Tennis Picks 2026 (Friday 20th February)

The week has been a difficult one and the fine margins have just leaned the wrong way on one too many selections.

Some of the matches barely missed entering the criteria, which was a shame, but there are still a couple of days to round out the week before we put this one into the books.

Next week is going to be a quieter week all round with the WTA Tour moving into a couple of 250 events as attention turns to Indian Wells, which begins the following week.

Of course the WTA 1000 title in Dubai has to be handed out before that, while the ATP Tour will have big events in Dubai and Acapulco at the 500 level.

Once again the attention has to remain on the present and any selections from the ATP tournaments in Rio and Delray Beach will be added to this thread when the weekly totals will also be updated.

Jessica Pegula - 2.5 games v Amanda Anisimova: The WTA 1000 tournament in Dubai is down to the final four and there will be at least one American in the Final on Saturday.

Both of these players came through testing Quarter Final matches, but you do have to believe that Amanda Anisimove invested a lot more emotional energy in her battling win over Mirra Andreeva.

Not only did she come from a set behind, but it looked like Anisimova's run in the Middle East was drawing to a close when she fell 6-5 behind in the final set, but a break of serve and then coming through the Tie-Breaker has kept the dream alive of winning another title in this part of the world. Last year Amanda Anisimova won the title in Doha, and beating the defending Champion in Dubai has to have filled her with confidence.

Spending over two and a half hours on the court and putting herself through the mental and physical wringer could be a factor in this Semi Final, while Amanda Anisimova is also going to be trying to get the better of compatriot Jessica Pagula for the first time.

These players met at the Australian Open and Jessica Pegula was the better player on the day and she did get to play earlier in the day on Thursday when coming through in three sets against Clara Tauson.

It was a very tough match in the Quarter Final and Jessica Pegula has to be given credit for holding herself together at key times during that match. Getting through has maintained a strong start to the season and Jessica Pegula should be well rested having decided to skip Doha last week.

The serve is going to be a big weapon for both players, but it is Jessica Pegula who has just been producing at a slightly higher level compared with Amanda Anisimova. There isn't much between them, but Pegula is the player that is likely going to have the majority of the Break Points and having a bit more energy without a day break between matches should be in her favour.

At some point you would imagine Amanda Anisimova will begin to turn the tables on her older compatriot, but that may not be ready to begin on Friday in this big Semi Final.

Arthur Fils-Jakub Mensik over 0.5 tie-breakers: The ATP Doha Semi Finals do feature Carlos Alcaraz, but Jannik Sinner was beaten in the Quarter Final by Jakub Mensik who will now be under some pressure to back that up.

Last year Mensik was able to do that when winning the Miami Masters having beaten five players Ranked Number 21 or higher.

One of those wins was against Arthur Fils, who is the Semi Final opponent on Friday.

The Frenchman missed the opening month of the season, but has looked in solid form so far in Doha where the conditions make his serve dangerous.

The same can be said for the Jakub Mensik serve and that was an important weapon for him in the upset over Jannik Sinner.

You have to believe both are capable of putting the other under pressure behind the serve and both Arthur Fils and Jakub Mensik have needed at least one Tie-Breaker to be played in two of the three wins put together in Doha.

Arthur Fils has held 88% of service games played and has won 66% of service points played, which makes it tough for opponents.

Jakub Mensik has 89% and 69% marks in both of those categories and the sole match on the main Tour last year in Miami needed a first set Breaker to separate the two players.

MY PICKS: Jessica Pegula - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Arthur Fils-Jakub Mensik Over 0.5 Tie Breakers @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Thursday 19th February)

We are moving into the business end of the tournaments that have been scheduled for this week and more retirements in Dubai will lead to more questions.

The final eight names in the WTA 1000 event are surprising in the main, and the Quarter Final matches look tough to call.

You can say the same for the Quarter Finals in Doha with one selection made from that tournament and one from the remaining Second Round matches scheduled in Delray Beach.

Any selections from the ATP Rio tournament will be added to this thread and the weekly totals will also be updated once the full results from Wednesday are in.

Carlos Alcaraz - 5.5 games v Karen Khachanov: The World Number 1 has not been at his very best in the ATP Doha tournament, but Carlos Alcaraz will be comfortable with the level he has been producing to move through to the Quarter Final.

He arrived after completing the career Grand Slam with the title at the Australian Open, but credit has to be given to Alcaraz for stating there is still more development to improve his tennis.

It is a desire that could see Carlos Alcaraz competing for Grand Slam titles for many years to come and he will be seen as the player to beat at the remaining Slams to be played in 2026.

Strong numbers have been produced on the hard courts since the start of the 2024 season and Carlos Alcaraz is developing the serve, which is going to make it even easier for him to put opponents under pressure. It has been a strong weapon for him over the last couple of years, but the early signs are that Alcaraz is going to have an even better serve in 2026 and that will allow him to play with some real aggression on the return.

He will be challenged in this Quarter Final by a big hitting, aggressive player in Karen Khachanov who gave Carlos Alcaraz all he could handle in a tight defeat at the Rome Masters on the clay last season.

The World Number 17 has needed to go the full three sets in both opening wins in Doha, but he will be glad the conditions will offer his first serve some support. That is going to be vital for Karen Khachanov to see if he can keep Carlos Alcaraz under considerable pressure and look for that to dictate how the Spaniard responds.

However, Karen Khachanov will also be aware that he cannot afford to allow too many looks at his second serve against a return player like Carlos Alcaraz who will be looking to control rallies from the opening shot played.

Karen Khachanov is not having nearly as much success as Carlos Alcaraz when it comes to the return game and that will put more pressure on his serve. He has held almost 90% of service games played on the hard courts this season, which will give Khachanov real belief, but the highest Ranked opponent faced in 2026 is the World Number 25 and this is a considerably tougher test against the Australian Open Champion.

In the previous five matches on the Tour, Carlos Alcaraz has a huge edge in terms of Breaks of serve put together and the Spaniard may be able to push through and find the Breaks needed to cover this relatively big line.

Taylor Fritz - 3.5 games v Rafael Jodar: The 19 year old Spaniard is going to be improving his World Ranking again at the end of the tournament in Delray Beach, but he will be looking to crack the top 100 for the first time.

Rafael Jodar will need an upset over the top Seed in the tournament and that may be asking too much of him at this stage of the career.

The numbers produced over the last twelve months on the hard courts are impressive- Jodar has won 77% of the matches played with over fifty wins produced, while he has held 81% of service games played and broken in 32% of return games.

However, those numbers have largely been built on dominating lower Ranked opponents and Rafael Jodar is 2-2 over the last twelve months against top 100 Ranked players on the hard courts. His serve has been attacked relentlessly by the better players on the Tour and Taylor Fritz can certainly put the youngster under pressure, even with a limited return game.

Taylor Fritz is very comfortable on the hard courts and he reached the Final last week in Dallas.

In the limited amount of matches played on the hard courts in 2026, Taylor Fritz has not been nearly as strong on the return of serve as he has been in previous years. He will want to seen that improved ahead of the tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami, while Taylor Fritz will not have faced too many players as inexperienced as the one in front of him in this Second Round match.

There is every reason to believe that Taylor Fritz will be helped by the opponent he is facing on Thursday and the American may do enough to find the Breaks needed to cover this spread. 

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Taylor Fritz - 3.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 6-8, - 3.03 Units (14 Units Staked, - 21.64% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Tuesday 17th February)

After the disappointing opening to the week, Monday proved to be a bounce back day, although there is more work to do in order to get the totals back into a position that we want to see.

There is some momentum from the Monday performance, but it is early in the week and we will need some fortune, which has perhaps been missing in the last couple of weeks.

Any selections from the ATP 500 tournament in Rio and the ATP 250 tournament in Delray Beach will be added to this thread with both of those events really getting going after the usual quiet opening day.

Marton Fucsovics - 4.5 games v Hady Habib: The swing through the Middle East is an opportunity for one or two players to pick up Wild Cards and try and use those to build up Ranking Points that can see them earn direct entry into other events on the Tour. In most cases those Wild Cards will be handed out to bigger names who may need them, but there are a couple of beneficiaries in Doha who perhaps are fortunate to be given this opportunity.

One of those is World Number 334 Hady Habib who at 27 years old reached his career best World Ranking mark of 159 last May.

Twelve months ago he received Wild Cards into both the tournaments in Doha and Dubai, but Hady Habib was beaten in opening matches each time.

Credit has to be given to the player for trying to bust his way through on the Tour, but Qualifying has proven too difficult at the bigger tournaments and Hady Habib has lost all three matches played on the hard courts in 2026 without winning a set. The real concern is that in five of the six sets he has dropped, Habib has failed to win more than three games and he has not faced anyone Ranked higher than World Number 143 in that time either.

The serve has been vulnerable in those early matches and Hady Habib has struggled to have any kind of real impact on the return.

Over the last twelve months on the Tour, the Lebanese player has put together a 3-14 record on the hard courts and he is 0-5 in matches against top 100 Ranked opponents. In those matches against the stronger players on the Tour, Hady Habib has struggled to make an impact with his serve, which has only increased the pressure on the return and it may be tough for him to compete with a veteran in the First Round here in Doha.

Marton Fucsovics suffered a really disappointing defeat in Rotterdam, but he was guilty of playing the Break Points poorly in that match.

The 34 year old has not served as well as he would have liked through the opening six weeks of the season, but Fucsovics continues to cause problems with his return. He is a comfortable player on the ground and over the last twelve months Marton Fucsovics has a winning record when facing opponents Ranked outside the top 50 of the World Rankings, while putting some strong numbers on the board.

This is not a player who is adverse to an upset, but Marton Fucsovics has won six of the ten matches played on the hard courts over the last twelve months when he has been the higher Ranked player going into the match.

He has held 88% of his service games played in the Tour matches, which do not include the two Davis Cup matches that were played under those conditions, while Marton Fucsovics has broken in 38% of return games.

As long as he is focused, you have to imagine the quality of tennis will find a way to shine through and Fucsovics can get the better of this awkward line in this best of three set First Round match in Doha.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 4.5 games v Moez Echargui: The first thing that has to be stated is that Stefanos Tsitsipas is not an easy player to trust when it comes to a spread that could need as many as three Breaks of serve to have any chance of earning a cover.

However, he is facing a Wild Card in the First Round and an opponent who has not had a lot of experience facing players at the very top of the Tour.

Moez Echargui is the World Number 139 and the 33 year old was a few places higher in December, which is the career best mark.

Suffice to say, Echargui has to find some considerable levels to get the better of Stefanos Tsitisipas.

Over the last twelve months, Moez Echargui has put up plenty of wins on the hard courts, but those have been below the main Tour and against players of similar Ranking or lower. That is far from the case when playing in the ATP 500 event in Doha and Moez Echargui lost both matches against top 100 Ranked opponents pretty comfortably in that time period.

Even throughout his career, Echargui is 0-4 against top 100 Ranked opponents on the surface and his serve has been a huge issue for him, which is something that even a limited return player like Stefanos Tsitsipas should be able to exploit against a player who is considerably below the level he is normally used to facing.

However, one of the big disappointments for Stefanos Tsitsipas is that he is only 7-7 when facing players Ranked outside the top 50 on the hard courts over the last twelve months. That record becomes much better when only noting the matches against players Ranked outside the top 100, where Tsitsipas is 5-0, although the hope for the underdog in this one is that those wins have not always been as convincing as they perhaps should have been.

Even then, the World Number 33 is expected to be a little too good as long as he remains focused.

He should be afforded enough Break Points to get into a position to cover this mark and Stefanos Tsitsipas is not expected to have slipped so much that Moez Echargui can make this competitive for more than a set.

Ugo Humbert - 1.5 games v Fabian Marozsan: While it should be noted that the travel time from Rotterdam to Doha is not exactly excessive, it is tough for players to back up big weeks as we have seen time and time again on the Tennis Tour.

That is what Ugo Humbert will be attempting to do having reached the Semi Final in Rotterdam on Saturday before being very unfortunate in losing to Alex De Minaur. His performances have to offer some encouragement and Humbert has a game that is well suited to the hard courts, while the Frenchman will feel very unlucky to have faced a top ten Ranked opponent in the First Round at the Australian Open, despite only being four places out from being Seeded himself.

Ugo Humbert is the World Number 36 and will be looking for a couple of strong runs over the next month, which could push him into a Seeding position for his home Grand Slam in Paris.

There is very little to defend in terms of Ranking Points, but this is not an easy First Round match and Ugo Humbert is going to have to serve well.

He is going in against Fabian Marozsan who is just finding it tough to build up the consistency to really take a leap in the World Rankings.

The Hungarian almost beat Daniil Medvedev at the Australian Open, but capitulated in the five set defeat, while Fabian Marozsan has not played a hard court match since the tournament in Melbourne. He has been in action in the Davis Cup, albeit on a clay court, but Fabian Marozsan will not be lacking confidence considering how he performed through the opening month of the season.

In recent years, Fabian Marozsan has been an inconsistent player on the hard court, which is underlined by the fact he has a 0.500 record on the surface between 2023 and 2025. This year he has begun with a 5-3 record thanks to a strong run in Auckland, but Marozsan is not as effective a server as someone like Ugo Humbert and that could make the difference in what have been quick conditions in the Middle East.

Both have some limitations on the return and that is where the superior serving that Ugo Humbert can produce should make the difference in the outcome.

Fabian Marozsan did win the most recent match up between the players on a clay court in 2025, but Ugo Humbert has won the sole previous hard court match and can get the better of this opponent again.

Elina Svitolina - 3.5 games v Paula Badosa: Injury has been one of the biggest issues for Paula Badosa after cracking through on the Tour and reaching World Number 2 in 2022.

She has entered the WTA 1000 event in Dubai as the World Number 70 and that is because Paula Badosa has not been able to get herself healthy to defend the Ranking Points she had been producing.

Much of the second half of the season was missed, which meant Badosa lost the Ranking Points she had produced by winning titles and reaching the business end at a number of the North American hard court events leading into the US Open and then into the Asian Swing. Paula Badosa reached the Australian Open Semi Final thirteen months ago, but was beaten in the Second Round at the 2026 tournament, while she has to reach the Fourth Round in Dubai to match the run put together here in 2025.

At full health there is no doubting how good Paula Badosa can be on the hard courts- she has a solid first serve and the heavy, aggressive groundstrokes had propelled her up the World Rankings.

However, it has been very difficult finding her rhythm on the return from injury and the numbers over the last six weeks have been disappointing, which leaves Paula Badosa vulnerable in this Second Round match.

A solid First Round win has to give Badosa confidence, but she may need to find another level to compete with Elina Svitolina, even after the latter had a poor showing in Doha last week.

That was the first tournament played since Elina Svitolina reached the Australian Open Semi Final and Elina Svitolina will be looking for a much more impactful run before heading to the United States for the big events coming up.

Out of the two players, Paula Badosa will still feel her first serve is the big weapon, although Svitolina will look at her second serve and return numbers as being a key for herself. If she gets enough looks at the second serve, the World Number 9 has to be given the edge, while the mental advantage is with Elina Svitolina having won both previous matches against Badosa.

When they met on the hard courts in a Billie Jean King Cup match on the hard courts in September, Elina Svitolina created more than double the number of Break Points compared with Paula Badosa.

She also won 10% more points behind serve, and you have to believe the veteran can find a way to cover this spread set as the Second Round is played in Dubai.

Emma Navarro v Elise Mertens: There are a lot of games scheduled to be completed in Dubai as the Third Round is set for Wednesday.

That does not mean there are lot of great options and the second selection from the order of play on Tuesday is once again getting behind Emma Navarro.

The American produced a winner for the pages on Monday and it was stated at that time that it felt like Emma Navarro was turning a corner after what has been a difficult six months. The dip in confidence has meant losing tight matches rather than coming out on top, but the couple of wins in Doha will have sparked something and Emma Navarro was solid, if unspectacular, in her First Round win.

She will need to be a little better if she is going to beat Elise Mertens, but two previous wins on the Tour should give Navarro some further belief.

Those matches were both on the hard courts, but they were played early in the 2024 season, including one win in Doha.

It turned out to be something of a down season for Elise Mertens on the hard courts, but the now 30 year old Belgian player has opened 2026 in decent form.

The numbers have been solid, although Elise Mertens has taken advantage of the draw at times and that is underlined by the big dip in those numbers when only considering matches against top 100 Ranked opponents. In those matches, Mertens has not been nearly as dominant behind the serve, while her return game has not been quite as effective either and that is something that Emma Navarro can exploit.

Despite her record against top 100 Ranked opponents so far in 2026, Emma Navarro has produced numbers that will turn the results around.

With her head to head with Elise Mertens and the slightly stronger consistency around the serve, Emma Navarro may be worthy of backing as a slight underdog on Tuesday.

MY PICKS: Marton Fucsovics - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Ugo Humbert - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Elina Svitolina - 3.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Emma Navarro @ 2.20 William Hill (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 3-3, - 0.40 Units (6 Units Staked, - 6.67% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Monday 16th February)

That was not the start to the new week that I would have wanted, but it is frustrating that it was a point or two that saw both Picks slip into the losing side of the ledger.

Linda Noskova and Liudmila Samsonova both had opportunities to break serve which would have put them in command of the opportunity to cover the spread.

Instead those Break Points were won by the opponents and that leaves work to do in order to get this week back on track.

On Monday the rest of the First Round at the WTA 1000 event in Dubai will be completed and there are a couple of Second Round matches also scheduled.

The ATP 500 events in Doha and Rio will also get into main draw action, as will the 250 tournament being played on the hard courts of Delray Beach. Selections from the two tournaments played on the North and South American continents will be added to the threads on most days over the coming week and that is simply because those markets will come out much later than for the two events being played in the Middle East.

Ultimately it is all about getting back on track and trying to put the best week together since the end of the Australian Open.

Belinda Bencic - 4.5 games v Jessica Bouzas Maneiro: After stating her excitement about being back in Abu Dhabi where she had won titles in the previous two appearances, Belinda Bencic would have been extremely disappointed to have had to withdrawn before her first match with an illness. She did not take part in Doha last week either, which has meant slipping back outside the top ten in the World Rankings, but Belinda Bencic has begun 2026 in solid form and will be looking to pick up some important Ranking Points this week in Dubai.

This has not been a tournament in which Belinda Bencic has had nearly as much success as Abu Dhabi, but that does mean she has little in terms of Ranking Points to defend. In 2025 she was beaten in the Second Round and Belinda Bencic will certainly be targeting a longer stay before heading over to the United States to take part at Indian Wells and Miami.

A Second Round defeat in Melbourne would have hurt, but Belinda Bencic had a really strong run at the United Cup and she will know she should have won that match at the Australian Open.

Every player on the Tour will feel there is room for improvement and Belinda Bencic may want to protect the second serve a little more efficiently, but the overall performances on the hard courts over the last twelve months makes her a contender to win titles on the surface.

As much as you have to respect Jessica Bouzas Maneiro for working her way into the top 50 of the World Rankings, it cannot be ignored that she has had a difficult start to 2026.

The 23 year old has lost three of the four matches played since the beginning of the new season, while Bouzas Maneiro also finished with a losing record on the hard courts last year.

It would be something that could be excused if Jessica Bouzas Maneiro had been given some really tough draws, but she crushed Coco Gauff at the United Cup and has since lost to the then World Number 66 and World Number 367. The manner of those defeats would be a real concern, while Bouzas Maneiro was beaten by Anna Kalinskaya in very routine fashion last week in Doha.

As long as Belinda Bencic is still not feeling a lingering effects from the illness that forced her out of Abu Dhabi, the Swiss player should have too much on this surface and she can win with a break or two more in each set.

Emma Navarro - 2.5 games v Elena-Gabriela Ruse: You are never going to get over a difficult period where you have lost form and confidence very easily, but Emma Navarro did put at least one win on the board in Doha last week. That was not something she could extend to consecutive matches for the first time since Adelaide, but the American has an opportunity to at least the Second Round here in Dubai.

She will be opening up against Elena-Gabriela Ruse, who was beaten very comfortably in Cluj in front of the home fans.

The World Number 72 came through Qualifying wins in Brisbane and Adelaide, but was not able to win main draw matches, before Elena-Gabriela Ruse reached the Third Round at the Australian Open. Winning two Qualifying matches here in Dubai has to have given Ruse a boost in confidence, while the familiarity with the conditions is a factor that goes in her favour too.

Like many on the Tour, Elena-Gabriela Ruse knows the importance of backing up the first serve on the faster surfaces and that has led to a winning record on the hard courts over the last twelve months.

However, the numbers have taken a significant dip when only considering matches played against top 50 Ranked opponents on this surface in that time period. In those Elena-Gabriela Ruse has a 3-8 record, while she has not been able to serve nearly as effectively as she would like and that has placed additional pressure on the return game.

Of course she is facing an opponent who is not in confident mood and that will help, but Emma Navarro is still getting enough of her own serve to believe she will begin to turn things around.

Having little in terms of World Ranking Point to defend in the Middle East run is a help, but Navarro will also suggest she is still playing at a high enough level to beat this opponent in front of her.

Two previous matches, both on the hard courts, have gone in Emma Navarro's favour with the most recent being played around six months ago in Beijing.

It was far from a win as comfortable as the scoreboard may suggest with both players giving the other plenty to think about on the return of serve.

That is likely to be the case again on Monday in the First Round in Dubai, even in the quicker conditions we tend to see at this tournament.

Those conditions could help Emma Navarro a little more though and that is where the World Number 18 may find a way to battle past the opponent and the line set for this match.

Anna Kalinskaya - 3.5 games v Jelena Ostapenko: A spread like this one does look a little disrespectful to a former Grand Slam Winner in Jelena Ostapenko, but these days her most consistent tennis tends to be played on a Doubles court.

With that being said, respect has to be given to the World Number 24 for reaching the Doha Semi Final at a WTA 1000 event.

The run was unexpected considering Jelena Ostapenko had been 2-4 on the hard courts in 2026, but she took advantage of a number of upsets around her in Doha. While beating one top 20 Ranked opponent, the other three wins in the tournament were against players Ranked Number 57 or lower and Jelena Ostapenko found herself well beaten by Victoria Mboko in the Semi Final.

Over the last two and a bit years on the hard courts, Jelena Ostapenko's numbers have been declining and she finished with an 8-14 record on the surface last year.

Reaching the Semi Final in Doha will help the confidence, but Ostapenko played a lot of tennis at that tournament having also reached the Doubles Final. The Latvian, and her partner, blew a massive lead in that Final before being beaten and this is a match up that has given Jelena Ostapenko problems in the past.

Anna Kalinskaya has made a much stronger start to 2026, although she was beaten in the Quarter Final in Doha to eventual Champion Karolina Muchova.

All four of the defeats suffered in 2026 have been against top 20 Ranked opponents, which also deserves a lot of respect, and the Anna Kalinskaya numbers being put together on the hard courts have been much better than those produced by Jelena Ostapenko.

The World Number 28 will certainly feel she can be more effective behind the second serve compared with Jelena Ostapenko, while the latter is much more likely to throw in too many Unforced Errors.

In the three previous matches on the Tour, Anna Kalinskaya has not only won all three, but she has not dropped a set and the service numbers have been much stronger on her side of the net.

Having had a little more time to prepare for this tournament in Doha, most factors seem to be in favour of the lower Ranked player and Anna Kalinskaya can lay the foundation for another strong Middle East run by producing a strong win in this First Round match in Dubai.

MY PICKS: Belinda Bencic - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Emma Navarro - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Anna Kalinskaya - 3.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Daniil Medvedev - 4.5 Games @ 2.05 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 0-2, - 2 Units (2 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Friday 13th February)

The business end of the current tournaments has come around with the Quarter Final matches scheduled at the three ATP events, while the WTA Doha event has reached the Semi Final.

It has been an inconsistent week for the Tennis Picks, but there is still an opportunity to finish with some strong form and to add some positive numbers to the season total.

Any selections from the tournaments in Dallas and Buenos Aires will be added to this thread once assessed after the markets have been fully formed.

Karolina Muchova - 3.5 games v Maria Sakkari: After dropping the first set in her Quarter Final match against Iga Swiatek, Maria Sakkari was a significant underdog to progress.

Not only is the 30 year old dropping down the World Rankings, but Swiatek had not been beaten in her previous 109 WTA 1000 level matches after taking the opening set.

The World Number 52 has had to spend two and a half hours on the court in the Quarter Final, but that victory will be pushing Maria Sakkari back up towards the top 30 in the World Rankings. She will have taken a lot of confidence from the win over the top Seed in Doha and Maria Sakkari has put together four good wins in the tournament to move into the Semi Final.

After a decline in 2025, Sakkari will be feeling much better about her level of performance in the early events in 2026 and she will certainly feel she has the tennis to give Karolina Muchova plenty to think about.

One mid-match withdrawal aside, Karolina Muchova has eased through the draw and her win over Anna Kalinskaya in the Quarter Final continues her fine form.

She has faced a much more manageable part of the draw compared with Maria Sakkari who has two top ten wins on the board.

However, Karolina Muchova has been playing at a higher level on the hard courts over the last twelve months and she has been winning a lot of tennis matches on the surface since the beginning of January.

With the upsets that have taken place in the tournament, Karolina Muchova will feel there is a big opportunity for her to win the title here, while that may be good enough to earn her a return to the top ten herself.

Both players have been backing up the serve very effectively here in Doha, but it is Karolina Muchova who has been getting slightly more out of that shot. It is the World Number 19 who has also been the slightly more effective return player and that could show up in this latest meeting between the two veterans of the Tour.

They have not faced one another since August 2023 when Karolina Muchova beat Maria Sakkari on the hard courts of Cincinnati, but it was a match that went the distance. Back then Maria Sakkari was the higher Ranked player and it may be tough for her to bridge the gap, especially having put in so much physical and mental effort to win the Quarter Final on Thursday.

MY PICKS: Karolina Muchova - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Alex De Minaur - 4.5 Games @ 1.85 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 8-7, + 0.23 Units (15 Units Staked, + 1.53% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Thursday 12th February)

The tournaments continue at a pace this week and we are into the Quarter Final Round at the WTA 1000 event being played in Doha.

Some of the players will have already made the short journey across to Dubai for the next 1000 event that begins on Sunday, while the ATP Tour continues with the stops made in Buenos Aires, Dallas and Rotterdam.

Wednesday proved to be an incredibly mixed day for the Tennis Picks, but Thursday is a new day and selections will be added to this thread.

Elena Rybakina - 4.5 games v Victoria Mboko: After coming through a match in which she had to Break serve to avoid losing, Victoria Mboko may feel she is playing with house money.

Beating Elena Rybakina in a big event is something that Victoria Mboko has already achieved in her young career when coming from behind to earn a Semi Final victory over this opponent in the Montreal Semi Final last year. That was also in a WTA 1000 event, but Victoria Mboko was beaten either side of that win in Washington and Tokyo and she has been second best in all three matches.

The youngster is plenty talented and Victoria Mboko continues to get on the front foot when the first serve lands, which has led to plenty of points won.

However, this is a player who has seen her numbers decline in each of the last three wins in Doha and Mboko has just had one or two issues dealing with the return of serve without having played someone like the Australian Open Champion.

Elena Rybakina also needed three sets to win her match to reach the Quarter Final, but she has played one fewer match in Doha compared with Victoria Mboko and there is a real confidence around this player.

The World Number 3 has kept the pressure on opponents with her very strong serving performances over the last several months. That is going to be important for Elena Rybakina again and she has had a considerable edge in the three previous matches against Victoria Mboko with all taking place on the hard courts.

This is a big spread when you think of some of the inconsistency that Elena Rybakina has put on the board when it comes to the return of serve, but she will have the edge if she sees enough second serves in this match and that can see her find a way to edge past this number set.

Karolina Muchova - 3.5 games v Anna Kalinskaya: A retirement helped Karolina Muchova past another compatriot, but she continues to put together some very solid tennis that has put her on course to just take a leap in the World Rankings and potentially win a big title.

The WTA 1000 events are as big as it gets below the Grand Slam level and Karolina Muchova would end the tournament in Doha back inside the top ten of the World Rankings if she can go on and win the title here.

That is not going to be easy and this Quarter Final could prove to be awkward.

Anna Kalinskaya had to play later than imagined on Wednesday, but she will have taken a lot of confidence from earning a win over Elina Svitolina as she prepares to face another opponent with a winning record against her.

Another couple of wins could see Anna Kalinskaya move back inside the top 20 of the World Rankings and there has been a real confidence around her performances this week. Twelve months ago, Kalinskaya was beaten early in Doha and Dubai, but the Middle East swing has been much more positive in her three wins in 2026.

There is a nice balance to the Anna Kalinskaya game, which makes her dangerous on both sides of the net, but this is another tough match to overcome.

Karolina Muchova has been very good behind the serve and the all court abilities continue to pose a threat towards opponents who have simply not been used to playing someone with this kind of skillset very often.

Both players are going to be leaning on some strong serving to put themselves in a positive position within the match, while Anna Kalinskaya may feel she has the superiority when it comes to the return.

The numbers are actually really competitive, but it is Karolina Muchova who has been able to impose her will on the Anna Kalinskaya in previous matches against one another. That may give her the slight mental edge, while Muchova may be the player who earns a few more easier points over the course of the Quarter Final, which can just see her come through some pressurised moments within sets.

This may ultimately show up on the scoreboard and Karolina Muchova can move into another Semi Final with a cover of the spread set for this battle.

MY PICKS: Elena Rybakina - 4.5 Games @ 2.05 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Karolina Muchova - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Denis Shapovalov - 2.5 Games @ 1.70 William Hill (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 6-6, - 0.38 Units (12 Units Staked, - 3.17% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Wednesday 11th February)

The middle of the week tends to be the busiest time for the tournaments that are played over seven days rather than the longer events that have begun to be scheduled for the Masters events which are played simultaneously by the men and women.

This week looks to be no different with a lot of matches set to be played in Doha, Dallas, Rotterdam and Buenos Aires and the Tennis Picks will be added to this thread.

For now the focus is on the WTA Doha Third Round matches and one of the remaining First Round matches in Dallas- any selections from the Second Round will be added once all of the matches are scheduled following Tuesday's night of play.

Mirra Andreeva - 2.5 games v Victoria Mboko: For the second time in 2026, two teenagers who are both Ranked inside the top 20 on the WTA Tour will face one another on the hard courts.

Last month Mirra Andreeva made relatively easy work of getting past Victoria Mboko in the Final in Adelaide, although it should be pointed out that the latter had some tough matches earlier in the tournament. That had seen her spend a lot more time on the court compared with Andreeva, which is something that you should factor into the outcome of the Final.

Despite that, Mirra Andreeva may feel she had room to spared in winning having broken five times compared to just the once for the Canadian. Mirra Andreeva dominated behind serve and won 56% of the return points played and that will give her confidence, as will the way she handled the Second Round win over Magda Linette when coming through some sticky moments to focus at key times.

Being a higher Seeded player means Mirra Andreeva has had to play one match to reach the Third Round, while Victoria Mboko has had to win two matches.

The latter has been solid in her two victories in the tournament and the consistency is something that has pushed Victoria Mboko close to breaking into the top ten of the World Rankings. She has not produced spectacular numbers, but sometimes players just have an 'x factor' that sees them knuckle down and win the big points and that is seemingly something that the 19 year old possesses.

Both players will be aware of the importance of the first serve and making plenty of those deliveries to get on top of the opponent.

The second serve numbers have been decent enough, but Mirra Andreeva and Victoria Mboko will both believe they have the returning power to put the other on the back foot when getting looks at that second serve. Both have produced some very solid returning numbers and that should mean we are in for a closer match than the first meeting between the two.

In saying that, there is still a feeling that the younger player, Mirra Andreeva, is operating at a slightly higher level compared with the lower Ranked Victoria Mboko.

She has a slight edge on the first serve and on the return and that win in Adelaide will still give her a mental edge, even if Mboko feels that she had run out of energy.

All fans should have eyes on this Third Round match in Doha between two youngsters that have the potential to win multiple Grand Slam titles between them, but right now it feels Mirra Andreeva can frank the first victory over Victoria Mboko by producing another here.

Elina Svitolina - 3.5 games v Anna Kalinskaya: A run to the Semi Final at any Grand Slam event deserves plenty of respect and personal pride, but you do have to believe that Elina Svitolina will have been seriously disappointed with her effort in that match against Aryna Sabalenka last month at the Australian Open. It was a run that has taken her back inside the top ten of the World Ranking though and that has allowed Elina Svitolina to begin this tournament in the Second Round where she was a convincing winner of a compatriot.

As has been mentioned a few times in matches involving Elina Svitolina, there is no doubt that the World Number 9 has been highly motivated when playing opponents who are Russian or Belarusian nationals.

That may not have been enough to see her beat the World Number 1, but during that run in Australia, Elina Svitolina was able to beat both Diana Schnaider and Mirra Andreeva, two Russian players who are inside the top 23 of the World Rankings. The win over Andreeva was particularly impressive and Elina Svitolina will be very keen to get one over on Anna Kalinskaya in the Third Round in Doha.

Anna Kalinskaya was the World Number 11 in October 2024, but has not maintained that consistency even if she is still inside the top 30.

She has shown how competitive she can be when pushing Iga Swiatek in a three set loss at the Australian Open and Kalinskaya has won a couple of matches here in Doha. The Second Round win over Emma Navarro underlined the kind of character that Anna Kalinskaya has on the court and she has won a set in each of the three losses suffered on the hard courts this season.

The numbers have to be admired, but this has proven to be a tough match for the World Number 28.

These two players have met three times on the Tour and all since May 2024, while playing one another twice last year.

All of those matches have been won by Elina Svitolina in straight sets, while the Ukrainian beat Anna Kalinskaya on the hard courts of Dubai and Montreal in 2025. Those two wins have been very one-sided with Elina Svitolina keeping Anna Kalinskaya under pressure on the return and serving with effectiveness to contain any threat that the lower Ranked player has been able to put together.

It is almost impossible to ignore the fact that the four sets played between the players last year were won 6-1, 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 by Elina Svitolina.

You cannot really expect the World Number 9 to continue to beat a talented opponent as comfortably as that every time they meet, but Elina Svitolina's motivations are clear and she should have enough about her to cover this spread that has been set for the Third Round meeting in Doha.

MY PICKS: Mirra Andreeva - 2.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (1 Unit)
Elina Svitolina - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Maria Sakkari - 3.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Karolina Muchova - 5.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Tommy Paul - 3.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 5-3, + 1.77 Units (8 Units Staked, + 22.13% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Tuesday 10th February)

In the Monday Tennis Picks, I mentioned that this is a really busy week of tennis with some big events to be played, but finding selections on Tuesday have proven to be a little more difficult than anticipated.

There are plenty of matches scheduled, but the stricter approach taken that has led to a solid return in 2025 and a positive start to 2026 has to be applied.

With all of that said, there are two Picks from the matches to be played at the WTA 1000 event in Doha as the Second Round is completed.

The Monday selections are yet to be completed at the time of writing, but the numbers to start the week will be updated and placed in this thread on Tuesday morning.

Linda Noskova - 4.5 games v Varvara Gracheva: One of the more surprising names in the top 20 of the World Rankings on the WTA Tour is Linda Noskova, but the 21 year old is improving as a player. She did reach the Quarter Final at the Australian Open in 2024 and the Fourth Round at Wimbledon last year, but the majority of her better work has been done below the Grand Slam level and that does mean there are some big Ranking points to be earned with strong efforts at the Majors.

That did not go to plan in Melbourne last month when Linda Noskova was beaten in the Third Round, although she did make some use of the her Seeding for a third Slam in a row.

Strong runs in Asian events after the US Open helped the young player improve her World Ranking and Linda Noskova arrived in Doha twelve months after entering the tournament as the World Number 33.

A convincing First Round win will have given Linda Noskova some confidence and her numbers are solid on the hard courts, even if they are far from spectacular. Importantly Noskova has tended to beat those players she should and has won thirteen of the sixteen matches played against those Ranked outside the top 50 on the hard courts over the last twelve months.

The first serve has been a big weapon for Linda Noskova in the majority of her hard court matches, as it was in the First Round win over Maya Joint, and she will need to use that shot to keep Varvara Gracheva at bay.

Early losses to Elina Svitolina and Elena Rybakina have made it a slow start to the season for the World Number 73, but she has come through two Qualifying matches and beaten Laura Siegemund in the First Round here in Doha. The performance level in the three wins here have been impressive, but Varvara Gracheva would be the first to admit that this is a different kind of test and the fact is that she has struggled to compete with the top players on this surface.

A losing record against top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts is one thing, but the numbers have taken a serious dent when Varvara Gracheva has had to face a top 20 Ranked opponent over the last twelve months. The serve becomes a vulnerability, while the 25 year old has really struggled to make enough impact on the return to put any significant scoreboard pressure on those opponents.

This has ultimately made it very difficult to remain competitive and the biggest shots in this match up should be from the Linda Noskova side of the court.

The spread is set in a slightly awkward line for someone with Noskova's inexperience to cover- in the last twelve months, Linda Noskova has had twelve hard court wins against players Ranked outside of the top 50 which have been in completed matches (one a mid-match retirement win) and she would have covered this line seven times.

There are times when a loss of concentration can see Noskova throw away games or sets, but the key here is serving well enough to just get through a couple of sticky moments. If she can get enough first serves in play, Linda Noskova should be able to keep Varvara Gracheva under the cosh and she has shown she can return well enough against those lower down the World Rankings to really get after the serve she will face in the Second Round.

Karolina Muchova - 3.5 games v Tereza Valentova: There is always some kind of pecking order in tennis and two players from the same nation will be well aware of where they stand in that order.

18 year old Tereza Valentova is making her way into the WTA Tour and she has entered the top 50 of the World Rankings, while she reached the Third Round at the Australian Open last month before losing to eventual Champion Elena Rybakina.

This is still the early stages of her career and that has meant Tereza Valentova has had to win a couple of Qualifiers to earn her spot in the main draw in Doha. However, all credit has to be given to the teenager for winning those two matches before crushing her way past Alexandra Eala in the First Round.

Being comfortable in the conditions will give Valentova an edge, but she is facing a well known figure in Czechia tennis circles and a current top 20 Ranked player.

Karolina Muchova has a win over Elena Rybakina under her belt, but that was in Brisbane rather than Melbourne, while the only two losses suffered on the hard courts in 2026 have been against Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff. The World Number 19 was a comfortable First Round winner here in Doha and Karolina Muchova has long been a consistent force on this surface, as well as having all court skills that makes her a tough out on the clay and grass courts too.

The serve is an important weapon for Karolina Muchova, while she is someone who can get up to the net and show off some of her volleying skills.

The real test here is whether Tereza Valentova can produce the level needed to take on one of the better players on the Tour and someone she would likely have followed as she was getting closer and closer to turning professional.

Tereza Valentova has played three hard court matches against top 20 Ranked opponents over the last twelve months and all have ended in relatively comfortable defeats. Two of those losses have been against Elena Rybakina, while the other has been against Madison Keys, but Valentova has a dangerous first serve and it will be important for her to get plenty of those into play to try and put some pressure on Karolina Muchova.

Another test will be getting a bit more out of the return of serve, but the youngster is still learning and this could be another somewhat painful lesson.

MY PICKS: Linda Noskova - 4.5 Games @ 2.05 William Hill (1 Unit)

Karolina Muchova - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 4-2, + 1.86 Units (6 Units Staked, + 31% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Monday 9th February)

Last week was not the most convincing for the Tennis Picks, but a new set of tournaments offers an opportunity to bounce back.

There were a number of 250 events taking place last week alongside the WTA 500 event in Abu Dhabi, but three big tournaments are set to be played over the coming days.

The WTA Doha event is the top one as an 1000 event with some of the very best players on the Tour involved, including new Australian Open Champion Elena Rybakina.

On the ATP side, tournaments in Rotterdam and Dallas are 500 level events, while the Golden Swing begins in South America.

So while last week was a relatively quiet one for the Picks after the conclusion of the Australian Open, this week should be busier, which means considerable work to do in order to get back to putting some solid returns on the board.

Monday is usually a quiet day at most tournaments, especially the start of those tournaments, but the Middle East swing means those events begin on Sunday and so there is plenty of tennis scheduled in Doha.

Any selections from Buenos Aires from the Monday schedule will be added to this thread.

Amanda Anisimova - 5.5 games v Karolina Pliskova: The Australian Open is now in the history books and the WTA Tour is swinging through the Middle East with back to back 1000 events.

The Second Round is where the majority of the top names enter the tournament in Doha and Amanda Anisimova is going into the event as the Number 3 Seed.

Her head to head with Karolina Pliskova has to be a concern with the veteran winning five of the six previous matches on the Tour, although it has been over two and a half years since they last played one another. That was on the hard courts in Canada and Karolina Pliskova only dropped two games, while all of those previous matches have been on this surface, which has to give Pliskova a huge boost.

Of course it should be noted that Karolina Pliskova was the higher Seeded player in all of those previous matches and was in the top 15 of the World Rankings in all of those.

Things have changed in February 2026 with Karolina Pliskova making her way back up the World Rankings having missed much of 2025 through injury and she is the World Number 416. An early loss in Cluj will have dented some of the confidence that was earned by reaching the Australian Open Third Round, but Pliskova was a strong winner in the First Round in Doha and the serve continues to be a big weapon.

It should be a positive for her in this Second Round match against an aggressive player in Amanda Anisimova, but one who has yet to really get on top of return games as much a World Number 4 may expect.

However, that return number has improved when Amanda Anisimova has played against opponents Ranked outside of the top 50 on hard courts over the last twelve months. She has been able to back up her improvement by winning twenty-one out of twenty-five matches in that spot, while the American has also been able to back up her powerful first serve very efficiently.

The performances over the last month have given Karolina Pliskova some confidence, but she was beaten pretty handily by Madison Keys in Melbourne.

Madison Keys is the highest Ranked player Pliskova has played since she returned to the Tour at the end of last year and the other matches have been against players who have not been Ranked above Number 59. Confidence and having plenty of experience taking on some of the stronger players on the Tour will give Karolina Pliskova enough to carry her onto the court, but Amanda Anisimova may prove to be a little too tough and can earn the Breaks of serve that can see her move through to the Third Round.

Mirra Andreeva - 5.5 games v Magda Linette: Reaching the Fourth Round of a Grand Slam would be seen as a positive for most 18 year olds, but that is not the case for the current World Number 7.

After reaching the Quarter Final in Brisbane and then winning the title in Auckland, Mirra Andreeva looked to have plenty of momentum to take into the first Grand Slam of the season. She made a decent enough start to the event, but the performance in the Fourth Round defeat to Elina Svitolina will have really been one that disappointed her and her team and Andreeva will be looking to bounce back in Doha and Dubai over the next couple of weeks.

Big Ranking points are on offer in those events, but looking too far ahead would be a mistake and Mirra Andreeva will be aware of the threat this opponent poses.

Magda Linette has started the season with a 5-2 record and she did upset Emma Navarro at the Australian Open, although the latter has been in poor form for several months. The two defeats were both in one-sided contests, including a crushing loss at the hands of Karolina Muchova in Melbourne, while Magda Linette has mainly feasted on beating those further down the World Rankings.

She battled past Sonay Kartal in the First Round in Doha, but Linette is going to have to be a lot better if she is going to upset one of the top Seeds in the tournament.

With Aryna Sabalenka missing, Mirra Andreeva has to be amongst the favourites to win the title in either Doha or Dubai, and her overall numbers remain very impressive.

The first serve continues to be an improving weapon for the young player and Mirra Andreeva can be a very dangerous returner when at her best.

The expectation is that Andreeva is going to be able to attack Magda Linette in plenty of the games played on the Linette serve, and that should keep the scoreboard pressure on the lower Ranked player.

Of course it has to be respected that Magda Linette has played a match here meaning having some experience of the conditions, while Mirra Andreeva is playing her first match two weeks. This could mean needing a bit more time to find her feet, but the World Number 7 should have a considerable edge on the serve and that has been the case in the three previous matches on the Tour.

They have not faced one another since the latter part of the 2024 season, but Mirra Andreeva is improved since that match in Beijing which she dominated and she can move through the gears to produce something like a 6-4, 6-2 kind of win in the Second Round here.

Last year Mirra Andreeva was beaten in the Third Round in Doha before winning the title in Dubai and she can make a positive start to her return to the Middle East.

MY PICKS: Amanda Anisimova - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Mirra Andreeva - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Dayana Yastremska - 1.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Linda Noskova - 3.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Brandon Nakashima - 3.5 Games @ 2.20 William Hill (1 Unit)

Sebastian Korda - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Season 2026: 38-27, + 13.21 Units (131 Units Staked, + 10.08% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Saturday 22nd February)

The Tour will conclude moving through the Middle East next week in Dubai when the ATP 500 event is played, but the WTA Tour completes the 1000 event that has been played this past week.

The Final involves two young players that may end up fighting it out for Grand Slam titles in the future and both have had very good weeks with big wins behind them.

Before the ATP 500 event in Dubai, the ATP Doha Final is played after two tough Semi Final matches were completed.

Mirra Andreeva - 2.5 games v Clara Tauson: Some of the leading names on the WTA Tour are Grand Slam Champions, but two young players have worked their way through to the Final in Dubai in a big 1000 event.

There is a huge amount of expectation on the shoulders of 22 year old Clara Tauson and 17 year old Mirra Andreeva and the two players have seen off Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina on their way through to the Final. It is Tauson who beat the current World Number 1, but Andreeva's two wins over Swiatek and Rybakina are plenty impressive and suffice to say the two youngsters deserve their spot in a showcase spot.

It is a situation that both teams will believe their player will be involved in at Grand Slam level in the years ahead, but there is some pressure to put a big title in the trophy cabinet. Both Clara Tauson and Mirra Andreeva will know what kind of spark winning a WTA 1000 event could have for their relatively young careers and both are already assured of ending this tournament with a career best World Ranking.

A win for Mirra Andreeva would actually take her into the top 10 for the first time, while a victory for her opponent would push Clara Tauson into the top 20.

Neither player will be thinking of anything other than winning the match and the slight edge may have to be given to Mirra Andreeva and her capabilities on the return of serve.

Take nothing away from the way the two players have been backing up the first serve with over 70% of points won when that serve lands, and they both have a similar success rate in getting the first serve in play. However, Mirra Andreeva may feel she protects her second serve a little more effectively than Clara Tauson has been this week, and overall on the hard courts in 2025, and that may be a difference.

It certainly suggests Andreeva can get into the rallies and show off her superior returning ability and that may just see the younger player find a way to win this match.

Clara Tauson has battled through adversity this week, and that has to be given credit, but Mirra Andreeva showed her character in fighting back to beat Elena Rybakina in a third set decider. You cannot rule out the Dane if she is behind, but Mirra Andreeva can make a few headlines by winning this big title before moving onto the North American hard court events in Indian Wells and Miami.

Jack Draper-Andrey Rublev over 23.5 games: Both Semi Final matches lasted well into the third hour and it is Jack Draper and Andrey Rublev who have earned the opportunity to win the title in Doha.

Both players have also shown plenty of character having come through in three sets in each of the last two Rounds- Jack Draper dropped the first set against both Matteo Berrettini and Jiri Lehecka before fighting back, while Andrey Rublev dropped the middle set in the Quarter Final and Semi Final and won a final set tie-breaker against both Alex De Minaur and Felix Auger-Aliassime to progress.

With that in mind, you have to think both Draper and Rublev are going to be filled with confidence when they take to the court with a big title on the line.

After an inconsistent start to 2025 either through injury or being out of form, this is a big chance for Jack Draper and Andrey Rublev to just put a spark behind them and push on for even bigger and better things going forward.

The serve has been a big weapon for both Jack Draper and Andrey Rublev this week and this is going to be a key shot again.

Jack Draper has held 93% of the service games played, while Andrey Rublev has done the same in 92% of his service games.

The British player has had a bit more success on the return of serve, but Break Points are going to be hard to come by in this match and there is every chance it is a Final that surpasses this total games line that has been set.

Andrey Rublev may hold the mental advantage having won all three previous matches against Jack Draper, but they have not faced one another since 2023 and the latter has won a set in two of the three matches played. We know Jack Draper is much better than he was back then, but it might be a tough task in breaking down Andrey Rublev's game and this looks like a match that will potentially go long.

MY PICKS: Mirra Andreeva - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Jack Draper-Andrey Rublev Over 23.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 7-7, - 0.92 Units (14 Units Staked, - 6.57% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Friday 21st February)

It was a mixed bag of results on Thursday as we move into the final three days of the tournaments that have been playing this week.

The WTA Dubai and ATP Doha events are set to be concluded on Saturday, which means it is Semi Final day on Friday, while the ATP Rio tournament has reached the Quarter Final Round.

Any selections from Rio will be added to this thread, but the focus is once again on the tournament in Doha with both WTA Semi Finals quite difficult to call. The odds reflect that with those two matches featuring a couple of pick 'em contests, while there isn't much separating the players in the ATP Doha Semi Finals, but the angles to approach those matches feel more comfortable.

Felix Auger-Aliassime-Andrey Rublev over 23.5 games: The run through to the Semi Final of an ATP 500 event could not have been much more comfortable for Felix Auger-Aliassime and he may still be figuring out the conditions in Doha.

He had to battle through the First Round, but received a walkover in the Second Round before Felix Auger-Aliassime benefited from facing an ill Daniil Medvedev, who had to retire at the end of the first set played.

The Ranking points will be appreciated, but the form is hard to factor even if Felix Auger-Aliassime was serving well before Medvedev called time on the match prematurely in the Quarter Final.

This is going to be another tough challenge for the Canadian when going up against Andrey Rublev, who upset Alex De Minaur in the Quarter Final and who looks to be rounding into some better form. The World Number 10 has been returning with a bit more confidence and authority, although that will be tested by a big Felix Auger-Aliassime serve, and Andrey Rublev has maintained his level behind the serve.

There will be plenty of 'blink and you miss it' kind of rallies in this match with both likely going to get on the front foot behind the first serve with some big groundstrokes to rip past the opponent.

Matches between the pair have largely ended in favour of Andrey Rublev, who has won five of the six previous meetings, but they have been competitive and there is every reason to believe this one will be too.

Andrey Rublev and Felix Auger-Aliassime last met on the hard courts twelve months ago in Rotterdam and it was the former who rallied from a set down to get past the Canadian in the Second Round.

In their previous matches on the hard courts, Felix Auger-Aliassime has held 88% of his service games and Andrey Rublev has managed to do the same in 87% of his own service games. All but one of their previous six matches have gone the distance and you have to feel the two players can put the serving together to help surpass this total games line set in what should be a close, competitive match.

Felix Auger-Aliassime's level in Doha is more difficult to judge this week, but Andrey Rublev has been serving well to see both push through the games and there is every chance that even a straight sets win for either player would still see this total games mark covered.

Jack Draper - 1.5 games v Jiri Lehecka: It was the last match on court and Jack Draper had to battle and dig to recover from a set down and get the better of Matteo Berrettini to move through to the Semi Final.

Spending over two hours on the court is not ideal for the British player, especially considering the issues he has had with injury in his relatively young career. The World Number 16 is only just back on the Tour after being forced to withdraw during his Fourth Round match at the Australian Open against Carlos Alcaraz and there is always a concern when Draper has spent a lot of time on the court.

In saying that, Jack Draper may actually benefit from the time he had to really get through a tough match after coming through the first two Rounds without facing too much pushback.

He has been serving really well this week and Jack Draper has given himself an opportunity to play with a lot of aggression on the return. That was evident in his win over Matteo Berrettini having created 13 Break Points against the big serving Italian and should also bode well for Jack Draper against another solid server.

Jiri Lehecka upset Carlos Alcaraz in the Quarter Final and backing that victory up will be the challenge in front of him.

A strong start has been made to the 2025 season and Jiri Lehecka is going to crack the top 20 in the World Rankings sooner than later- it could happen on Monday if he is able to secure the title here in Doha, but that would mean coming through a couple of tough tests.

Beating someone like Carlos Alcaraz will have given Jiri Lehecka a lot of confidence and he has been able to maintain the very solid returning numbers being produced in 2025. That step up has really helped his tennis and this is another match that is going to be dominated on serve, but with two players who have been returning better than would be expected of them.

It will be close and competitive and it is no surprise that Lehecka and Draper split two hard court meetings in 2024.

At the start of that season, Jiri Lehecka was the higher Ranked player when he beat Jack Draper in the Adelaide Final, but their last meeting was at the Paris Masters in late October and by that time, it was Draper who had moved into the top 20 of the Rankings and he was a routine winner over the Czech player.

Jack Draper actually created more Break Points in both matches and he has held 92% of his service games compared with an 84% mark for Jiri Lehecka.

Both are playing with a lot of confidence right now, but those edges will give Jack Draper the advantage and he can come through with a solid win in this Semi Final and continue his own push towards the top 10 of the World Rankings.

MY PICKS: Felix Auger-Aliassime-Andrey Rublev Over 23.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Jack Draper - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 6-6, - 0.83 Units (12 Units Staked, - 6.92% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Thursday 20th February)

There were four Tennis Picks in action on Wednesday (with one holdover from Tuesday) and three were able to return as winners to get the week totals back on track.

More is needed to turn the red into black, and the focus remains on the ATP Doha event where the Quarter Final matches are all to be played on Thursday.

Upsets in Dubai have given the Quarter Final lineup a slightly unfamiliar look and those matches all looked tough to call, while the ATP Rio event is just operating on a slightly different schedule with the Quarter Final matches not set to be played until Friday.

Andrey Rublev + 2.5 games v Alex De Minaur: Two top ten Ranked players meet in the ATP 500 Doha Quarter Finals on Thursday and both Andrey Rublev and Alex De Minaur will be feeling pretty good about the tennis they have produced so far this week.

They are very familiar with one another and this is going to be the eighth time they have faced each other on the Tour- six of the previous seven matches have been on hard courts and that includes a match at the Australian Open.

It has been twelve months since Alex De Minaur beat Andrey Rublev in the Rotterdam Quarter Final and that is the last time the players have faced off.

During that week, Andrey Rublev had been the higher Ranked player, but he is the World Number 10 in Doha and Alex De Minaur is the World Number 8. Improving those marks will be tough this week, but it is important for Rublev and De Minaur to just build some momentum ahead of another big event in Dubai next week and then the two North American Masters events to be played next month before the whole Tour turns attention to the clay courts.

Both players have been serving really well this week, but Alex De Minaur has produced better on the return and that is perhaps the reason he has been set as the favourite in this Quarter Final.

No one should doubt the improvements made by the Australian, but the Andrey Rublev tennis can match up pretty well with De Minaur with the aggression of the Russian capable of seeing him break through the Alex De Minaur defences.

However, it is perhaps correct to have Andrey Rublev down as the narrow underdog because of the slightly inconsistent play in the early part of 2025. His return game has not quite been as effective as it can be, but Rublev should be able to push Alex De Minaur and winning a set might put the lower Ranked player in a position to cover the spread with the games being given to him.

Daniil Medvedev - 2.5 games v Felix Auger-Aliassime: The three year anniversary of Daniil Medvedev becoming World Number 1 is coming up later this month, but he is operating as the World Number 6 these days.

The numbers on the hard courts dipped significantly in 2024 from the standards that Daniil Medvedev has set for him in recent years during a time when he was right up amongst the best players in the world on the surface. He is still a very good hard court player, but opponents may feel they have more of a chance against Daniil Medvedev, even if the early form in 2025 is trending back in a positive direction.

An early exit at the Australian Open will feel like a disappointment, but the Semi Final run in Marseille earlier this month may just have restored some confidence and Daniil Medvedev has played well in his two wins here in Doha.

In reality the numbers being produced are aided by the fact that Daniil Medvedev has yet to play a top 20 Ranked opponent in 2025 and he will not be facing one of those in the Doha Quarter Finals.

Felix Auger-Aliassime is the opponent and he needs to reach the Final in Doha to move back inside the top 20 having struggled for consistency on the Tour for some time now.

Suggesting the Canadian is inconsistent might sound foolish considering he has won two titles already this season, but Felix Auger-Aliassime has also lost early at the Australian Open and in Rotterdam.

Winning the title in Adelaide saw Felix Auger-Aliassime win some matches against top opponents, but it cannot be ignored that he did not beat anyone Ranked higher than 71 when winning the title in Montpellier. His sole win here was against the World Number 79 before receiving a walkover and so the 24 year old still has much to prove about where his tennis currently stands.

Serving well has not been an issue for Felix Auger-Aliassime, but he continues to struggle for consistency on the return and that has proven to be tough to overcome against Daniil Medvedev.

Felix Auger-Aliassime did win their last meeting on the clay at the Paris Olympics last year, but the seven previous matches had all ended in defeat and all on the hard courts.

There has been a huge difference in the returning numbers in those hard court matches, including at the Australian Open in January 2024, and Daniil Medvedev may just come through on those big Break Points played.

The lower Ranked player has won four consecutive matches against top 20 Ranked players on the hard courts, but this has not been the best match up for Felix Auger-Aliassime and that gives Daniil Medvedev the edge in this Quarter Final.

Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 games v Jiri Lehecka: This is a wide spread to cover and especially in a Quarter Final at an ATP 500 event, but Carlos Alcaraz is playing at a steady level in Doha and will be entering the match with real confidence.

Steady may not be doing the World Number 3 much justice- he has been serving well and Carlos Alcaraz has won 42% of return points played in each of the two wins that have been put on the board.

A title has been secured in Rotterdam after the disappointing defeat to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open Quarter Final, but Carlos Alcaraz may still feel there is room for improvement in his tennis and especially if he is going to get closer to Jannik Sinner in the World Rankings.

The Spaniard most definitely feels like an improving player on the hard courts and there is plenty to like from what Carlos Alcaraz has displayed through the early part of the 2025 season.

Next up is Jiri Lehecka, who is one win away from setting a new career high World Ranking mark, and who has won plenty of hard court matches already this season. Like his opponent, Jiri Lehecka has picked up a title on the surface and only an injury curtailed his tournament in Rotterdam earlier this month.

Having a slight break from competitive tennis has seemingly helped and Jiri Lehecka has offered little encouragement for the opponent in each of the two wins in Doha.

The serve has been a big weapon for the World Number 25 and it has freed Jiri Lehecka when it comes to attacking the return.

However, it is hard to believe Jiri Lehecka can maintain his return numbers at their current level considering what we have seen from the player in recent years.

He also has plenty to prove against one of the top players on the Tour after Jiri Lehecka was beaten in routine fashion by Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open last month. The 3-4 record against top 10 Ranked opponents on the hard courts over the last twelve months offers some encouragement, but Jiri Lehecka has found himself under extreme pressure to serve very well with his limited return game exposed in those matches.

That was the case when Jiri Lehecka was beaten by Carlos Alcaraz on the grass courts of Queen's a little over eighteen months ago and the former may just struggle to stay with the World Number 3. Jiri Lehecka will look to try and build pressure with his serve, but Carlos Alcaraz can neutralise the shot and get himself into the rallies where he can just out-perform the lower Ranked player and cover a big mark with a solid Quarter Final win.

MY PICKS: Andrey Rublev + 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Daniil Medvedev - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 5-5, - 0.63 Units (10 Units Staked, - 6.30% Yield)