters after a baffling Sunday.

Players were getting into positions to win matches as expected, but wasted Match Points or a loss of focus at the wrong time swung things against the Tennis Picks made and it proved to be a tough pill to swallow.

Things like that can happen across a long season, but the key is to not lose focus or faith with what has worked and instead work to bounce back immediately.

We will be moving into the Third Round in Cincinnati on Monday, but the forecast does not look very good for the day with thundery showers accompanied by an out of date drying system meaning it could be a frustrating day for players and fans alike. However, there are still selections to be made from the Monday schedule, even if the likelihood is that some of these matches will need to be carried into Tuesday, when it is forecasted to be hot and dry.

Tommy Paul - 4.5 games v Adolfo Daniel Vallejo: An upset in the Second Round has seen Adolfo Daniel Vallejo make it through to the Third Round here in Cincinnati and give himself a big boost in the World Rankings.

This is not a player that spends a lot of time on the hard courts and so the two wins in the main draw will have given Adolfo Daniel Vallejo confidence to take into the next couple of tournaments. Backing up the upset in the Second Round is the immediate challenge though and that may be beyond a player that has limited experience on the surface and who is now going up against an opponent who should receive plenty of backing from the crowd.

Tommy Paul has put together decent numbers on the hard courts this season, but he has not had the deep runs that he would have hoped.

His win over Hubert Hurkacz is a reminder of what Tommy Paul can do on this surface and half of the hard court wins in 2026 have been against players Ranked outside of the top 50.

Conditions have been tough in Cincinnati through the opening few days, but the wind looks to be dying down on Tuesday, although a wet day is predicted and there is no guarantee this match will be played as scheduled.

Despite all of that, Tommy Paul should have the edge whenever he does get on the court and he should be able to put himself in a position to cover this handicap mark as long as he has not overlooked Adolfo Daniel Vallejo.

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 games v Terence Atmane: There is every reason to respect Terence Atmane as he continues to try and defend the World Ranking Points from reaching the Semi Final here in Cincinnati twelve months ago.

His run was ended by Jannik Sinner, but Atmane had three top 15 wins and two top 10 wins and that will give him confidence, even if he has struggled for consistency on the hard courts in 2026. The 12-11 record is boosted by two wins here in Cincinnati to reach the Third Round, but that record reads 6-7 when only focusing on matches against top 50 opponents.

Terence Atmane does have a dangerous serve and that should work well in the Cincinnati conditions, as it did last year, but he is now facing the top Seed in the draw and someone who should be motivated to put a strong tournament on the board.

Alexander Zverev was upset early in Montreal at the Canadian Masters, but this is a player who has reached the Semi Final here in each of the last three years and the top players on the ATP Tour are not around to stop his run this time.

He dominated Cameron Norrie in the Second Round and Alexander Zverev is also very comfortable in the conditions as shown in previous visits.

The serve can contain much of the Terence Atmane threat if Alexander Zverev is performing close to his usual level, while the Number 1 Seed is the superior return player. That was on display in the altitude of the Madrid clay courts earlier this year and Alexander Zverev can match that margin of victory against this French opponent for the second time.

Diana Shnaider - 4.5 games v Maja Chwalinska: The run to the French Open Final will live long in the memory of Maja Chwalinska, but there had been little to suggest that was about to happen for the Polish player before Roland Garros in 2026.

It was only the second time she had played in a main draw at any Grand Slam and the results since that run have been more in line with what you would expect.

Maja Chwalinska upset Diana Shnaider in the Semi Final in Paris and these two players renew acquaintances on the hard courts of Cincinnati, which should favour the latter a little more.

It was a breakthrough Slam for Diana Shnaider, despite coming up short in the Semi Final, but she has backed that result up a lot more decisively than her opponent.

The hard courts should favour Diana Shnaider more than Maja Chwalinksa, although the latter did put together a strong performance in the Second Round, which does deserve respect.

She frustrated Diana Shnaider when they met on the clay courts of Roland Garros, but that may be harder to do on a relatively quick hard court and Diana Shnaider can back up recent results in Washington and Toronto to move through to the Fourth Round here.

Sorana Cirstea v Anna Kalinskaya: The second half of the 2026 season has yet to hit the same heights as the first half as Sorana Cirstea continues to push towards a planned retirement. The early season form had some questioning whether Cirstea should postpone those plans for another year, but the veteran of the Tour may be slowing down right now.

Despite those concerns, there has still been enough coming from Sorana Cirstea to believe she can edge past Anna Kalinskaya, even though the latter reached the Quarter Final in Cincinnati twelve months ago.

2026 has been a lot more inconsistent for Anna Kalinskaya and the 13-9 record on the hard courts is a bit of a disappointment.

You do have to state that eight of those nine losses have been against top 20 Ranked opponents and Anna Kalinskaya has struggled to impose herself in those matches. This has to be a concern for her ahead of a match against Sorana Cirstea, who has beaten Kalinskaya at the US Open three years ago, while the World Number 19 has also been effective when facing higher Ranked opponents this season and certainly more so than Anna Kalinskaya.

Jessica Pegula - 4.5 games v Emma Navarro: There may not be a lot of World Ranking Points to defend to conclude the 2026 season, but Emma Navarro will still be largely disappointed with the efforts to this point of the campaign.

A Second Round win has improved her hard court record to 6-11, but Navarro is going to have to put together some strong runs if she is going to extend her run of winning seasons on the surface.

Doing that here in Cincinnati looks a tough ask when going up against Jessica Pegula, who has won all three previous meetings between the compatriots on the Tour.

Jessica Pegula is the World Number 3 and she has produced much higher form on the hard courts throughout this season compared with Emma Navarro. The former will also go into the home Grand Slam as one of the favourites and Pegula has always enjoyed playing in Cincinnati having reached the Final and Semi Final in 2023 and 2024 ahead of strong runs at the US Open.

Last year was a disappointment at this WTA 1000 event, but Jessica Pegula produced a strong win in the Second Round and can back that up with another victory over Emma Navarro.

Despite all three matches being won by Jessica Pegula, she will respect the fact that Navarro has been a competitive opponent in all of those.

However, the 2026 version of Emma Navarro has not quite been able to put it all together and the two previous hard court meetings between these players has seen Jessica Pegula dominate the serving numbers.

If she can do that in this match, Jessica Pegula has the return game to find the breaks needed to cover this handicap mark set.

MY PICKS: Tommy Paul - 4.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 Games @ 1.70 William Hill (1 Unit)

Diana Shnaider - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Sorana Cirstea  @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Jessica Pegula - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Cincinnati Update: 6-8, - 2.59 Units (14 Units Staked, - 18.50% Yield)

Cincinnati Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Sunday 16th August)

It proved to be a positive start to the Cincinnati Masters for the selections being made on these pages, although it is a shame that a couple more winners were not found on the day.

A rain delay allowed Elena Gabriela Ruse the time to think about her ankle issue and she decided not to come back out on the court with Alexandra Eala three games away from the win- if that match had been allowed to continue without the delay, the expectation is that Ruse would have finished it on the court.

Later in the evening, Alexander Zverev had enough Break Point chances to beat Cameron Norrie with a slightly stronger result and that makes it a frustration he was not quite able to cover the handicap mark as he eventually fell one game short.

Fortunately the majority of the opening Picks returned as hoped and that does give us something to build upon as this last big tournament before the US Open continues over the next several days.

However, it should be remembered that it is only a start and there is still a lot of work to do in order to finish the event with a positive number and momentum to take into New York City.

It has been a busier weekend than expected with the heat continuing to rise in the United Kingdom.

There should be fuller threads with analysis in the days ahead, but the Cincinnati Masters Tennis Picks for Sunday can be seen in the MY PICKS section below with the updated tournament totals.

Selections have been researched, but time constraints have impacted the thread in terms of the analysis usually provided with those that have made the criteria.

MY PICKS: Lorenzo Musetti - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Arthur Rinderknech - 2.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Taylor Fritz-Alex Michelsen Over 0.5 Tie-Breakers @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Learner Tien - 4.5 Games @ 2.05 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Aryna Sabalenka - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

Leylah Fernandez - 2.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Coco Gauff - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Cincinnati Update: 5-2, + 2.31 Units (7 Units Staked, + 33% Yield)

Cincinnati Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Saturday 15th August)

The Cincinnati Masters was beginning at the same time as the Canadian Masters was coming to a conclusion and the decision was made to skip the First Round at this next 1000 event and then get back into the preparation for the US Open once the Seeded players entered the tournament.

On Saturday, those Seeded players are getting their tournaments underway in both ATP and WTA events being played here over the next week.

Most of the top names will be looking to lay down a marker for the US Open, but conditions in Cincinnati tend to be faster than most during this portion of the hard court season and so it is a challenge for all competing right after the tournaments in Canada.

Despite that, players will not be looking to make excuses, but instead show they are ready to compete at the last Grand Slam of the season, which is getting underway at the end of the month.

Alexandra Eala - 3.5 games v Elena Gabriela Ruse: After winning the title in Washington, Alexandra Eala put together a decent run in Toronto at the Canadian Masters, but looked like she was running on fumes by the end of her time at that event.

The Fourth Round loss would not have been easily accepted, but it has given Eala a bit of time to rest and recover before taking in this next WTA 1000 event in Cincinnati.

This is the last tournament Alexandra Eala is going to be taking in before the US Open and so she can put everything into matches on the court as she continues to grow on the Tour.

Recent performances will have done Alexandra Eala the world of good and she is expected to have too much for Elena Gabriela Ruse who has struggled when asked to play some of the stronger players on the Tour, especially on the hard courts.

A First Round win will have given Elena Gabriela Ruse a boost, but it has been a season of inconsistency in the hard court results being produced. Credit has to be given to the World Number 77 for winning matches that she will feel she should, but Ruse has a 2-6 record when it come sto facing top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts.

The second serve numbers and those on the return of serve have taken a serious dent in those tougher matches and Alexandra Eala will feel she can exploit those in this Second Round meeting.

Two years ago, Elena Gabriela Ruse beat Alexandra Eala in the final Qualifying Round at the US Open when both were Ranked outside of the top 100.

It was Ruse who was Ranked the higher of the two in the match and she held a Seeded place in the Qualifying draw, but Alexandra Eala is much more experienced now and can record a strong win in her opening match in Cincinnati in 2026.

Amanda Anisimova - 5.5 games v Zeynep Sonmez: Last year, Amanda Anisimova made little impact at the Canadian and Cincinnati WTA 1000 events, but that did not stop her from reaching the US Open Final.

However, Amanda Anisimova had already reached the Wimbledon Final in 2025 and so her confidence would have been in a stronger place than it perhaps is right now.

It has been a decent year all the same, but not with the standout results that the American put on the board last year.

Despite that, Amanda Anisimova has shown time and time again that she can roll through the gears when facing opponents Ranked outside of the elite players and she is facing one of those in Zeynep Sonmez on Saturday in the Second Round.

Credit has to be given to any player who has one main draw win under the belt already, but Zeynep Sonmez has really struggled when she has stepped up a level and that has been reflected in some of the scores produced in her hard court matches in 2026. She will need to serve well to try and put Amanda Anismova under some pressure, but the World Number 10 should be able to contain much of the threat on the other side of the court with her own serve.

It is the higher Ranked player who has the heavier groundstrokes and that can see Amanda Anisimova push through to the Third Round.

MY PICKS: Alexandra Eala - 3.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Amanda Anisimova - 5.5 Games @ 2.05 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Maria Sakkari - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

Diana Shnaider - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Novak Djokovic - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Tommy Paul-Hubert Hurkacz Over 0.5 Tie-Breakers @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jiri Lehecka-Matteo Berrettini Over 0.5 Tie-Breakers @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 William Hill (1 Unit)

Season 2026: 205-175, + 6.95 Units (565 Units Staked, + 1.23% Yield)

Canadian Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Wednesday 12th August)

The Canadian Masters could see some more delays if the weather does not play ball, but there looks to be enough of a window to ensure all four Semi Final matches are completed across Montreal and Toronto.

A couple of solid days have pushed the overall Canadian Masters record close to a positive position, but Wednesday is the key to the final outcome.

Iga Swiatek - 3.5 games v Elina Svitolina: The Ranking has dropped to Number 8 and that is largely down to a difficult year in which Iga Swiatek has struggled to reach the very end of tournaments.

On Wednesday in Toronto, Iga Swiatek is playing in just her second Semi Final of 2026 and the former World Number 1 has yet to make the Final, never mind win a title, this season.

There has been little wrong with the hard court numbers produced by Iga Swiatek, but a slight drop in consistency within tournaments has proved to be fatal to her chances of picking up more titles.

This week Iga Swiatek has been in fine form in Toronto and her performance in the Quarter Final was really impressive. It is no surprise that she has been set as the favourite in this Semi Final, although the last time she made this stage of any tournament, it was ended by Elina Svitolina who is the opponent standing across the net at this WTA 1000 event.

For the second time in four wins, Elina Svitolina had to win a deciding set, but she did dominate the last couple of sets against Ekaterina Alexandrova. This should mean she is not taxed as much as some three set matches will do to a player, but Svitolina may have to find a bit more if she is going to beat Iga Swiatek for a third time in a row in 2026.

Both wins have been in a third set decider with one win coming on a hard court and the other on a clay court.

Elina Svitolina should be plenty confident and she may feel she is getting a bit more out of the serve in this tournament to put the pressure on Iga Swiatek.

However, it is the Pole who has been producing the superior returning and that may prove to be the key in the conditions expected on Wednesday.

The two wins produced by Elina Svitolina over Iga Swiatek this year have to be considered- however, both have been in close matches and the level being put together by Swiatek here in Toronto may mean she can just turn those fine inches in her favour.

We should see a closely contested Semi Final, but one in which Iga Swiatek may have enough to edge past the handicap set in a winning effort.

Coco Gauff - 1.5 games v Elena Rybakina: It is very surprising to note that this is going to be only the second time Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina are playing one another on the Tour.

The previous meeting was back in 2022 here in Toronto and was won by Coco Gauff, but it should also be stated she was a top 10 Ranked player at that time and Elena Rybakina was outside of the top 20.

In 2026, Rybakina is the higher Ranked player with both amongst the favourites to win at the US Open next month, but Coco Gauff may have the edge in this Semi Final.

Not only has Coco Gauff been playing at a really high level, but she has been cruising through the Rounds and did not have to step out on the court in the Quarter Final having been awarded a walkover by Belinda Bencic's withdrawal. She has not played for a few days, but that should be a refreshed Gauff is going onto the court and one that has already won three matches here to build up rhythm.

Elena Rybakina came through a really tough test against Naomi Osaka and is back on court less than twenty-four hours later and that has to have an impact here.

If she had won in routine fashion, it would be one thing, but Rybakina spent over two and a half hours on the court and that is the third time in four matches that she had to invest that much energy into a match. Previously she had a day of rest between outings, but the World Number 2 will not have had the same time to prepare for this Semi Final and Elena Rybakina could struggle against an opponent that loves to dig in and extend rallies, games, sets and matches.

The edge on the serve is with Elena Rybakina, but Coco Gauff is a very solid return player and could extend the World Number 2 for long enough to eventually overwhelm her as physical and mental energy runs out.

Rafael Jodar-Brandon Nakashima over 0.5 tie-breakers: Both of these players are breaking new ground this week as they prepare for a maiden Masters Semi Final appearance and there is going to be plenty of confidence to take into the US Open beginning later in the month.

Rafael Jodar and Brandon Nakashima both played well in Washington before running into Taylor Fritz with the former losing in the Final and the latter in the Semi Final.

They have used that success to carry things forward in Canada and both came through Quarter Final matches in straight sets.

Brandon Nakashima has been much more reliant on the serve and that proved to be the key shot when things got a little tight in the second set of his Quarter Final win over Luciano Darderi.

He will need to be at his best with that shot considering how well Rafael Jodar has been returning throughout his time in Montreal- the teenager has broken in 46% of return games played, which is a remarkable success on a hard court.

However, Rafael Jodar has been a little looser on the serve and that will give Brandon Nakashima encouragement considering how well he has been seeing the ball at this tournament.

The season return numbers on the hard courts has been an area where the World Number 31 could improve, but he has done that in Montreal with 29% of return games ending in a break of serve (17% for the season on this surface) and Nakashima is winning 41% of return points played compared with 34% for the year.

Confidence will not be lacking from either side and it would not be a surprise if the two players have to be separated by a key tie-breaker at some point in this Semi Final. The layers give Rafael Jodar plenty of respect, but Brandon Nakashima is a confident hard court player and it could be more competitive than some may anticipate.

Learner Tien-Ben Shelton over 0.5 tie-breakers: This is the third time these two compatriots will be meeting on the Tour and Ben Shelton has surprisingly lost both times against Learner Tien. One of those was on the grass courts, but he was also beaten at Indian Wells back in March and the World Number 10 will be looking for some revenge.

Ben Shelton is the defending Champion at the Canadian Masters and his run here means he is doing a good job at clinging onto a top 10 spot in the World Rankings.

However, a defeat and a win for Rafael Jodar in the other Semi Final would mean Ben Shelton is going to fall out of those positions when the next World Rankings are released soon after the conclusion of the tournament here in Montreal.

This could be another distraction, but Ben Shelton should only be thinking about Learner Tien who would finish in the top 10 if he can win the tournament this week.

No matter what happens on Wednesday, Learner Tien is about to set a new career high World Ranking mark to move inside the top 15 for the first time and he is playing with real belief. The serve will need to be improved if he is going to beat Ben Shelton for a third time as Learner Tien has struggled behind that shot during his run to the Semi Final, but he has been playing the big points pretty well and Tien's return game has been the key to his success.

Overall he is a better server than he has shown here and Learner Tien will be encouraged by the way he has imposed that shot on Ben Shelton.

The higher Ranked American has been in really strong form here this week though and it makes Ben Shelton very dangerous- his serve is always a big weapon, but Shelton has found a clear formula on the return of serve and that has meant breaking in 36% of return games played, which is more than double his usual level on the hard courts in 2026.

Ben Shelton had those chances to break the Learner Tien serve when they met in Indian Wells, but the latter has shown he can roll through the pressurised moments and it would not be a surprise if they need to compete in at least one tie-breaker again.

That has happened in both previous matches between the compatriots on the Tour and it looks like a real possibility in this match, which may feature more breaks of serve than would usually be expected from a Ben Shelton match.

MY PICKS: Iga Swiatek - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Coco Gauff - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

Rafael Jodar-Brandon Nakashima Over 0.5 Tie-Breakers @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Learner Tien-Ben Shelton Over 0.5 Tie-Breakers @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Canadian Masters: 17-15, - 1.03 Units (32 Units Staked, - 3.22% Yield)

Canadian Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Tuesday 11th August)

Rain wiped out the play scheduled for the ATP Montreal tournament on Monday and that means one of the selections had to be held over- Brandon Nakashima and Luciano Darderi are scheduled to go out first on Tuesday on a day when all four Quarter Final matches should be completed with better conditions expected.

It may not have rained in Toronto, but it has been tough conditions for players there with the wind picking up and making things difficult.

Despite that, one Semi Final is ready to go and the last four will be completed when the last two Quarter Final matches are played.

The next couple of days look wetter again, but the tournaments should be on schedule to finish as expected with the windows available through the day and especially as Tuesday looks like a day in which all of the Quarter Finals remaining should be completed.

Coco Gauff - 2.5 games v Belinda Bencic: Big names have begun to drop out of the WTA Toronto tournament, but that does allow those remaining to make a statement ahead of the US Open.

A former US Open Champion faces a former US Open Semi Finalist in this Canadian Masters Quarter Final and both Coco Gauff and Belinda Bencic have to be feeling like they have all of the qualities needed to win the final Grand Slam of the season.

Negotiating the early Rounds at the Grand Slam events can be difficult, even for the top players, but both Gauff and Bencic have impressed here.

The numbers produced in the three wins here back that up- Belinda Bencic has the highest Ranking win, but Coco Gauff has had to navigate a tougher draw, but that should not impact the belief that both will bring into the match.

Coco Gauff has won six of the previous eight matches between the players, including the last four in a row, although the former will very much respect what Bencic brings to the court solely by how competitive previous matches have been.

The last three wins have all been earned in a deciding set and that will underline how tough this match up can be.

However, Coco Gauff has shown time and time again that she can come through those pressurised deciders and not just in wins over Belinda Bencic- this makes her very tough to beat and especially on a hard court and the World Number 4 can edge this contest.

The Gauff second serve is a concern, but she has been the stronger return player and that may end up being the difference between these two players in a good looking Quarter Final.

Naomi Osaka-Elena Rybakina over 22.5 games: Before leaving the Tour to become a mother, Naomi Osaka was the top hard court player in the world and there are real signs that she is getting back towards her best form on the surface.

For the second year in a row, Naomi Osaka is loving her time in Canada and this looks like a Quarter Final in which she can lay down a marker for the US Open that begins later in the month.

Winning the tournament would be the ultimate statement, but beating Elena Rybakina, the Australian Open Champion, would really lay down the gauntlet to the other top players on the Tour.

Naomi Osaka has produced some really strong numbers here and it is no surprise that she has been set as the favourite, albeit an incredibly narrow one.

The serve has always been a big shot for Naomi Osaka, but she has improved on those numbers and, most importantly, has found a really good formula for attacking on the return. Those numbers have been the issue for Naomi Osaka on the hard courts since taking her place back on the Tour, but the World Number 13 has been winning 47% of those points at this tournament and that will place a lot of pressure on her opponents.

Elena Rybakina is a steady force on the surface.

She has a very good serve for the hard courts, but much like Naomi Osaka, the World Number 2 has found her feet on the return on the Toronto courts and that has seen her win 46% of return points played compared with the 42% mark she has for the season.

Both players are still going to be looking to back up strong serving in what is the first meeting on the Tour between these big hitters.

It would not be a big surprise if we need a deciding set, but both Naomi Osaka and Elena Rybakina are capable of putting together two competitive sets, which may be enough to cover this total games line.

MY PICKS: Coco Gauff - 2.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Naomi Osaka-Elena Rybakina Over 22.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Canadian Masters: 15-15, - 2.83 Units (30 Units Staked, - 9.43% Yield)

Canadian Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Monday 10th August)

The Canadian Masters is winding down, but these pages are still looking for a strong end to the tournament to try and restrict some of the early damage absorbed at the tournament.

A winning day was produced thanks to Jakub Mensik's late recovery in the second set of his straight sets win to back up Ben Shelton's success earlier in the day.

However, it was not quite the clean sweep that was hoped for after beginning the day with Tallon Griekspoor's surprisingly one-sided defeat.

The Quarter Finals begin on Monday with the tournaments in Montreal and Toronto still scheduled to be concluded on Thursday, while the Cincinnati Masters is set to begin with First Round action on the same day.

However, the focus right now has to be on the conclusion of the Canadian Masters, even if the Monday action looks tough to call and with one only Pick made that can be read below.

Brandon Nakashima - 3.5 games v Luciano Darderi: Both of these players have shown considerable character to make their way through to the Quarter Final at the Canadian Masters.

Both Luciano Darderi and Brandon Nakashima have come through consecutive matches by winning a deciding set, while the former has twice been able to recover from dropping the opening set.

Despite the run, you cannot ignore the fact that Luciano Darderi has struggled for consistency on the hard courts and he has benefited from a kind draw that has meant beating two players Ranked outside the top 100 before the win over Nuno Borges in the Fourth Round.

Brandon Nakashima does hold a win over a fellow Seed here in Montreal, which means he has the best win on the record, while the American has been producing stronger numbers of these two Quarter Finalists at this tournament.

Those could be the key in this Quarter Final and Brandon Nakashima has beaten Luciano Darderi once before on the hard courts.

It was a victory earned on an indoor hard court at the back end of the 2025 season and Nakashima was the much stronger server in that match.

He can show that superiority again in this match and Brandon Nakashima has been in good form on the return of serve this week to believe he can cover this handicap.

MY PICKS: Brandon Nakashima - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (1 Unit)

Canadian Masters: 15-15, - 2.83 Units (30 Units Staked, - 9.43% Yield)

Canadian Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Sunday 9th August)

The Canadian Masters will have the entire Quarter Final lineup settled by the end of play on Sunday as the Fourth Round comes to a conclusion.

Weather conditions have been pretty difficult for the players and that has led to a number of surprise results.

The ATP tournament always felt wide open after the withdrawals before the event even began, but the early defeat suffered by Alexander Zverev means this is a Masters tournament that is filled with opportunity for those remaining.

It has been a different story in Toronto where the WTA tournament is being played and where the big stars have come through a couple of Rounds.

This means the tournament is set up to give us an early look at some of the potential US Open Champions, although the focus right now has to be on winning one of the big tournaments outside of the Grand Slams.

Tallon Griekspoor v Daniel Merida Aguilar: Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz all announced they would be missing the Canadian Masters for various reasons and Alexander Zverev has been beaten before the tournament has really gotten going.

All of this means a big opportunity has opened up for someone to pick up a big title and it really does feel like the ATP event in Montreal is wide open.

Tallon Griekspoor is the reason that the draw has opened up thanks to his upset win over Zverev and he has been able to back that up by moving through to the Fourth Round. He fought through some difficult moments to win in the Third Round and Griekspoor will have taken plenty of confidence out of that performance to follow up the win over Alexander Zverev.

Next up is a young Spaniard who has put together a very good tournament.

Daniel Merida Aguilar has had a decent year on the hard courts, but has really impressed over the last week and the World Number 63 is set for another jump in the World Ranking. A new career high mark is going to be set, regardless of when this tournament run comes to a conclusion, and Merida Aguilar can play with some freedom.

The serve still needs some developing on the hard courts, but Daniel Merida Aguilar has been very effective on the return and that could make him dangerous.

However, Tallon Griekspoor has found his rhythm on the return at this tournament and he should be able to put some pressure on the younger player in what is likely another competitive match.

Overall, it is the lower Ranked player who has impressed the most here in Montreal and Tallon Griekspoor also has the best win on the record- he may just be able to find his best tennis when he needs it the most and that can see him come through a Fourth Round match that is likely going to be decided by the fine margins.

Jakub Mensik - 3.5 games v Botic van de Zandschulp: The run to the French Open Semi Final was the full breakthrough on the Tour for Jakub Mensik, but it should be remembered that he as won a Masters tournament on the hard courts of Miami last year.

There is a lot of encouraging signs around the development of Jakub Mensik and he will certainly feel he has every chance of winning a second Masters considering the absence of so many big names.

The serve has been a big weapon this week, as it usually is for Jakub Mensik, but the really eye-catching part of his performances has been the quality of return produced.

It should be good enough to put Botic van de Zandschulp under pressure, although the World Number 70 will have taken a huge amount of heart from beating Daniil Medvedev and Hubert Hurkacz. Both of those opponents had gotten the better of van de Zandschulp in previous matches on the Tour and so those wins here in Montreal should have given the veteran a boost in confidence, as well as pushing him back up the World Rankings.

Botic van de Zandschulp has played well this week, but the returning numbers will be hard to maintain against a server like this one.

The Dutchman is winning 60% of his service points, which will give him a chance to stay in the match, although Jakub Mensik is expected to have enough success on the return to cover the handicap mark here.

Ben Shelton v Joao Fonseca: The early defeats at both Masters events in Indian Wells and Miami and the Quarter Final loss in Washington last week will have been a disappointment for Ben Shelton, but he is the defending Champion of the Canadian Masters. He has shown that he is not going to give up this trophy easily after two very strong wins, while Ben Shelton may feel like the favourite considering the top Ranked players that will not be competing in the coming days.

This may be one of the tougher challenges against Joao Fonseca.

The talented youngster will be aiming to finish within the top 20 of the World Rankings at the end of the season and Joao Fonseca is expected to be Seeded at the US Open, which will give him a chance to push towards those positions.

However, Joao Fonseca has yet to find the consistency on the hard courts that some may have expected- at his best, he can be very tough to deal with, but Fonseca has not played as much tennis on this surface in 2026 as he may have expected.

Wins over Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud show the kind of level that Joao Fonseca can produce, but Ben Shelton has already gotten the better of this opponent on the European clay courts.

That should be a surface that favours Fonseca more than Shelton, but the latter had the superior serve and that is expected to be the case on a hard court in North America.

A deciding third set may be needed, but Ben Shelton looks like he deserves a stronger edge in the outright market to move through to another Quarter Final at the Canadian Masters.

MY PICKS: Tallon Griekspoor @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jakub Mensik - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Ben Shelton @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Canadian Masters: 13-14, - 3.46 Units (27 Units Staked, - 12.81% Yield)

Canadian Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Saturday 8th August)

It continues to be a frustrating week filled with selections that have been on the edge of stringing the wins together, but ultimately finding a way to come up short.

That was the case for both Tallon Griekspoor and Alexandra Eala on Friday- the former had the double break needed to cover in his eventual win over Matteo Arnaldi, but lost focus for a moment to hand one back and missed the cover by a single game.

Later Alexandra Eala had the chance to serve out the match, and to cover, but blew the opportunity and eventually needed to come through a final set decider in which more chances were wasted to put a strong win on the board.

These things happen in a long season on the Tour and the only positive is that there has been little wrong with the identification of the selections being made.

Saturday will be the beginning of the Fourth Round at the Canadian Masters and eight matches have been scheduled to be played.

However, there are plenty of competitive looking matches out there and the large majority deserve a watching brief with the two selections made both coming from the WTA Toronto tournament.

Jessica Pegula - 3.5 games v Diana Shnaider: These two met in Washington last week and both Jessica Pegula and Diana Shnaider are playing with the kind of confidence that will make them dangerous when the US Open begins later this month.

The back to back WTA 1000 events in Toronto and Cincinnati is an opportunity for players to really lay down a marker for the US Open and the top names have made it through to the Fourth Round on this side of the draw.

Both Jessica Pegula and Diana Shnaider are top 15 Seeds here in Toronto- the former has always been very comfortable on the hard courts, while the latter has shown she can perform very well on the surface and has used the run at Roland Garros to bolster the confidence.

It was Jessica Pegula who won the Semi Final played in Washington last weekend and that makes it four wins from four matches played against this younger opponent. The three hard court wins have all been in straight sets with the sole set won by Diana Shnaider coming in a clay court tournament held in Charleston, which is very different to the European clay on which she had considerable success at the second Grand Slam of the season.

Diana Shnaider played well enough in the match last week, but this has proven to be a tough match up for her in previous meetings and that was the case again in Washington.

The Pegula first serve has proven to be a key shot, but it is the impressive numbers defending the second serve that can make the difference on the scoreboard at pressurised moments. It is the World Number 3 who has had a clear edge on the second serve and that is likely going to be something we see in this Fourth Round match on Saturday.

For all of the improvements we have seen from Diana Shnaider, it should be noted the loss to Jessica Pegula last week has dropped her to 1-6 in matches against top 20 Ranked opponents on the hard courts this season. The second serve and the return have simply not been good enough against the elite players of the WTA Tour and that is where Shnaider may end up coming up short again in this match.

Iga Swiatek - 1.5 games v Marta Kostyuk: Revenge has to be on the mind for Iga Swiatek who was upset in the Fourth Round at the French Open by Marta Kostyuk, one of the most improved players on the Tour this season.

That improvement is underlined by the fact that Marta Kostyuk has arrived at this WTA 1000 event at her career best World Number 11 Ranking, although cracking the top 10 is going to be the ambition through the remainder of the season.

Marta Kostyuk does have some important World Ranking Points to protect here in Toronto and at the US Open, but the Ukrainian is playing with a real confidence having reached the Semi Final at both the French Open and Wimbledon. The Asian swing after the US Open will give Kostyuk the opportunity to really push for the top 10 finish, while she is actually on the edge of the top eight and a place in the WTA Finals.

All of that will give her confidence and beating Iga Swiatek on her favourite surface can only be another boost.

However, the World Number 8 has been operating at a very high level on the hard courts and her two wins here in Montreal is a reminder of the kind of tennis that Iga Swiatek can produce.

One of the problems has been consistency within a tournament- Iga Swiatek could be cruising through the Rounds, but any time she has felt some pushback, the response has not come quickly enough and that has seen her fall away within matches.

There has been little wrong with the numbers, but it is also important to state that Iga Swiatek has yet to reach the Semi Final at any hard court tournament in 2026!

Half of the six hard court losses have been against top 10 Ranked opponents and Iga Swiatek will take heart from the fact that Marta Kostyuk is 3-3 against top 10 Ranked opponents herself this season. All of the wins came in the same event in Brisbane where she lost in the Final and Kostyuk has lost the last three hard court matches under that parameter, albeit to Elena Rybakina (twice) and Aryna Sabalenka.

The improvement in the Marta Kostyuk game that has been mentioned is highlighted by a 7-4 record against t0p 10 players overall in 2026, but Iga Swiatek may just produce a reminder of her own capabilities ahead of the US Open.

MY PICKS: Jessica Pegula - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Iga Swiatek - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Canadian Masters: 12-13, - 3.37 Units (25 Units Staked, - 13.48% Yield)

Canadian Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Friday 7th August)

After a pretty disappointing start to the Canadian Masters, the Thursday selections all returned winners, which has also pulled back the numbers for the tournament.

There is still more work to do on what is expected to be a potentially wet day in both Montreal and Toronto, but not to the extent that matches will need to be postponed and set for Saturday instead.

However, rain delays are expected and those can change the momentum of any match if a possibility of leaving the court and reassessing the tactics come into play- those can sometimes work in favour of the selections so it is not something to overly worry about, although it should be noted as the Third Round is completed at both tournaments being run for the ATP and WTA.

It has been a busy day and so while these selections have been researched, the timing of the schedule of play means only a 'MY PICKS' section is added to the Friday thread, as well as the updated numbers from the tournament.

MY PICKS: Tallon Griekspoor - 2.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Alex Michelsen - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Tommy Paul - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Botic van de Zandschulp-Hubert Hurkacz Over 0.5 Tie-Breakers @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jakub Mensik - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Alexandra Eala - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Canadian Masters: 10-9, - 0.92 Units (19 Units Staked, - 4.84% Yield)

Canadian Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Thursday 6th August)

It has been a frustrating first few days at the Canadian Masters as far as the Tennis Picks have gone with some fine margins falling the wrong way.

So far, every day has ended up with a slight loss, but those have added up over the course of the opening few days in Montreal/Toronto and a turnaround is needed.

The Third Round is being played on Thursday and there are sixteen matches to be played, but it looks a much more difficult day to find good angles and the four matches that have passed the criteria to provide selections can be read below.

Diana Shnaider - 1.5 games v Anna Kalinskaya: These players met in an epic match in Tokyo last year and it was Anna Kalinskaya that came through in three sets on a hard court, but Diana Shnaider may have what it takes to earn a revenge victory here in Toronto in the Third Round of the Canadian Masters.

It is a quality looking match for this stage of the tournament and Diana Shnaider may believe that she should have beaten Anna Kalinskaya when they met in the Japanese capital during the Asian swing portion of the Tour. She had been the better player in the match, but Kalinskaya won the big points and that proved to be the small margin needed to edge past her compatriot.

Diana Shnaider played well in Washington last week and will have taken a huge amount of confidence from the performance at the French Open.

There is a lot to like about her all round game, but Diana Shnaider has sometimes struggled against some of the very best players on the Tour.

Anna Kalinskaya is very capable and has reached the Quarter Final at a couple of hard court events this season, including last week in Washington.

However, she is just 2-7 in hard court matches against opponents that are Ranked higher than her this season and Kalinskaya's numbers have been heavily impacted in those matches. The first serve has not been as effective and Anna Kalinskaya has struggled to impose her return and that may be where Diana Shnaider has the edge in this good looking match.

Elina Svitolina - 3.5 games v Anastasia Potapova: She reached the Quarter Final at Roland Garros and lost a tight match, but a poor grass court campaign and an early loss in Washington means Elina Svitolina has arrived in Canada with little momentum behind her.

A tight win in the Second Round will have helped and Elina Svitolina will need little motivation when facing someone who only recently has changed nationality from Russian to Austrian.

Doing so may have earned Anastasia Potapova some respect from the Ukrainian players on the Tour, but Elina Svitolina, and others, have made it clear that they do take those matches even more seriously when they come up. That should be the case again, while Elina Svitolina has also been the stronger hard court player of the two anyway.

Anastasia Potapova is Seeded here and her win in the Second Round means she is now 9-9 on the hard courts this season.

However, that becomes 2-7 when only considering matches in which Potapova is the lower Ranked player and her second serve has been a real issue in those matches. A return player like Elina Svitolina should be able to exploit that second delivery and the World Number 9 has been dominant in matches she would expect to win.

It has been over four years since these two players met on the Tour, but Elina Svitolina should still be the stronger hard court player of the two and that may show up on the final scoreboard in the last Singles match of the day.

Cameron Norrie + 3.5 games v Alex De Minaur: Six previous matches have been split with three wins each, but it is something of a surprise to note that Cameron Norrie has won three of the four matched played on a hard court.

The British player has been in good form over the last couple of weeks and Cameron Norrie should be confident with how this match up against Alex De Minaur has worked out.

At the same time, it should be noted that Alex De Minaur's sole win over Cameron Norrie on a hard court came three years ago at the Canadian Masters, albeit when hosted by Toronto and not Montreal. Despite that, the Australian should feel pretty good about that even having lost to Cameron Norrie at the Indian Wells Masters back in March.

Alex De Minaur has been struggling for consistency in recent weeks and this has proven to be a tough match up for him, even as he has been Ranked considerably higher than Cameron Norrie. Both matches this season have been competitive affairs, but Norrie has shown he has a bit more behind the serve in the head to head and that can make the difference.

The expectation is on the shoulders of Alex De Minaur, but this spread looks a game too high.

Even in a winning effort, Cameron Norrie is certainly good enough to keep the final score within this handicap mark set as long as he continues to serve as effectively as he has been in the lead up to the US Open.

Rafael Jodar - 1.5 games v Lorenzo Musetti: These two players could be rivals for many years to come as they both look to also push up closer to the likes of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz as the leading younger players on the Tour.

It is the second tournament in a row that Rafael Jodar and Lorenzo Musetti are meeting and it was the teenager from Spain who won the Quarter Final contest in Washington last week.

Rain meant Rafael Jodar did not complete his time in Washington until Monday when he was beaten in the Final by Taylor Fritz, but he made a relatively strong start to the tournament here in Montreal. At 19 years old, tiredness cannot be a huge factor for Rafael Jodar, but it is a factor and that cannot be completely ignored.

He needed three sets in the Second Round win, whileLorenzo Musetti came through in straight sets having only recently returned to the Tour.

The Italian missed both the French Open and Wimbledon before returning in Washington last week and it has been a season of injury for Lorenzo Musetti.

His hard court numbers have been solid, but Musetti was second best in the loss to Rafael Jodar last week and he may need a bit more time to rebuild his match fitness before he can close that gap. Another week my not be enough time and Lorenzo Musetti may find himself coming up a little short in this match again, although Rafael Jodar is going to be aware of the threat posed by the higher Ranked opponent having seen that at firsthand last week in Washington.

MY PICKS: Diana Shnaider - 1.5 Games @ 1.85 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Elina Svitolina - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Cameron Norrie + 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Rafael Jodar - 1.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Canadian Masters: 6-9, - 4.25 Units (15 Units Staked, - 28.33% Yield)