Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Saturday 16th May)

The WTA Final at Rome takes centre stage on Saturday and the winner is going to be heading to the French Open in confident mood.

It has long been considered that the majority of the best players will skip the last week in between this tournament and the start of the French Open, especially with a Sunday start in play at that Grand Slam and that is looking like being the case next week.

And that means Rome is the last big opportunity for those top names to make a statement ahead of the second Grand Slam title of the 2026 season.

Coco Gauff - 2.5 games v Elina Svitolina: You cannot ignore the fact that Elina Svitolina has beaten Coco Gauff twice this season on the hard courts, including at the Australian Open, while the World Number 10 is not going to be lacking for confidence in the Rome Finals.

Victories over Elena Rybakina and Iga Swiatek, two of the French Open favourites, on back to back days have carried the Ukrainian into the Final, although the numbers suggest Elina Svitolina was perhaps a touch fortunate in both matches. In those two wins, Svitolina faced 36 Break Points compared with the 22 created, but she has played the big points as effectively as possible and this is a tournament the veteran has enjoyed playing.

Her best run at the French Open has been reaching the Quarter Final and Elina Svitolina has done that five times, but she was back to back Rome Champion in 2017 and 2018. and has reached the Quarter Final on three occasions since then.

Of course she is enjoying her best run in Rome since last winning the title here eight years ago and that makes Elina Svitolina dangerous.

There is room for improvement when you look at the Break Points faced and being created, but this will be a confident player and those two wins over Coco Gauff will stand her in good stead.

The American is very comfortable on the clay courts and her Semi Final win and the manner in which it was delivered will have given the World Number 4 plenty of reason to believe she can finally win a big clay court event at 1000 level.

Coco Gauff has been a consistent figure at the French Open- she has reached the Quarter Final five times in a row, while turning one of those into a Semi Final run, another finishing Runner Up and then finally winning the Grand Slam title in Paris eleven months ago. At the same time, she has reached the Final in Madrid and Rome, but losing both times, and Coco Gauff has two other Semi Final runs in the Italian capital before reaching another Final here on Thursday.

On the clay courts, serving numbers are going to make difficult reading compared with the faster surfaces, but both have been doing well enough- the difference here is that Coco Gauff has been the superior return player in Rome and that could see her begin to exert some control on this Final.

The second serve continues to be a vulnerability and Elina Svitolina should be able to attack that part of the Gauff game to real positive effect.

The same can be said for the higher Ranked player and this has the makings of a Final that should see both players pick up some momentum at different times.

However, the edge has to be with Coco Gauff who has shown a bit more consistency compared with Elina Svitolina, even if the latter seemingly matches up pretty well with the World Number 4.

Both winning a set would not be a surprise, but Gauff may still have enough in her return game to cover this spread even if the contest does need that deciding set to determine the Rome Champion in 2026.

MY PICKS : Coco Gauff - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

Rome Update: 6-4, + 0.74 Units (10 Units Staked, + 7.40% Yield)

Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Thursday 14th May)

The Rome Masters is into the last of the Quarter Final matches in the ATP event being played in the Italian capital and the two WTA Semi Final matches are scheduled for Thursday as well, although the weather will need to play ball.

It was the weather that changed the momentum of the Casper Ruud eventual win over Karen Khachanov and perhaps prevented the Norwegian from making it 2-0 for the Tennis Picks on Wednesday.

This has still been a decent tournament to add to the earlier positive clay court numbers and that is going to give the pages a boost ahead of the French Open, which is now a little over a week away from beginning at the end of the month.

Coco Gauff - 3.5 games v Sorana Cirstea: Retirement at the end of the season has already been announced, but there has to be some second thoughts in the Sorana Cirstea camp having played some of the best tennis of her career.

If the Rankings were released in the morning, Sorana Cirstea would be back at her career best World Ranking mark of Number 21 and she is very much trending towards cracking the top 20 for the first time. The veteran is also at Number 11 in the WTA Race to determine the best players in the world and Sorana Cirstea has upset Aryna Sabalenka during her run to the Semi Final here in Rome.

A confident player is a dangerous player and Cirstea has a very solid 10-2 record on the clay courts in the build up towards the French Open.

However, both losses have been against some of the better clay courters on the WTA Tour and one of those came at the hands of Coco Gauff at the Madrid Masters.

The defending French Open Champion has shown plenty of character to come through three setters in her run in Rome and Coco Gauff has long been very comfortable on the clay courts. This is a surface where a vulnerable second serve is not punished nearly as much as it is on the faster surfaces where recovering breaks of serve can be very difficult against the best players on the Tour.

On the clay courts, Coco Gauff will always feel she has enough quality from the return to neutralise rallies and ultimately break down an opponent and she is playing well on the surface this season. The numbers are not quite as good as the previous two seasons, but Gauff has shown she can dig in and overcome problems and that makes her the right favourite in this match.

Beating Sorana Cirstea in all three previous matches on the Tour, including twice this year, will also give the World Number 4 the confidence to push past this opponent again.

It was the Coco Gauff returning prowess that helped her beat Sorana Cirstea in Madrid and she created five more Break Points on the day.

Sorana Cirstea is playing with confidence and an almost 'nothing to lose' attitude, which makes her dangerous, but Coco Gauff can find those breaks of serve that helps her cover this spread set for this last four contest.

Daniil Medvedev - 3.5 games v Martin Landaluce: There have been flashes of his ability on the clay courts, but Daniil Medvedev has long stated his dislike for this part of the season and he is never that far from completely losing his temper when things are not panning out as expected. Little form had been shown prior to the arrival in Rome, which is the last big tournament Daniil Medvedev is set to take in before the French Open, but this is one of the clay court events that the World Number 9 has enjoyed.

In his career, Daniil Medvedev has reached one Quarter Final at the French Open and a couple of Fourth Round runs, but he has won the title here in Rome and followed up with back to back Fourth Round appearances.

He has already progressed at least one stage further here in Rome in 2026 and Daniil Medvedev is rightly set as the favourite to get the better of Lucky Loser Martin Landaluce.

The 20 year old is going to take another leap in the World Rankings thanks to his performances in the main draw, but the Spaniard is not the most convincing of clay courters.

In most cases you would expect anyone from his country to be very comfortable on the clay, but Martin Landaluce had a 4-4 record on the surface before winning one Qualifier and losing the other here in Rome. He earned a reprieve with the Lucky Loser spot, and Martin Landaluce has taken full advantage by winning three matches in a row without dropping a set, although this is another step up in level of opponent compared with what the youngster has faced in the main draw.

Martin Landaluce had never beaten a top 100 Ranked player on the clay courts in his career before his three main draw wins here, but none of the opponents beaten have been Ranked higher than Number 47 and so Daniil Medvedev should offer a much tougher challenge.

Confidence in putting a run like this together will make Martin Landaluce dangerous, but his serve can be vulnerable and that has been the main reason he had a 0-8 record against top 100 Ranked players on this surface before the last few days.

The expectation is that Daniil Medvedev can exert some pressure with his own serve and the higher Ranked player may have enough to cover this spread set.

Iga Swiatek - 4.5 games v Elina Svitolina: The latter played a Quarter Final that ended after two and a half hours on Wednesday evening and that is going to have an impact on Elina Svitolina, who has lost both previous clay court matches against Iga Swiatek.

The lower Ranked player has produced some very good tennis on the clay, but Swiatek is rounding into the kind of form that has seen her win multiple French Open titles.

The Pole was not pushed at all by Jessica Pegula to continue her incredible form in Rome and that long match played by Elina Svitolina has to be a factor without a day of rest between Quarter and Semi Final.

Covering this kind of spread against Elina Svitolina is always a challenge, but Iga Swiatek would have done that in both previous clay court wins over this opponent.

Energy and intensity should be with Iga Swiatek from early in this contest and she can eventually roll into the Final behind another confident win.

MY PICKS: Coco Gauff - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Daniil Medvedev - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Iga Swiatek - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Rome Update: 5-2, + 1.94 Units (7 Units Staked, + 27.71% Yield)

Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Wednesday 13th May)

The Rome Masters has reached the Quarter Final stage and there are several big names looking to win the first of potentially two big clay titles over the next few weeks.

Jannik Sinner is going to be the man to beat in Paris, but a wide open women's tournament here in Rome and at the French Open looks really interesting and one that will create the sporting drama that fans would all love to see.

Iga Swiatek - 3.5 games v Jessica Pegula: This is already looking like becoming the most productive year on the clay courts for Jessica Pegula who has moved into the Rome Quarter Final and has won nine of the ten matches played on the surface. A couple of those have been against top 20 Ranked opponents, which can only build the confidence, while the Third Round defeat at the Madrid Masters came at the hands of Marta Kostyuk, who eventually won the title in the Spanish capital.

The performances here in Rome are a real benchmark of the kind of successes the World Number 5 can have at the upcoming French Open.

She has reached the Quarter Final out in Paris before, but Jessica Pegula has one other Fourth Round run and so the wins she is putting on the board can only help as she looks to attack what feels like another wide open Grand Slam event.

Beating Iga Swiatek, the four time French Open Champion, would be a real statement of intent from the American.

Jessica Pegula has won four of the last six against Iga Swiatek, but one of those was on the grass courts and the others on hard courts and this will be only the second clay court contest between these highly Ranked players. The one previous occasion came all the way back in 2022 in the French Open Quarter Final and that was won pretty convincingly by Iga Swiatek on her way to a second title in the French capital.

We have yet to see vintage Iga Swiatek on the clay courts in 2026 and her Semi Final defeat in Paris, and the manner in which it ran away from her in the final set, will still be stinging. She has won five of the seven clay court matches played this season and Swiatek has produced very strong numbers, but a defeat to the World Number 9 Mirra Andreeva in Stuttgart suggests there is still a vulnerability about one of the favourites to win the next Grand Slam title.

This is something of a 'prove it' match for Swiatek, who will be keen to win the Rome title and just make a statement to her main rivals.

She is certainly the stronger return player on this surface and that is so important in clay matches, but the Iga Swiatek serve is to be respected and that should give her a chance to turn things around in the recent head to head.

Nothing is ever easy when facing a battler like Jessica Pegula, but the quality and confidence of Iga Swiatek on this surface should pay dividends at key moments within the sets.

The World Number 3 looks like a real potential winner at the French Open and she can be backed to make it through to the Semi Final in Rome with a big performance.

Casper Ruud - 4.5 games v Karen Khachanov: The hopes of winning a Grand Slam title remain high for Casper Ruud and his team, and the French Open may be the one tournament where he has his best opportunity.

The performances on the clay courts have remained strong and Casper Ruud is having a very strong run in the Rome Masters, which is laying a solid foundation for what can be achieved in the French capital. Not only has Casper Ruud won all three matches in the tournament, but he has done so in very strong fashion and wins over the likes of Jiri Lehecka and Lorenzo Musetti will have given Ruud a huge amount of confidence.

Next up is a Quarter Final against Karen Khachanov, who has had a much more battling run into this Round of the tournament.

In the past the World Number 15 has proven to be a solid competitor on the clay courts, and Karen Khachanov has reached the Quarter Final at the French Open twice. There had been little form produced before the Rome Masters as Khachanov had lost three of four clay court matches played, but three wins in a row will have rebuilt the confidence and this is a dangerous player when at his best.

The serve can be a big weapon for Karen Khachanov and he will need to employ that shot at a high level to just contain the threat coming from the other side of the net.

Out of the two players, Casper Ruud has been the happier return player on this surface of the two players contesting this Quarter Final and that may put the World Number 25 in a position to win the match and cover the spread set.

That slightly superior returning has been the key to Casper Ruud winning two of the three previous matches played between the players, although the most recent was won by Karen Khachanov last year on a North American hard court in the build towards the US Open.

The one sole clay court meeting took place in Rome in 2020 and was won by Casper Ruud in a back and forth battle- that was a tournament played in September, rather than May, and the difference in the conditions has to be noted.

However, the performances over the last several days suggest Casper Ruud is still playing well enough to earn another clay court win over Karen Khachanov. The spread is going to be tougher to deal with, but Ruud has looked very good at this event and that kind of level may be high enough to cover this handicap line.

MY PICKS: Iga Swiatek - 3.5 Games @ 1.66 William Hill (1 Unit)

Casper Ruud - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (1 Unit)

Rome Update: 4-1, + 2.28 Units (5 Units Staked, + 45.60% Yield)

Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Monday 11th May)

The Rome Masters continues on Monday and this is the last big week on the Tour before the French Open.

Players will take part in events next week, but the majority of the top names will feel that the groundwork has been laid ahead of the second Grand Slam of the season.

Some of the leading contenders on both the ATP and WTA Tours are still going strong in Rome, which is an event played in conditions much more familiar to those who will be playing in Paris compared with the Madrid Masters. Personally it has also felt like the Rome Masters is more of an indicative tournament as to the kind of successes that could be had in Paris and could form part of a staking plan.

The opening selections from the tournament both came through in largely comfortable fashion and on Monday there are three Picks that can be read below.

Coco Gauff - 4.5 games v Iva Jovic: Two American players meet in the Fourth Round in Rome and the experience of Coco Gauff should be a telling factor in the outcome of the contest.

There is no doubting the excitement around Iva Jovic and the potential she has, but the 18 year old is still going to be learning her trade on the clay courts. That is especially the case at this level having reached the French Open Doubles Final in her time in the Junior ranks, while Iva Jovic has only had one win against a player Ranked higher than Number 47 on the surface this season.

The two wins in Rome have been against compatriots, but neither McCartney Kessler nor Taylor Townsend can bring the credentials that Coco Gauff takes onto the court.

Coco Gauff is the defending French Open Champion and she has been amongst the best clay courters in the world on the WTA Tour.

Vulnerabilities remain with the second serve, but Gauff is very comfortable on the surface and she has won at least 50% of return points played on clay courts since the beginning of the 2024 season. That puts a huge amount of pressure on any opponent she faces and Iva Jovic is still going to be working on the serve and how to make the best use of that shot on this surface compared to the hard courts.

Every one of these kind of matches will help Jovic develop, but Coco Gauff should have enough to remind everyone of her threat to win the French Open again by producing a strong, solid win on Monday.

Mirra Andreeva - 4.5 games v Elise Mertens: This portion of the clay court season is relatively short and so you can't always take numbers being produced by players on their own without any context.

Someone like Elise Mertens has been playing well all season and has the kind of tennis that should work on all surfaces- she has previously had solid runs on the clay courts and so has to be respected.

However, the numbers from the six matches played on the surface this season are so much higher than previous years that you do have to wonder if she can maintain current levels. Elise Mertens has beaten home favourite Jasmine Paolini in her run to the Fourth Round in Rome, but Paolini has been struggling for consistency and this match is against a player that has really strong clay court form since she joined the Tour.

Mirra Andreeva lost in the Madrid Final at the last 1000 tournament, but she has won a clay court title in 2026 and reached the Semi Final in Stuttgart at another big event.

The 19 year old now has an 82-19 career record on the clay and Mirra Andreeva has not been slowed down by taking part in the bigger events on the Tour.

The serve continues to be an important weapon for Mirra Andreeva, although she has to be working on her return to take the next step on this surface. Her best Grand Slam results have been at the French Open where she has reached the Semi Final and the Quarter Final in the last couple of years, but Andreeva knows that is when you need to step up even more if wanting a place in the Final and then to pick up the title in Paris.

The World Number 22 will cause problems, but the Elise Mertens second serve can become vulnerable and that may be the edge that helps Mirra Andreeva win outright and perhaps narrowly cover this spread.

Andrey Rublev - 1.5 games v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina: You cannot ignore the fact that both of these players can be pretty erratic on the court, but the lack of recent tennis played by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has to be a factor.

He does have a terrible record against Andrey Rublev, but the last clay court meeting ended in a win for Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in Barcelona last year.

The Spaniard had not played since the Miami Masters and went 1-1 in Madrid at the last tournament, while Davidovich Fokina has already won a match here in Rome. However, it is a considerable challenge against someone like Andrey Rublev who reached the Final in Barcelona in April and who has long been pretty comfortable on the clay courts.

A lack of match competitiveness cannot be ignored, while Andrey Rublev holds wins over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina at the Madrid Masters and Rome Masters in previous years.

Over the last twelve months, there have been signs that Andrey Rublev is getting back to something like his best tennis and he can battle through this Third Round match.

MY PICKS: Coco Gauff - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Mirra Andreeva - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

Andrey Rublev - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Rome Update: 2-0, + 1.57 Units (2 Units Staked, + 78.50% Yield)

Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Sunday 10th May)

After a decent start to the clay court season, the decision had been made to miss the Madrid Masters and resume Tennis Picks at the Rome Masters in the last big event before the French Open.

There have already been some upsets in the early days at this tournament, but Jannik Sinner will be heading to Paris as the player to beat on the Men's side of the draw.

We could have another wide open second Grand Slam as far as the WTA players are concerned, but this is the last chance to lay down a marker for Paris with some big names still fighting through the draw.

The season totals have been updated below and there are two selections from the Sunday tennis in the Italian capital.

Iga Swiatek - 6.5 games v Elisabetta Cocciaretto: The first point you have to make is that the home player is not going to lose this match to Iga Swiatek having won a single game, as was the case right here in Rome last year. That was a devastating Second Round performance from the multiple time French Open Champion, but Elisabetta Cocciaretto may be more prepared by what she is going to be facing and will be looking to use the home crowd to push her forward.

There has not been a lot of positive clay court form to call upon, but a couple of wins in the main draw in Rome will have given Cocciaretto some belief, even if she is well aware that this is a big step upwards in terms of level of opponent.

Iga Swiatek will go into the French Open as one of the favourites, but she will be looking for a strong run in Rome after some inconsistent results of her own during this portion of the Tour.

Three wins and two losses on the clay courts may mean Iga Swiatek is in danger of heading to Paris a little undercooked, although the numbers have been solid and some of her main rivals at the next Grand Slam have also had their issues.

The serve is always a strong part of the Iga Swiatek game- if she is serving well, the rest of her tennis seems to flow and the numbers in the five clay court matches this season have been decent enough. The World Number 3 has also been having strong success on her return in the limited sample of matches played and Iga Swiatek may still have enough to cover this spread, even if it is not expected to be as one-sided as when these two players met last year.

Elisabetta Cocciaretto did take a set from Jessica Pegula in Charleston earlier this year, but this is a big step up compared with recent level of opponents and that should play out on the scoreboard in favour of the higher Ranked player.

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 games v Alexander Blockx: He started the season having to Qualify for the Australian Open, but there is every chance that youngster Alexander Blockx will be Seeded when Wimbledon rolls around at the end of June.

Even as recently as the Monte Carlo Masters, Blockx was playing in the Qualifiers, but his run to the Madrid Masters Semi Final means the Belgian has pushed his way into World Number 36.

That run was ended by Alexander Zverev, who was eventually beaten by Jannik Sinner, and it is going to be tough for the younger player to change the scoreline.

Alexander Blockx does have a serve that can keep him in matches, but the clay courts are always tougher to impose that shot alone and in Madrid it was Alexander Zverev who had the bigger serve by some margin.

The experience is also an edge and Alexander Zverev has long been very comfortable on the clay courts and two of the three defeats on the surface this year have been against the World Number 1.

While the numbers are impressive, there is also a feeling that Alexander Zverev has room for improvement and he will be looking to peak at the French Open beginning at the end of the month and not at this stage of the clay court season. He will be expecting a bit more out of the serve and will feel there is more pressure he can exert on the return, but Zverev did more than enough to get the better of Alexander Blockx at the last tournament and can frank that form.

Respect has to be given to Alexander Blockx for the confidence he would have earned from some of the upsets produced during the clay court season, but he may not have had enough time to make the adjustments for this match up.

MY PICKS: Iga Swiatek - 6.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

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

Season 2026: 97-82, + 10.54 Units (244 Units Staked, + 4.32% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Saturday 18th April)

The tournaments being played around Europe are all coming to a conclusion this weekend and the attention will soon turn to the Madrid 1000 event for both the ATP and WTA Tours.

The top of the ATP event has lost both Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic with both players citing injury- the withdrawal of Alcaraz is more worrying considering he pulled out of the event in Barcelona before playing his Second Round match and the defending French Open Champion will be desperate to get some more clay court tennis under the legs at the Rome Masters in early May.

We know that Novak Djokovic is all about peaking for the Grand Slams, but his fans will also like to see him take part in a clay court event before the French Open gets underway at the end of next month.

The WTA event in Madrid is intact at the time of writing, but things can change quickly on the Tour as most begin to think about the second Grand Slam of the season.

Alexander Zverev - 4.5 games v Fabio Cobolli: At the end of March, Fabio Cobolli set a new career high World Ranking mark at Number 13 and he can move even higher than that if he is able to win the ATP Munich title on Sunday.

The performances at this event have been pretty strong, but the Italian has benefited from a draw in which he has not faced anyone Ranked higher than World Number 40.

You can only beat what is placed in front of you and so credit has to be given to Fabio Cobolli for the manner in which the wins have been produced. This is a clay court event, but it says something when you think Cobolli has only been broken twice in three matches, although he will be the first to admit that his serve will be tested considerably more by the World Number 3 compared with the opponents that have been seen off in this tournament.

Alexander Zverev showed his qualities in coming from behind to beat Francisco Cerundolo in the Quarter Final and he is very comfortable playing in front of the home fans. After dropping the first set 7-5, Alexander Zverev lost just two more games against a very solid clay courter, and he looks to have his eye in on the return of serve.

There is a pretty small sample of clay court results at this stage of the season, especially for these two players who have both begun the red dirt experience since the Tour moved back to Europe.

The numbers are pretty similar, but it cannot be ignored that Alexander Zverev has been facing considerably stronger opponents than the younger player across the net. It means Fabio Cobolli probably has another level to find if he is going to compete in this Semi Final and Alexander Zverev should be comfortable with the match up.

He has won both previous matches against Fabio Cobolli and Alexander Zverev has won all five sets played against one another.

They met at the French Open last year and Alexander Zverev was a very comfortable winner in that Third Round meeting- the higher Ranked player proved to have a real edge when it comes to the service numbers and that could play out again in a tournament that Alexander Zverev has really enjoyed.

In a best of three set format, this is a big spread, but Alexander Zverev has been playing with the intensity and qualities to find a way to break down the Fabio Cobolli game and ultimately make relatively comfortable passage into yet another Munich Final.

MY PICKS: Alexander Zverev - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 4-1, + 2.34 Units (5 Units Staked, + 46.80% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Friday 17th April)

The Quarter Final matches at the four big events being played this week have all been scheduled for action on Friday, but there are only two selections from the matches available.

After a 3-0 start to the week, the hope is that these two selections can continue the positive start to the clay court season.

One of those comes from  the ATP 500 tournament being played in Barcelona and the other from the WTA 500 tournament in Stuttgart.

Some of the top contenders for the French Open title can lay down an early marker at these 500 events, although there are still bigger events to be played in Madrid and Rome at the 1000 level.

However, as mentioned earlier this week, the Masters event in Madrid tends to have a very different feel to the other events during this European clay court run and may be one to keep a watching brief before the Rome event and the last run up into the second Grand Slam of the season.

Rafael Jodar - 3.5 games v Cameron Norrie: It was never going to be easy being the next player to break through in British Tennis during the Andy Murray era, but Cameron Norrie has put together a strong career. He continues to be a brilliant competitor every time he steps onto the court and there is something to be said about that.

At his peak, Cameron Norrie reached World Number 8, while he reached the second week at all of the Grand Slam events with his best effort being a Semi Final run at Wimbledon in 2022. This is an all-court player who reached the French Open Fourth Round for the first time just last year and Cameron Norrie has battled through a couple of Rounds to reach the Quarter Final here in Barcelona this week.

Later this year, Cameron Norrie is turning 31 and there was a feeling several months ago that his best tennis was now behind him.

No one will suggest this is a flashy player, but Norrie will grind every time he steps on the court and his numbers are pretty similar across the surfaces.

Cameron Norrie serves well enough on the clay courts and will get himself into the return rallies to remain dangerous, and the veteran is sure to have learned plenty out of the one-sided defeat suffered to Rafael Jodar on the hard courts of Acapulco in February.

On that day, the young Spaniard won 82% of his service points played and broke the Cameron Norrie serve three times and Rafael Jodar has continued his 2026 form on the clay courts with two solid wins at this event.

That comes after winning a title in Bucharest at an ATP 250 level and Jodar has looked comfortable at this 500 level, although he will respect the fact that he is facing the highest Ranked opponent on this surface so far this season.

Rafael Jodar was not at his very best in the Second Round, but he continues to serve really effectively and that is allowing him to build real pressure on the return. Those numbers on that side of the court are really impressive and it feels like the 19 year old is going to have enough to get past Cameron Norrie.

It should be closer than the meeting in Acapulco now that Norrie has had a proper look at the opponent, but Rafael Jodar is on track to really move up the World Rankings and this is a surface that should favour him to enough of an extent to earn the win and the over of the spread set.

Coco Gauff - 3.5 games v Karolina Muchova: The French Open Final was played in some incredibly difficult conditions, but credit has to be given to Coco Gauff for holding it together for longer than Aryna Sabalenka to win that Grand Slam in 2025.

She has long been very comfortable on the clay courts and Coco Gauff would have been confident of winning the French Open after recent experiences on the surface. Last year, Gauff put together another impressive year on the clay, although the one poor tournament was right here in Stuttgart.

A comfortable win in the Second Round will have given Coco Gauff early momentum and she is going to be happy with the match up in this Quarter Final.

Karolina Muchova is a former French Open Finalist, but she has not played too much clay court tennis over the last couple of years.

That takes away nothing from the ability Muchova has shown to play on all courts, but she has lost all six Tour meetings against Coco Gauff and this has proven to be a difficult opponent to work out.

Karolina Muchova has put together two solid wins in Stuttgart, but she has simply not been able to impose her serve on Coco Gauff in those previous six matches. That is going to be even tougher to achieve on the clay courts, while the World Number 3 has to be credited for getting more out of the first serve on this surface.

This could become an awkward spread where the line currently stands.

However, Coco Gauff's comfort on the clay courts gives her every chance of maintaining the advantage over Karolina Muchova with another win over this opponent.

MY PICKS: Rafael Jodar - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Coco Gauff - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 3-0, + 2.54 Units (3 Units Staked, + 84.67% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Thursday 16th April)

There may have been plenty of matches scheduled on Wednesday, but enough doubt around the majority of them meant a single selection was made.

Rafael Jodar came through some tough moments to earn his straight sets win over Camilo Ugo Carabelli for the second time in this clay court season and Carlos Alcaraz withdrawing from the Barcelona tournament means all eyes will be on the other young Spaniard who is now beginning to make headlines.

He will have to wait until Friday before the Quarter Final matches begin, but Thursday is all about completing the Second Round matches across the various tournaments being played this week.

Once again a number of matches have come close to being selected, but ultimately have not quite convinced enough and that means going with two selections from the ATP Munich event.

Francisco Cerundolo - 3.5 games v Botic van de Zandschlup: The move into the clay court season means there is limited samples of how players are performing, but some are more comfortable on the red dirt compared with others.

The World Number 19 Francisco Cerundolo is one of the more comfortable clay courters and tends to take in the South American Golden Swing in between the Australian Open and the big hard court events in North America in March. That was the case again in 2026 and Cerundolo does win plenty of matches on the clay, which is a solid reason behind his overall World Ranking mark.

A title has been won on the surface earlier this year, but Francisco Cerundolo suffered a relatively early loss in the opening tournament played on the European clay courts.

A comfortable win in the First Round against a Lucky Loser has taken Francisco Cerundolo through to this Round and he is the right favourite in this match.

You have to have respect for the early clay court form shown by Botic van de Zandschlup who reached the Semi Final in Budapest and who has another win under his belt here in Munich. However, it should also be noted that the 30 year old has yet to face anyone Ranked higher than World Number 60 on the surface and his numbers in recent years suggest the current level is unlikely to be sustained through the two big Masters events coming up before the French Open.

This is a player that has been pretty reliant on his serve, but that cannot be the case on the clay courts and that is where Francisco Cerundolo should have the edge.

He has won the two previous meetings between the players and both on the hard courts in 2025.

Francisco Cerundolo did not drop a set in either of those two matches and his confidence on the red dirt should make sure he is in a position to move into the Quarter Final behind another strong win against this opponent.

Alexander Zverev - 4.5 games v Gabriel Diallo: The most consistent Grand Slam success produced by Alexander Zverev has been at the French Open and he was leading Carlos Alcaraz in the Final of that Slam two years ago before eventually being beaten in five sets.

There is no doubt that Alexander Zverev will be heading to Paris as one of the favourites, although at the same time most would have Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner significantly shorter prices in the outright markets.

Yet another defeat to the new World Number 1 at the Monte Carlo Masters underlines the challenges that face Alexander Zverev when it comes to finally winning a Grand Slam. The feeling remains that the window has closed barring unexpected defeats for the top two players in the world, but Zverev cannot think like that and the Semi Final run in Monte Carlo is a reminder of his qualities.

Alexander Zverev is expected to have too much for Gabriel Diallo in this Second Round contest in Munich, especially as the World Number 37 has had limited success on the surface.

He took advantage of a Lucky Loser spot to enter the main draw at the Madrid Masters in 2025 and Gabriel Diallo reached the Quarter Final at that ATP 1000 event. However, Diallo will have to accept that he was given a pretty kind draw and the Canadian was just 3-5 on the clay court outside of that run in Madrid.

Opening defeats in Bucharest and Monte Carlo will have done little for the confidence and Gabriel Diallo beat a Qualifier Ranked outside the top 200 in the First Round here in Munich.

Suffice to say that this Second Round match is a significant step upwards and Gabriel Diallo was well beaten by Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open back in January. That was a First Round match played on a surface that would suit Diallo more than the clay courts here in Munich and it may be a tough ask to stick with the top Seed in this ATP 500 tournament.

MY PICKS: Francisco Cerundolo - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Alexander Zverev - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 1-0, + 0.91 Units (1 Unit Staked, + 91% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Wednesday 15th April)

The clay court season has gotten underway earlier this month, but a decision was made to skip making any Tennis Picks at the Monte Carlo Masters.

There are plenty of big events to be completed before we get to the French Open at the end of the month and there are three 500 level events this week in Barcelona, Munich and Stuttgart with some big names on both the ATP and WTA Tour in action.

It should be remembered that there are still plenty of clay court specialists out there and those have to be respected, while some top names are much more comfortable on the faster surfaces rather than the red dirt.

We have already seen another meltdown from Daniil Medvedev last week in Monte Carlo, while some of the top American names are skipping some of this part of the season knowing they are much more dangerous when it comes to the hard or grass courts. Others that are playing become vulnerable to the upsets that the layers may not always price up as they should and so there is a lot of consideration given to a number of factors that can change the selection.

Taking note of the kind of clay court tournaments coming up is also important- the Madrid Masters plays very different to the other clay events and the French Open and tends to throw up many more upsets than most events at this time of the season. Conditions tend to see the ball fly that much quicker through the air and the surface so that may be another event which needs to be watched, rather than having multiple selections made, but that is something to consider when the tournament comes around next week.

A decent start to the season took a knock in March with the Indian Wells and Miami Masters both getting the better of the selections.

Overall we have to be happy with where the numbers currently stand, but building momentum towards the French Open is important and that is the focus over the next six weeks until the second Grand Slam of the season gets underway.

Rafael Jodar - 4.5 games v Camilo Ugo Carabelli: After the retirement of Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz has become the poster boy for Spanish Tennis, but there is another Rafael making his way up the World Rankings.

19 year old Rafael Jodar may not have made the early waves of Alcaraz, but he is operating at a career best World Number 55 after winning the title in Marrakech earlier this month. A Wild Card has been handed to him to take his place in this ATP 500 event in Barcelona and the same can be expected at the ATP 1000 event in Madrid and Rafael Jodar could make significant leaps in the World Rankings right through the French Open.

He has played well on the hard courts as well as the more natural clay and that makes this teenager someone to keep an eye on.

Veteran Jaume Munar was dismissed in the First Round very comfortably and Rafael Jodar is a pretty significant favourite in this match up against Camilo Ugo Carabelli.

The 26 year old Argentinian is the World Number 43 and like many of his compatriots, Camilo Ugo Carabelli is very comfortable on the red dirt. Earlier this season he won a Challenger event in Argentina and later reached the Quarter Final at the ATP 250 tournament held in Buenos Aires.

Early losses in Rio de Janeiro and Santiago will have been a disappointment during the South American Golden Swing, but Camilo Ugo Carabeli reached the Semi Final in Marrakech to boost confidence.

That run was ended by Rafael Jodar as they prepare to meet for a second time on the clay this month, and the real test for Camilo Ugo Carabelli is whether he can find a way to get his teeth into the Jodar serve. It was a problem in Marrakech with Ugo Carabelli creating just 2 Break Points in a straight sets defeat as he struggled to make an impact on either the first or second serve return.

While only a small sample, Rafael Jodar's serving in his six clay courts matches in 2026 has been really impressive and he has backed that up by keeping the pressure on opponents with his return.

If Camilo Ugo Carabelli can get his first serve rhythm going, he can be dangerous and put some pressure on the younger player. However, the second serve can be a real weakness and Ugo Carabelli was broken four times when these players met in Morocco.

Winning just three games again is unlikely, but Camilo Ugo Carabelli may struggle to still cover this spread set for the Second Round match in Barcelona.

MY PICKS: Rafael Jodar - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Season 2026: 93-80, + 9.20 Units (238 Units Staked, + 3.87% Yield)

Miami Tennis Day 13 Pick 2026- Men's Final (Sunday 29th March)

It could be a final day in Miami which features a number of rain delays, but there is a hope that there will be enough of a window to conclude the Masters.

After Aryna Sabalenka completed the Sunshine Double, Jannik Sinner will be looking to do the same when the ATP Final is played to complete the first half of the hard court season.

His opponent has been in strong form over the last few days, but Sinner is the favourite and the expectation is that he will pick up the title when all is said and done,

And then it will be time for the clay court season.

Jannik Sinner - 4.5 games v Jiri Lehecka: The Miami Final has one familiar name lining up to take the title home, but credit has to be given to Jiri Lehecka for working his way through the draw.

He has been far from fortunate.

The World Number 22 going into the tournament, Jiri Lehecka will be setting a new career best mark on Monday regardless of the result. His live World Ranking is up to Number 14, which surpasses his previous best of Number 16, and an upset on Sunday would see the Czech player move into the top twelve.

He has had a solid fifteen months on the hard courts, but Jiri Lehecka's run in Miami has been special having yet to have his serve broken and facing just nine Break Points in the five wins produced in the tournament. The return game has always been effective enough for the hard courts and Lehecka will have the confidence of having dropped a single set in this Masters event.

There has been one top ten win produced in this run, but Jiri Leheckha has not beaten anyone higher than World Number 31 in the other four wins.

Suffice to say he is about to have a big step up in competition as he bids to stop Jannik Sinner from completing the Sunshine Double.

Another win over Alexander Zverev keeps the hold over one of the top players in the world, but Sinner was not at his very best on Friday evening.

It says plenty about this player that he still won and Jannik Sinner is playing like the best hard court player in the world, which has been the feeling around him for a couple of years. Carlos Alcaraz will have plenty to say about that statement having won the last two Grand Slams on the surface, but Sinner's numbers are really impressive and winning Miami after Indian Wells will give the Italian a huge amount of confidence to take into the clay court campaign.

In this tournament, Jannik Sinner has only faced six Break Points and been broken once, and he has been the slightly more effective return player.

He would have been a big favourite in the Final regardless, but those numbers make it very difficult to see how Jiri Leheckha gets the better of the World Number 2.

Four previous meetings on the Tour have all ended in Jannik Sinner's favour and two of those have been on the hard courts- there has been a huge gap in the service numbers in those two hard court meetings and Jannik Sinner should be able to get the better of Jiri Leheckha again.

The expectation is that he will have a couple more Breaks of serve compared with the lower Ranked player and that may be enough to cover this mark.

MY PICK: Jannik Sinner - 4.5 Games @ 

Miami Update: 19-17, + 0.93 Units (35 Units Staked, + 2.66% Yield)

Miami Tennis Day 12 Pick 2026- Women's Final (Saturday 28th March)

The Miami Masters has proven to be a story of missed opportunities as yet more Break Points came and went in what turned out to be another fairly routine win for Jannik Sinner over Alexander Zverev.

The latter played better than he did in Indian Wells, but it was saving a single Break Point in one game followed by getting out of a 15-40 jam in the next that allowed Alexander Zverev to force a second set Tie-Breaker, which ultimately landed in the wrong direction for the German player.

We are about to head into the clay court season, but before that we have to see both Singles Finals completed.

The WTA Final goes up first on Saturday with the ATP Final on Sunday concluding this opening hard court run in the 2026 season.

While the majority of the top ATP players will then rest ahead of the Monte Carlo Masters in early April, the WTA takes in a clay court event in Charleston and plenty of experienced players will begin the clay court season there. In the past it has been a tournament that plays pretty differently to the European clay, but it is a big event with a 500 mark attached and that does mean seven of the current top 20 will be competing.

The clay court season does feel like it is long enough with the French Open beginning at the end of May, but the big tournaments come around very quickly and so players have to pick and choose their spots. The Madrid and Rome big 1000 events begin at the end of April through to the middle of May and at that point the majority of the big French Open contenders will take a break and prepare for what they hope will be a productive trip to Paris.

Aryna Sabalenka - 3.5 games v Coco Gauff: This is going to be the thirteenth professional meeting between Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff and the Miami Champion will end the night with a 7-6 lead.

It is the World Number 1 who has begun to get the better of Coco Gauff more often than not with four wins in the last six, but there is rarely a lot between the players and the slight adjustments made can turn things back around. There are perhaps some signs of that happening considering the last four between Sabalenka and Gauff have been split with two wins apiece, while the biggest win in that time is Coco Gauff's success in the French Open Final last year.

She is not just the home player in terms of this being played in the United States, but Coco Gauff was born in Florida and still lives there- this means having the local support and plenty of support from friends and family ahead of this big Final.

The run has been something of a surprise when you think the World Number 4 had to withdraw mid-match in Indian Wells and had some serious concerns about shooting pains in her arm. A MRI came back clear, but that would have reduced expectations in the second half of the Sunshine Double and it has already been a productive fortnight that will be concluded with a jump up to World Number 3 when the next set of World Rankings are released on Monday morning.

The overall level in 2026 has been a little below what is expected from Gauff, but she has looked stronger in the Miami event and that will help her confidence. The second serve continues to be a big weakness for the 22 year old as she continues to try and develop her tennis, but Coco Gauff has been able to cover up those issues by making more first serves and backing it up with solid returning numbers.

She is going to need all of that and more if she is going to upset the World Number 1 who has followed the title win in Indian Wells by producing high quality tennis here in Miami.

Aryna Sabalenka will be particularly pleased with getting the better of Elena Rybakina for a second tournament in a row after losing the Australian Open Final against the World Number 2, and the serve continues to put her in a strong position to win any match she plays.

There is room for improvement on the return with the numbers slightly below her usual level on the hard courts, but Aryna Sabalenka may feel her Semi Final win over Elena Rybakina is proof that everything is coming together just in time for another title to be secured.

Nothing ever comes easily against Coco Gauff and that is because the American can get plenty of balls back in play and neutralise rallies when at her best.

There have been signs of that in this tournament, but Aryna Sabalenka is playing at a much stronger level than most right now and the World Number 1 can complete the Sunshine Double with a solid win in the Final.

MY PICKS: Aryna Sabalenka - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 18-17, + 0.21 Units (34 Units Staked, + 1% Yield)

Miami Tennis Day 11 Picks 2026 (Friday 27th March)

The Miami Open is down to the final three days of the tournament and the Women's Singles Final has been set for Saturday between two of the current top four players in the World Rankings.

Some may feel the second ATP Semi Final scheduled to be played on Friday is a de facto Final with the winner likely going to be set as a strong favourite in the title match on Sunday. The two other players left in the draw will certainly have something to say about that, but Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev are playing at a really high level and the day of rest between the Semi Final and Final will certainly edge things in their favour.

A mixed Day 10 has continued to hold back the totals, but that is just the way the second half of this Masters event has gone.

One selection is available from the ATP Semi Final matches to be played on Day 11 and that can be read below.

Jannik Sinner - 4.5 games v Alexander Zverev: For the second Masters event in a row, Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev meet and this is a match that really comes down to the racquet of the latter.

He must serve well if he is going to produce the upset, but it may be asking too much against the World Number 2.

In Indian Wells, Jannik Sinner dominated the second serve of Alexander Zverev and that saw him coast to a pretty comfortable win. Not only does that make it six wins in a row for Sinner, all on the hard courts, but the last three have been very one-sided and something will have to change for Alexander Zverev to even put a competitive performance on the board.

Protecting that second serve more effectively is important, but there is also considerable concern with the way Alexander Zverev has been dealing with the Sinner delivery.

In the last three matches, Alexander Zverev has not been able to win more than 31% of return points played and that has kept him under the pump. In their last meeting in Indian Wells, Zverev managed to win just 26% of return points played and he has now broken the Jannik Sinner serve once in the last five matches played.

During that same period, Alexander Zverev has been constantly having to fend off Break Points and it is very difficult to see much changing with the short turnaround between recent matches.

Jannik Sinner is playing exceptionally well in Miami and is on course to complete the Sunshine Double, which will give him a huge amount of confidence to take into the clay court season as he looks to become the latest player to complete the career Grand Slam.

This is a big spread and a strong serving display from Alexander Zverev will make it very difficult to cover, but Jannik Sinner's recent head to head against the German makes him the right play in this second Semi Final scheduled for Friday.

MY PICKS: Jannik Sinner - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 18-16, + 1.21 Units (33 Units Staked, + 3.67% Yield)

Miami Tennis Day 10 Picks 2026 (Thursday 26th March)

So what can you say about that match?

Tommy Paul has Break Points in the opening two returns games of the deciding set and then FOUR Match Points in the Tie-Breaker, all in succession, and still manages to lose?

That result is kind of how the last few days have been going at the Miami Masters with the fine edges now working against the selections. It means instead of a proper bounce back fortnight after Indian Wells, the target is simply to head away with a positive return from the tournament and hoping the bounces begin to fall inside our lines, rather than just outside.

Matches are running down with four scheduled for Thursday and then just two on Friday- after that we have the Singles Finals played on Saturday for the WTA event and Sunday for the ATP event and then the entire Tour can settle down and get ready for some big clay court action.

Jannik Sinner - 5.5 games v Frances Tiafoe: Winning matches is what will always matter most in any sports field, but the current levels being produced by Frances Tiafoe are going to have to be significantly improved if he is going to pose a threat to the World Number 2.

The last couple of wins here in Miami have been a touch fortunate, but Frances Tiafoe should be credited for finding a way to turn momentum around. He has dropped the middle set in each of the last two Rounds, but has rallied to win the decider and the World Number 20 will be playing with plenty of support behind him in the stands.

Frances Tiafoe has taken advantage of the Miami conditions and that has led to holds in 90% of service games played this week, although he has also struggled on the return.

The bigger points have landed in Tiafoe's favour and that has seen him come through the last couple of matches despite facing more Break Points than he has created.

All of this is well and good, but Frances Tiafoe will need to raise his levels considerably if he is going to upset Jannik Sinner.

The World Number 2 was tested by Alex Michelsen in the Fourth Round, but he was largely in control thanks to the dominance behind serve and that meant Sinner cannot have ever been really concerned about the position within the match. Over the last couple of years on the hard courts, Jannik Sinner has been one of the more dominant servers and his numbers in Miami make him a clear favourite to win the title on Sunday.

He may not have returned to the usual level in the Fourth Round win over Michelsen, but that did not stop Jannik Sinner from creating seven Break Points.

In the first two matches in Miami, Sinner had been much more consistent on the return of serve and he will be relatively comfortable within this match up having dominated Frances Tiafoe the last couple of times they have faced each other in competition.

Over eighteen months have passed since they last played one another, but Jannik Sinner will feel he can still predict what is to come from the American.

You can never dismiss Frances Tiafoe's ability to serve at a very high level when putting together that rhythm, but he could be under a lot of scoreboard pressure throughout this Quarter Final and the expectation is that Jannik Sinner will have a bit too much in the locker and that may allow him to cover this spread.

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 games v Francisco Cerundolo: It has been a very productive trip to Miami for Francisco Cerundolo and he will be keen for it to continue for at least another Round.

Very little strong hard court form had been presented by the World Number 19 over the last few years and Francisco Cerundolo had a 4-3 record in the surface in 2026 before the three wins already secured here.

The win over Daniil Medvedev is the stand out result achieved, but Francisco Cerundolo is facing an even higher Ranked opponent in this Quarter Final. His serve has proven to be a decent weapon in the conditions, but Cerundolo has really impressed with the level of the return and 45% of return games ending in a Break of serve across three wins is impressive.

None of that will be lost on Alexander Zverev who will have hoped to have been on the other side of the draw where he would have now been a big favourite to reach the Miami Final. Instead Zverev is going to have go through this tough Quarter Final opponent and then likely have another crack at trying to beat World Number 2 Jannik Sinner on Friday and it is a challenging position for the German player.

Alexander Zverev has only faced 3 Break Points in the three wins secured in Miami, but he has still spent some significant time on the court in the last two Rounds. Having a day off between the Fourth Round and the Quarter Final will help and the World Number 4 is going to be very comfortable with the serving numbers produced this season.

The returning numbers have not been as encouraging in the tournament, but Alexander Zverev has to feel there is more to come from himself.

He will take significant belief out of the fact he has won the last three matches against Francisco Cerundolo and all on the hard courts, including a very comfortable win at the Australian Open in January. The match late in 2025 was a more competitive affair in the Davis Cup, but Alexander Zverev may be the player with the majority of Break Points in this Quarter Final and that could see him edge past this spread, even if some may feel it is a game too high.

MY PICKS: Jannik Sinner - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (1 Unit)

Coco Gauff-Karolina Muchova Over 21.5 Games @ 1.72 William Hill (1 Unit)

Aryna Sabalenka-Elena Rybakina Over 22.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 16-14, + 1.30 Units (29 Units Staked, + 4.48% Yield)

Miami Tennis Day 9 Picks 2026 (Wednesday 25th March)

Day 8 came down to Frances Tiafoe and he looked in a decent position when taking the first set 6-4 and quickly moving into a 0-40 position to take complete command of the Fourth Round match.

However, Tiafoe served a reminder as to why he is rarely selected as he not only failed to convert those Break opportunities, but wilted in the second set.

As stated, Frances Tiafoe is a battler though and he wins plenty of matches- he just doesn't tend to cover as a favourite and that was proved again as he dropped the second set 6-1, but won two 6-4 sets around it.

The last few days have been a little disappointing for the Tennis Picks and that has dented the totals that had been produced through the opening six days of the tournament.

Wednesday feels important to try and bounce back and there are two selections from the four Quarter Final matches that are scheduled to be played.

Elena Rybakina - 2.5 games v Jessica Pegula: If it wasn't for the WTA decision to remove Ranking Points from the 2022 Wimbledon event that was won by Elena Rybakina, the latter may have actually earned a top two World Ranking before last week.

It has felt like she has been playing as the second best player in the world for some time and winning the Australian Open title backed that up.

Elena Rybakina was not quite able to add the Indian Wells title to her collection, but the run to the Final was enough to move past Iga Swiatek and the Kazakhstan player may already be thinking about closing on the World Number 1 spot. Taking that away from Aryna Sabalenka is not going to be easy, but Elena Rybakina has little to defend at the next two very important WTA 1000 events on the clay and her run to the Quarter Final here in Miami has improved on the Second Round loss last year.

Thinking too far ahead would be a mistake, but this could be a special year for Elena Rybakina if she can stay healthy and she will certainly be amongst the favourites at Wimbledon and the US Open.

The current top two players in the world are setting the standard and Jessica Pegula is desperately trying to bridge the gap.

She may be the World Number 5 and put together some very strong results to open 2026, but Jessica Pegula has already suffered two important defeats to Elena Rybakina in Melbourne and Indian Wells.

A title was won in Dubai, but Jessica Pegula is desperate to win a Major and that would mean having to beat the likes of Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka from her current World Ranking mark.

There is little wrong with the quality of tennis that Jessica Pegula is playing- she serves much more effectively than some may think and Pegula backs that up with solid returning, but this match up will test her mentally.

Two defeats suffered to Elena Rybakina this season can be added to the two hard court losses against this opponent after the US Open last year.

Three years ago she was beaten by Elena Rybakina in Miami and it is hard to ignore that the higher Ranked player has been the superior one in those head to heads with Jessica Pegula.

The American has not been overwhelmed, but Elena Rybakina has played the bigger points best and she has covered this handicap line in all of those wins.

Jessica Pegula is unlikely to roll over, but it is Rybakina who has the edge on the serve and that can be the difference maker in this Quarter Final.

Tommy Paul v Arthur Fils: This is going to be a close, competitive Quarter Final and the winner is going to be the favourite to progress to the Miami Final on Sunday.

They will have a Semi Final to play, but Tommy Paul and Arthur Fils look like they are clearly the best players left in the top half of the draw as we reach the last eight of this Masters event.

No one can argue about the level being produced by Arthur Fils right now, but Tommy Paul looks an interesting underdog to back, despite not having those big time results this year.

He has played well when going up against some of the stronger players on the Tour, but the Arthur Fils numbers have dipped when taking in his hard court matches against top 50 Ranked opponents.

That is not to say Fils cannot win this match, because he clearly can, but Tommy Paul is a very solid hard court player and the home crowd could push him over the line in the last match scheduled to be played on Day 9 at the tournament.

It is Tommy Paul who has won the sole previous meeting, but that was long enough go to be largely irrelevant.

What does remain important is that Paul has been serving well enough and may have the edge on the return, which ultimately could prove to be the difference between them in a match that may go all the way.

MY PICKS: Elena Rybakina - 2.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Tommy Paul @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 16-12, + 3.30 Units (27 Units Staked, + 12.22% Yield)

Miami Tennis Day 8 Picks 2026 (Tuesday 24th March)

Day 7 was not an impressive one for the Tennis Picks, but there was a little bit of misfortune around some of the selections.

Ugo Humbert, Aryna Sabalenka and Jakub Mensik all came very close to doing enough to cover, but a Break of serve here or a poor service game there proved costly.

However, overall it has been a solid tournament and there is every hope that Day 7 is only a slight setback.

It is another busy day coming up on Tuesday with the ATP Fourth Round completed and the opening two WTA Quarter Final matches also scheduled to be played.

The weather is continuing to play ball with the tournament, which is a good thing, and there are five selections on Day 8, which can be read below and with the Miami totals updated.

Sebastian Korda - 3.5 games v Martin Landaluce: Upsets have opened this portion of the ATP Miami draw and a big opportunity comes up for both Sebastian Korda and Martin Landaluce to reach the business end of a 1000 level event.

They have not taken advantage of others doing the hard work so there is going to be a lot of confidence in both camps.

Sebastian Korda has the biggest win after coming through against World Number 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the Third Round- he should have won in straight sets, but all credit should be given to Korda for overcoming the disappointment in the middle of the match and still finding a way to fight through in three sets.

The American is plenty experienced and is a former top 20 Ranked player so it is no surprise that Sebastian Korda is the favourite in this Fourth Round match.

However, he has to be very aware of the fact that Martin Landaluce has already beaten two opponents Ranked higher than Korda in making his way through to the Fourth Round here having begun his tournament in the Qualifying Rounds. The 20 year old has beaten four top 100 Ranked players in Miami and all of his wins have been against players Ranked higher than himself, and it is a run that will have surprised Martin Landaluce's team as much as anyone else.

Over the last twelve months, Martin Landaluce has put together some solid hard court numbers against top 100 Ranked opponents and that will have to be respected. The serve has been a huge weapon in Miami and the numbers have been considerably stronger than his overall hard court serving numbers and so you do have to wonder how long he can keep this going.

Following up an important win can be tough, but Sebastian Korda will point out that he has won eighteen of the twenty-two hard court matches played against opponents Ranked outside the top 50 over the last twelve month period. However, he will have to be careful in this Fourth Round match as all four of those defeats have been disappointing ones facing players Ranked outside the top 100, even if the numbers have remained relatively strong.

This is a big spread, but Sebastian Korda may do enough to edge past the handicap mark set against an opponent who will be edging back towards his career best World Ranking after an unexpectedly strong run here.

Tommy Paul - 3.5 games v Tomas Martin Etcheverry: Finding enough consistency to push on with improving his career high World Ranking has been difficult for Tomas Martin Etcheverry and the numbers have been steady on all surfaces.

The clay court season feels like it will be important for Etcheverry and he may be entering that part of the 2026 year with more confidence having put a solid run together here in Miami.

He is going to be the underdog in this Fourth Round match against Tommy Paul, but Tomas Martin Etcheverry is a solid enough hard court player to feel he has every chance of earning the upset. However, the Argentinian player has not beaten a player Ranked in the top 20 on this surface over the last twelve months and, in fact, Tomas Martin Etcheverry has been beaten in all four of those matches played.

The problem has been that he has struggled to impose his serve on those matches, while the return game has simply not been good enough to make up for that fact.

Tommy Paul has dropped out of the top 20 of the World Rankings, but he needs one or two more wins to push back into that elite portion of the Tour. The hard court results have perhaps not been as good as the overall performances, but Tommy Paul will have taken plenty of belief out of the two wins he has had in Miami having had to dig deep to win both in three sets.

There has been little wrong with the serving, but Tommy Paul will know there is room for improvement when it comes to the return- those numbers have not been as strong as they were in 2025, and Paul will be looking to be a bit more effective in that side of his tennis to push forward.

The 28 year old is pretty effective on all surfaces so the next several months is a chance to rebuild some of the confidence, as well as the World Ranking, while Tommy Paul may feel his current return level is still enough to find the opportunities to win this Fourth Round match.

Covering the handicap will be challenging on recent form, but Tomas Martin Etcheverry has just had a bit of a struggle for consistency and that may give Tommy Paul the opportunity to produce a solid victory in this match.

Jannik Sinner - 5.5 games v Alex Michelsen: The two hard court wins that Jannik Sinner holds over Alex Michelsen were both played in 2024, and both are improved since those matches.

However, it is Sinner who has improved that much more and his hard court numbers over the last two years are very special.

He is on for the Sunshine Double, which has not been completed by many players previously, and Carlos Alcaraz already exiting the tournament only strengthens Jannik Sinner's position as favourite.

Alex Michelsen is going to be under pressure to serve at his very best.

Anything below that level will give Jannik Sinner all of the momentum, especially as Michelsen has only broken in 8% of return games played against the World Number 2 in those previous matches. His return can still be something of a weakness, especially against the elite players on the Tour and the two losses to Daniil Medvedev earlier this season back that up.

It is a wide spread, but Jannik Sinner is playing with some supreme confidence after picking up the title in Indian Wells and he will be looking to push much closer to the World Number 1, if not overtake him in the World Rankings, over the next six weeks.

Frances Tiafoe - 2.5 games v Terence Atmane: The World Number 20 has tremendous grit and determination and that has to be respected, but Frances Tiafoe is rarely backed to cover any spread on these pages.

Why? The main reason is that his numbers are always pretty average and that means he is rarely winning matches with much confidence for those watching on.

Even in a recent run to the Final in Acapulco, Frances Tiafoe came through a couple of very tight matches before being fortunate to beat Brandon Nakashima in the Semi Final before finally coming up short- he was a little lucky to get through his Third Round match here in Miami on Monday too.

However, Terence Atmane can say the same after upsetting Felix Auger Aliassime and the Frenchman has much poorer overall numbers compared with his opponet in the Fourth Round here.

Terence Atmane had won just four of twelve hard court matches prior to his arrival in Miami and his Hold and Break percentages are considerably lower than those Frances Tiafoe has put together.

They actually played one another last month in Dallas and it was Atmane who won the opening set before Frances Tiafoe rallied and coasted through the next two.

On that day, the difference in the serving efficiency was evident and that may be the case again, although you do have to hope Frances Tiafoe has recovered from spending an hour longer on the court than the World Number 53 in their respective Third Round wins.

Karolina Muchova v Victoria Mboko: This is the second time these two are meeting in a big spot having contested the WTA 1000 Final in Doha last month.

This time a Semi Final spot is on the line for Victoria Mboko and Karolina Muchova and both have been producing strong hard court tennis all season.

The older player has been set as the narrow underdog, but Karolina Muchova will take confidence from the fact she has won a big title on the surface and her three defeats have been one apiece to the current top three in the World Rankings.

Victoria Mboko has perhaps passed Mirra Andreeva as the leading teenager capable of winning a Major after the development over the last twelve months- she was beaten in the Fourth Round at the Australian Open to the current World Number 1, but that has not dented any of the confidence and Victoria Mboko has reached at least the Quarter Final in every other hard court event played.

She will have learnt a lot from the defeat to Karolina Muchova in the Middle East, but the experience of the latter and the slightly stronger performances on the surface in 2026 suggests the World Number 14 can edge through here.

MY PICKS: Sebastian Korda - 3.5 Games @ 1.70 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Tommy Paul - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Jannik Sinner - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Frances Tiafoe - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Karolina Muchova @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 14-9, + 4.30 Units (22 Units Staked, + 19.55% Yield)