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)

Australian Open Tennis Day 15 Pick 2026- Men's Final (Sunday 1st February)

After two quite unbelievable Semi Final matches, the men's Final on the last Sunday in Melbourne could really signify the passing of the torch between generations.

Novak Djokovic will want to just underline his status as the best player of all time, but Carlos Alcaraz has plenty on the line himself and the youngest player to win the career Grand Slam would certainly place his name in the history books already.

Some may feel it could end up being an important Grand Slam title at the end of the respective careers with Alcaraz looking more than capable of getting close to the current mark set by Novak Djokovic.

It should be a fitting occasion to conclude the first Grand Slam of the 2026 season and one that every Tennis fan should be looking forward to.

The women's Final on Saturday did provide the drama that had largely been missing from that tournament as Elena Rybakina came through in three sets.

It looked like the match was going to get away from the Kazakhstan player in the final set, but a five game winning run turned things in Rybakina's favour and she has moved back into the top three of the World Rankings.

A healthy Elena Rybakina could be a threat at two of the next three Grand Slams, although still has something to prove on the clay courts.

Wimbledon has to be a big target and she can certainly close towards the top of the World Rankings if she can maintain the form of the last six months.

Some words about Aryna Sabalenka- the World Number 1 is a huge personality and remains one of the most consistent players who is always there or thereabouts at the biggest tournaments.

Reaching four of the last five Grand Slam Finals is nothing to be sneered at, even if Sabalenka has come up short in three of those.

You have to expect Aryna Sabalenka to be challenging for the biggest titles throughout 2026 and she has shown plenty of mental resilience to bounce back from plenty of other setbacks to be concerned about how she will respond to this Australian Open Final defeat.

Carlos Alcaraz - 1.5 sets v Novak Djokovic: Depending on your personal belief system, you may describe events on Friday as being 'destiny', 'fate' or perhaps even think some sort of 'divine intervention'.

That is certainly the case for the second Semi Final which was won by Novak Djokovic and the desire to win a twenty-fifth Grand Slam title is now just one match away.

It has been a miraculous few days for the 38 year old and that cannot be denied, no matter what else you believe.

A walkover in the Fourth Round is not so unique- in a long Grand Slam tournament, things like that happen, but the last couple of matches have been very unique.

Trailing 2-0 in the Quarter Final, Novak Djokovic admitted that his time in Melbourne looked to be coming to an end for another year.

Instead, Djokovic was given a reprieve as his fortune was Lorenzo Musetti's misfortune with an injury forcing the Italian to withdraw early in the third set when looking more than on course to beat the ten time Australian Open Champion.

Novak Djokovic admitted the better player had lost on the day, and there may be a similar feeling after he somehow managed to rally and beat the World Number 2 in a five set epic on Friday. The numbers back up that this may have been the most unexpected Semi Final win in a Grand Slam event going back to 1991 when some of the leading number-crunchers have been keeping vigorous records.

The former World Number 1 had 8 Break Points compared with the 18 that Jannik Sinner created, but Djokovic won the majority of the biggest points and recovered from 15/40 positions twice and 0/40 in the final set. He took his one and only Break Point created and the legendary Serb won a match in which his opponent won 12 more points over the course of the epic last four contest.

Suffice to say it is very difficult to overcome those kinds of numbers over and over again, while Novak Djokovic just spent over four hours on the court at 38 years old. Recovery is going to be the big challenge, but it certainly helps that his opponent in this Final has just played the longest Semi Final in Australian Open history.

Carlos Alcaraz is looking to become the youngest player to complete the career Grand Slam, but he had to dig seriously deep to beat Alexander Zverev having cramped up towards the end of the third set. At that stage the World Number 1 looked to be cruising through, but the body began to let him down and that allowed Alexander Zverev to win the next two sets in Tie-Breakers and then take a break lead in the decider.

All credit has to be given to the Spaniard for turning that set around and fighting his way through to the Final, although he has since indicated that he was not receiving a Medical Time Out for cramping issues, but because he felt something else in his muscle. That MTO infuriated Alexander Zverev, because you are not allowed to have a trainer come and work on cramps unless between changeovers and even then it can only be used three times.

Ultimately Zverev has tried to move past any controversy and it is Carlos Alcaraz who will be playing in the Australian Open Final for the first time.

Like his older opponent, Carlos Alcaraz will have to show tremendous recovery after spending almost five and a half hours on the court on Friday. Credit has to be given to the top Seed for the way he managed his serve in that win over Alexander Zverev and it is going to need to be a key shot for him to earn the victory over Novak Djokovic.

Carlos Alcaraz is plenty experienced, even at this young age, but this is easily his best run at the Australian Open and that means he is breaking new ground.

Of course that is far from the case for Novak Djokovic who has won this title ten times in his career and he has NEVER been beaten in the Australian Open Final. This has to give the Serb so much confidence, while he will note that he upset Carlos Alcaraz on this court twelve months ago in a four set win.

Prior to the US Open Semi Final in September, Novak Djokovic had not been beaten on a hard court by Carlos Alcaraz and that is another factor that has to give the veteran belief that this is his moment to win a twenty-fifth Grand Slam title and move clear of all.

The four hard court matches played between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have narrowly favoured the latter, but the win in New York City has to give the Spaniard so much confidence.

He only faced a single Break Point that day and Alcaraz had his chances in the Quarter Final defeat to Novak Djokovic twelve months ago.

Carlos Alcaraz will believe that his serve has improved markedly since that loss to Novak Djokovic in Melbourne when he was only winning 58% of points played behind the serve. That number improved to 70% in New York City and the returning numbers were similar in both matches, which suggests Carlos Alcaraz deserves the edge that has been given to him.

Over the last twelve months, Carlos Alcaraz has been the superior hard court player, while he has definitely been the more impressive within this tournament.

Novak Djokovic has shown he can play clutch tennis at the biggest moments, while the aggressive style surprised Jannik Sinner and may also give Alcaraz something to think about.

Factoring in the ability to recover from epic five setters on Friday is much more difficult- you would think Carlos Alcaraz being younger and playing earlier on the day will give him the edge, but dismissing the motivation that is fuelling Novak Djokovic and having that see him leave everything on the court would be dangerous.

The hard court performances against Carlos Alcaraz and the confidence of playing in these conditions and on this court makes Novak Djokovic a threat too.

Perhaps he is playing with some destiny and that Sunday is all about Novak Djokovic moving past Margaret Court's twenty-four Grand Slams just across from a tennis court names after the Australian.

Winning the title and leaving the sport would just be a fitting end to what has been a wonderful career, but the numbers suggest Carlos Alcaraz will have a little too much for Novak Djokovic. His variety is going to be important, as it was in the US Open Semi Final win, and a cold heart can only pick the World Number 1 to complete his career Grand Slam by breaking the heart of one of the absolute greatest to ever pick up a racquet.

It would really not offend if this Pick is wrong and Novak Djokovic can turn back the clock one more time, but he is going to have to come through some really sticky moments again and this time he may just come up short.

That win in New York City should make Carlos Alcaraz know what he needs to do in this Australian Open Final and he may just have too much over three or four sets.

MY PICK: Carlos Alcaraz - 1.5 Sets @ 1.61 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 37-23, + 15.08 Units (124 Units Staked, + 12.16% Yield)

ATP Finals Day 8 Tennis Pick 2025- Jannik Sinner vs Carlos Alcaraz (Sunday 16th November)

The last Singles match of the 2025 Tennis season is fittingly going to be played between the top two players in the world.

Both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have been peaking into the Final of this event and it would be disappointing if this is not another solid match to add to the ever-increasing rivalry.

Two winners from the Semi Final matches has ensured another good tournament for the Picks to round out a solid bounce back season.

Jannik Sinner-Carlos Alcaraz Over 22.5 games: This is the sixth meeting in the 2025 season between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner and it perhaps fitting that the Spaniard holds the World Number 1 Ranking having beaten his rival in four of the five matches played.

That includes wins in the French Open and US Open Final, although Jannik Sinner won the Wimbledon Final, and these two players are going to be expected to dice up the Grand Slam titles again next year.

This is a big title to add to the collection- Jannik Sinner won it last year and is playing in front of the home fans, which brings additional momentum, while Carlos Alcaraz has yet to win the ATP Finals.

Both have been playing well and the serves have been key.

Once again that is going to be the case with the player who is able to get a bit more out of this shot likely able to dictate rallies and keep the pressure on the other. Getting the first strike in has to be important for both as they look to put the pressure on the rival across the net, but there will be swings in momentum as has been the case in the previous matches played in 2025.

Rarely have matches been finished in routine straight sets.

We should see both have their chances to take control and a deciding set at the end of this year feels right.

Jannik Sinner is the favourite and by some margin, which is a surprise, and the lean has to be with Carlos Alcaraz simply because of the way the head to head has developed.

However, the last Pick of the season will be looking for this match to surpass the total games line set.

As long as the two continue to serve at the levels shown in the last few days in Turin, it is a match that could potentially move past this total line even in a straight sets win for either player.

MY PICKS: Jannik Sinner-Carlos Alcaraz Over 22.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

ATP Finals: 9-4, + 3.04 Units (13 Units Staked, + 23.38% Yield)

US Open Tennis Day 15 Pick 2025- Men's Final (Sunday 7th September)

Over the last couple of years, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have moved clear of the pack in men's tennis and they are set to meet for a third Grand Slam Final in a row.

One or the other has dominated the Grand Slam titles since the beginning of the 2024 season and this is the Final that the majority of supporters would have wanted to see when the US Open draw was made.

Jannik Sinner-Carlos Alcaraz over 40.5 games: The Wimbledon Final ended in four sets in favour of Jannik Sinner and he could have easily beaten Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets at the French Open Final instead of eventually being downed in five.

This perhaps explains the reason the World Number 1 is favourite to win the US Open title again, even if Carlos Alcaraz has tended to find a way to get the better of the head to head more often than not.

The win at Wimbledon snapped a run of five straight losses that Jannik Sinner had suffered against Carlos Alcaraz, although matches have tended to be close. Beating the World Number 2 at a Grand Slam where Alcaraz had been a double defending Champion can only further the belief that the Sinner team has ahead of this Final.

Some doubts may have been raised by potential injury that Jannik Sinner could be dealing with in the Final- he was off for a medical timeout in the win over Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Semi Final, while Sinner has dropped a couple of sets in his run to the Final compared with Carlos Alcaraz who has won all six matches in straight sets.

Carlos Alcaraz has been serving really well at the tournament and that is going to be key for him.

In the Wimbledon defeat, Carlos Alcaraz did struggle a little bit with his consistency on the serve and he cannot afford to do that here.

All signs suggest he will be much stronger in New York City, although he is also going to be facing a Jannik Sinner serve that can be very tough to deal with when at his best. There were times in the Semi Final win that Sinner's serve lost some speed and he gave up more Break Points than could be imagined, but there is a day of rest between matches and the World Number 1 has made it clear that there is 'nothing to worry about' as far as what the injury is.

It does raise some doubts, as it should, but this has the makings of another competitive match between the two best players in the world.

Early breaks in the sets played at Wimbledon made it tough to cover the total games line set, but the speed in New York City should help the players to get through a few more service games.

We will need to see at least four sets, but that feels very likely with what we have seen from Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in their head to head and the quality that both can produce on the hard courts.

The lean is with Jannik Sinner to find a way to win this Grand Slam title if he is at full speed, but that is a bit more doubtful and backing the two players to put a solid scrap on the board looks the best play.

MY PICKS: Jannik Sinner-Carlos Alcaraz Over 40.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 14 Pick 2025- Men's Final (Sunday 13th July)

The Ladies Final proved to be something of a damp squib, but Wimbledon comes to a close with the top two of the Men's game facing one another for a second Slam Final in succession.

Suffice to say it would be a huge surprise if this Final is nearly as one-sided as the Ladies Final on Saturday, especially with both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz looking in strong form.

Jannik Sinner-Carlos Alcaraz over 40.5 games: Fans of Men's Tennis have long hoped that a new rivalry would form at the end of the 'Big Three' era and that hope has long been on Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz pushing one another forward.

For the second Grand Slam in a row, Sinner and Alcaraz will face off for the title and the pair have combined to win each of the last six Grand Slam titles with the number seven consecutive Slam to be held by one of the two to be decided on Sunday.

There is no doubt that these are the best two players in the world and it'll take a brave person to back the field against either of these two players when it comes to the US Open in September. Both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have won three Slams since the Australian Open in 2024 and no one will have forgotten the French Open Final played last month, which was won by Alcaraz in five sets having saved Championship Points and recovered from 2-0 behind in sets.

It is a victory that will give Carlos Alcaraz the mental edge having beaten his biggest rival in five consecutive matches, including in each two Grand Slams. Both victories have been at the French Open, but the Spaniard has also beaten Jannik Sinner at the US Open in 2022.

Being a two time defending Wimbledon Champion means he is a rightful favourite, but it is ironic that Jannik Sinner's sole Grand Slam victory over Carlos Alcaraz came at this tournament in the Fourth Round in 2021.

Jannik Sinner will have some regret about the two French Open losses considering the way the matches played out, especially the Final last month, and the World Number 1 has been dealing with an elbow issue. It is going to add to the challenge, but the performances in the last two Rounds have been very impressive and the Italian will feel a strong serving day will give him every chance of winning this title for the first time and ending the Carlos Alcaraz reign as Champion in SW19.

After that epic Final in Paris, all four of the previous Grand Slam meetings between these players have lasted at least four sets, while the last three have all ended in five sets.

It would be a massive surprise if there are not swings in this Men's Final with both players capable of going through periods of domination.

The fluctuation in the Carlos Alcaraz performances are perhaps higher/lower compared with a steadier Jannik Sinner, but the highs have seen the Spaniard play at an exceptional level. However, it is the lows where Sinner can take advantage and the feeling is that this could be another brilliant Final to watch.

Four sets have to be expected- a straight sets victory for either would be a huge surprise- and you cannot rule out another epic developing here.

Both have been serving very well in the last couple of Rounds and so tie-breakers could be in play again, as they were in the French Open Final, and backing the two best players in the world to combine for enough games to cover this total games line looks to be the right approach to take.

Picking a winner is incredibly tough, but my narrow lean may be with Jannik Sinner to find a way to end his losing run to Carlos Alcaraz and head into the US Open looking to win three of the four Slams played this season.

MY PICK: Jannik Sinner-Carlos Alcaraz Over 40.5 Games @ 1.72 William Hill (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 6-4, + 2.18 Units (20 Units Staked, + 10.90% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 15 Pick 2025- Men's Final (Sunday 8th June)

The way the last week of the French Open has played out, it is making my decision earlier in the tournament to shut things down look a very good one.

Matches that have swung wildly are great for the fans, but not so much for the selections and it felt like a weird tournament just a few days into the event.

The last of the French Open matches will be played on Sunday before all attention turns to the relatively short grass court season and the build towards Wimbledon. It should be a really good Men's Final between two players who may be competing in many more Grand Slam Finals against one another over the coming years and I don't think anyone would be surprised if we see Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner going at it again either at Wimbledon or the US Open later this season.

Jannik Sinner-Carlos Alcaraz over 39.5 games: This is the Men's Final at Roland Garros that most would have wanted to see as the World Number 1 takes on the defending Champion.

In something of a surprise, we have not really had the Jannik Sinner vs Carlos Alcaraz all that often at Grand Slam events, despite most of the fans believing this is the rivalry that will move forward at the end of the Big Four era.

This will be the fourth time the pair will meet at a Grand Slam and only the second time since the 2022 US Open, which again is a big, big surprise. The last time Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz met at a Grand Slam was right here in Paris twelve months ago as the latter got the better of the Italian in a five set Semi Final on his way to winning the title here.

Jannik Sinner may be the World Number 1, but he has lost eight of the twelve previous matches against Carlos Alcaraz- they had split the first four matches, but Alcaraz has begun to take control of the rivalry with four wins in a row, which includes beating Sinner at the Rome Masters last month.

That may give Carlos Alcaraz the mental advantage, although he is going to have to play with a little more consistency than he did in the Semi Final win over Lorenzo Musetti. He will need to serve well to try and move into control in the rallies, and Carlos Alcaraz can take some encouragement from the way Novak Djokovic was able to use his serve against Jannik Sinner in the Semi Final two days ago.

The Spaniard has been able to produce some decent serving numbers against Sinner in their previous matches, no matter the surface on which they have played, but it has not been a dominant shot. There are likely to be moments when the top Seed is able to get his teeth into the return games, which will not surprise anyone, but Sinner only created 2 Break Points in the match in Rome.

In that match, Jannik Sinner only faced 3 Break Points of his own, but was broken twice and he is going to need to get a bit more out of his serve. His numbers in this tournament have been decent, but Sinner has not been able to use his serve as he would have liked in matches against Carlos Alcaraz.

After saying all that, the overriding feeling is that this is going to be a competitive Men's Final and one that could go pretty long.

The last two Grand Slam matches between the players have both needed the fifth set to determine the winner and Carlos Alcaraz had to go five sets to win the French Open in 2024.

Backing a winner is tough, although the edge may be with the defending Champion.

The layers are finding it difficult to separate them, which is unsurprising, and the only disappointment for the fans is if the players are not able to both push this into a very competitive, long Final.

MY PICK: Jannik Sinner-Carlos Alcaraz Over 39.5 Games

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Sunday 13th April)

It did feel like the Semi Final was going to get away from Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, but the battling qualities on the clay courts was on display and it helped him to a competitive defeat against Carlos Alcaraz.

This may not be good news for Davidovich Fokina, but it was for the Tennis Picks with another winner on the board here in Monte Carlo.

On Sunday the tournament comes to a conclusion before important ATP events in Munich and Barcelona next week as the big names continue to get as much clay court tennis under the legs before the second Grand Slam of the season begins. The Final should be a decent match in Monte Carlo, but it is hard to look past Carlos Alcaraz to win the trophy and just underline his status as the player to beat in Paris in June.

Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 games v Lorenzo Musetti: There have been successes at Grand Slam level, which is always most important to any player on the Tour, but Carlos Alcaraz will be pleased to end a relatively long wait for a place in the Final of an ATP 1000 event.

Winning the title on Sunday will move Carlos Alcaraz back into World Number 2 and he will certainly feel he can build momentum towards the defence of the French Open title won last year. While his main rival Jannik Sinner continues to serve a suspension, Carlos Alcaraz can build his own confidence and the Spaniard is a strong favourite to win the title in Monte Carlo.

We have not always seen his very best tennis at the tournament, but Carlos Alcaraz has played well and the Semi Final victory will have only improved his own belief.

He will be facing Lorenzo Musetti in the Final and the World Number 16 has to be respected for his ability and comfort on the red dirt. However, the Italian has had to dig very deep in the last couple of Rounds in his wins over Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alex De Minaur and you do have to wonder if the accumulated fatigue works against Lorenzo Musetti, especially with the Final scheduled for earlier in the day than would usually be the case.

The challenge for Lorenzo Musetti is being able to serve well enough to contain the threat of Carlos Alcaraz.

In the last two wins, Musetti has faced twenty-nine Break Points and that suggests he will have some issue against Carlos Alcaraz who has won 47% of return points played this week and has broken in 42% of return games played. The issue for Alcaraz has been protecting his own serve, although Lorenzo Musetti has had his difficulties against this opponent in recent meetings.

You cannot rule out Lorenzo Musetti from making this competitive considering how well he can perform on this surface, but this feels a tough ask with the match being played without a lot of rest and recovery time.

A fast start will be needed from the Italian, but Carlos Alcaraz has looked like he has been enjoying his time here in Monte Carlo and the may just be able to get through those early moments to take control of the Final. With his returning working well so far this week, Carlos Alcaraz may just come through with a victory along with a cover of this handicap set.

MY PICK: Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Monte Carlo Update: 5-1, + 3.49 Units (6 Units Staked, + 58.17% Yield)

Miami Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Sunday 30th March)

The last match in Miami is set to feature a veteran Champion clinging onto his spot amongst the elite and a young, up and coming player who will want to become the next big star representing Czechia.

It is an intriguing Final, but you can read my thoughts below and the reason I am favouring Novak Djokovic to win a seventh title at the event.

After Aryna Sabalenka's strong win in the WTA Final, the Tennis Picks will be ending with a positive return from the event regardless of the outcome in the ATP Final.

Of course chasing one more winner is still the ambition with the tournament coming to a conclusion on Sunday, while most of the Tour are already preparing for the clay court season.

Novak Djokovic - 3.5 games v Jakub Mensik: There are already so many records held by Novak Djokovic in the world of tennis and he can become the player with the most titles in Miami if he is able to win on Sunday. At the moment Novak Djokovic shares the record with Andre Agassi with both players having secured six titles here, but the former World Number 1 has an opportunity to secure a very positive time in South Florida by winning a seventh.

He has not played in the Miami Final since 2016 when winning the last of three straight titles here and Novak Djokovic has produced some of his best tennis over the last several days to earn this shot.

The Semi Final proved to be a routine day in the office for Novak Djokovic as he once again got the better of Grigor Dimitrov and he has continued to pile the pressure on his opponents through strong serving. That has freed up the best return player of all time to take his chances at attacking on the return and Novak Djokovic has found a strong balance in his tennis to make him the favourite to win another title in Miami.

His opponent in the Miami Final has plenty of supporters and at 19 years old there is a feeling that Jakub Mensik will develop into a top 15 player at the worst. Three top 18 Ranked players have been beaten in the tournament, which will have given Jakub Mensik plenty of confidence, and he is already guaranteed a spot in the top 30 in the World Rankings at the end of this tournament.

The serve is going to be a big weapon for the player from Czechia over the next decade and it has proven to be very important in this tournament.

However, Jakub Mensik has not been nearly as effective on the return of serve and you have to believe that a veteran with the qualities of Novak Djokovic will find a way to get into the return games.

His win over Taylor Fritz will have given Jakub Mensik a huge amount of belief that he can compete with the best players on the Tour. It should also mean he can make this more competitive than when he was beaten by Novak Djokovic in Shanghai at the end of last year, although closing the gap is still a big ask of the teenager.

As may have been expected, Jakub Mensik struggled on the return when these two met in Shanghai and the Novak Djokovic return built up the pressure on the youngster. He was able to keep himself together for a while, but ultimately that pressure told and something similar could happen in the Miami Final with Novak Djokovic finding a way to break down Jakub Mensik and ultimately lead to a cover in the Miami Final.

MY PICK: Novak Djokovic - 3.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 14-9, + 2.86 Units (23 Units Staked, + 12.43% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Saturday 1st March)

The Final of the ATP 500 tournament is scheduled for Saturday and the attention will soon turn to the Indian Wells Masters.

That tournament is getting going early next week with the main draw released on Monday, but the likelihood is that the first Picks from that event will be made when the Third Round begins a week on Sunday.

Before that, one more selection will be made from the ATP Dubai Final and the outcome will decide whether this is a profitable week or one with a slight setback.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 games v Felix Auger-Aliassime: Both of the players competing for the ATP 500 title in Dubai have been firm members of the top ten in the World Rankings, but who have just been through some leaner times and looking for a big boost in confidence and momentum.

A win for Stefanos Tsitsipas will push him back inside the top ten as soon as Monday and ahead of the Indian Wells Masters draw being made. He has come through some difficult moments this week, but Tsitsipas was very strong in his Semi Final win over Tallon Griekspoor.

This will give him confidence having needed to rally in wins over Matteo Berrettini and Karen Khachanov and the World Number 11 is playing pretty well overall in Dubai, which will also bolster the belief.

It is Felix Auger-Aliassime who has made his way through to the Final to face Stefanos Tsitsipas and the Canadian will end the tournament back inside the top 20 of the World Rankings.

In a tough tournament that brings in some of the best players on the Tour, Felix Auger-Aliassime was not Seeded at the start, but he has perhaps benefited from the top names falling all around him in the bottom half of the draw. This is backed up by the fact that he has not beaten anyone higher than World Number 38 so far this week, which makes Stefanos Tsitsipas the highest Ranked opponent by some distance, and even then Felix Auger-Aliassime has not had things all his own way.

Felix Auger-Aliassime has had to play every set possible in his four wins in Dubai and that has meant spending a lot more time on the court compared with his opponent in this Final.

This is most certainly a potential factor, while Stefanos Tsitsipas has won six of the last seven matches played between these two players on the Tour, albeit the last of those being in November 2023.

Both players are serving well, with Stefanos Tsitsipas having the edge, and that could be important in determining the outcome of the Final.

There hasn't been a lot between the players when they faced off with Tsitsipas having the slight edge on the serve over Felix Auger-Aliassime.

In a match of potentially fine margins, Stefanos Tsitsipas may just do enough to win the majority of the key points that the players will inevitably have to play against one another. He has perhaps not returned as well as Felix Auger-Aliassime in his run to the Final, but Tsitsipas will point out the tougher path he has had to tread to reach this Stage and that could be key in this big match.

MY PICK: Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 5-4, - 0.05 Units (9 Units Staked, - 1% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 15 Pick 2025- Men's Final (Sunday 26th January)

Madison Keys is a Grand Slam Champion.

If you had told me that a decade ago, it would not have caused much surprise, but it really had felt like the American had missed her best chances to win a Major.

Beating the top two players on the Tour in back to back matches makes the victory all the sweeter, and Madison Keys can go into the rest of the 2025 season filled with confidence.

On Sunday another player who has gotten close to winning a Major is trying to win a maiden title at this level when Alexander Zverev looks to get the better of Jannik Sinner.

It is a good looking Final and a tough one to call- the head to head suggests it will be very close, while there is one or two doubts about a hip injury that Sinner is carrying after his Semi Final win over Ben Shelton.

Any lingering issue would make Alexander Zverev a big price to win this match outright, but it would be a surprise if this one is not a battle and so my last selection from the 2025 Australian Open moves towards an angle which can be read below.

Jannik Sinner-Alexander Zverev over 39.5 games: Two injuries were the tale of the day when the Semi Final matches were played on Friday, but Jannik Sinner was able to overcome his hip issue to see off Ben Shelton in the Night Session.

All eyes will be on the World Number 1 and defending Champion as he looks to recover and prepare for the Australian Open Final when the 2025 tournament comes to a close on Sunday.

Alexander Zverev is the opponent after he was the beneficiary of a Novak Djokovic injury that forced the ten time former Champion to withdraw from the Semi Final at the end of the first set. The fans in attendance voiced their extreme disappointment with boos as Djokovic left the court, which was poor from those in the stands to say the least, and Alexander Zverev was quick to point that out.

It has felt that Zverev has perhaps missed his opportunity to win a Grand Slam in previous attempts, but this may be one more big chance for him to really spark his career. Take nothing away from the consistency that has taken the German into World Number 2, but Alexander Zverev could put a few Grand Slams in the trophy cabinet if he is able to win the first one.

No matter what, Alexander Zverev is going to enter this match in healthier shape than Jannik Sinner who is clearly carrying a couple of knocks. The hip issue could become a very tough one to overcome if Jannik Sinner is not able to recover over the forty-eight hours between Semi Final and Final and the head to head with Alexander Zverev suggests it would be a close match even if both were healthy as they could be ahead of this Final.

Both players have been producing at a very high level in this tournament and the serve has been a key shot for Sinner and Zverev.

With that in mind, it would be tough to serve with any kind of hip issue that is painful on landing and that may just give Alexander Zverev, the significant underdog, the edge.

The World Number 2 has the edge in terms of former matches with Alexander Zverev holding a 4-2 lead over Jannik Sinner on all surfaces and that becomes 3-1 when only focusing on hard court matches. Alexander Zverev has beaten Sinner twice at the US Open, including a five set win at the 2023 tournament, but it was the Italian who won their most recent meeting in Cincinnati in a match that was had three competitive sets played out.

It was a close match and it would not have taken much to swing things back in favour of Alexander Zverev, but it is an important mental step for Jannik Sinner to have taken to win that Semi Final in a big tournament.

He has been the superior server of the two in Melbourne over the last two weeks and Jannik Sinner has had the slight edge when it comes to the return.

This means he is rightly set as favourite, although the issue at the end of the Semi Final is one that will cause some doubt and Alexander Zverev may feel the longer he has the top Seed out on the court, the more the match pendulum will swing in his favour.

Assuming both are ready to go on Sunday evening in Melbourne, serving could be key and this could be another Australian Open Final that goes long.

Five of the last eight Men's Finals have needed all five sets to determine a winner and the last Grand Slam match between Alexander Zverev and Jannik Sinner did the same at the US Open in 2023. It would not be a surprise if sets go deep and four might be all that is needed to ensure the total games line is passed.

MY PICK: Jannik Sinner-Alexander Zverev Over 39.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 27-13, + 17.40 Units (77 Units Staked, + 22.60% Yield)

US Open Tennis Day 14 Pick - Men's Final 2024 (Sunday 8th September)

It has been a tough end to the tournament, but the bulk of the US Open went well enough to mean another Grand Slam with a winning record.

Overall it has been a tough year right from the off for the Tennis Picks after a miserable run at the Australian Open, but there are still a couple more tournaments to come at the end of the season before looking for a much stronger 2025.

Aryna Sabalenka was deservedly the US Open Champion and holds two of the four Grand Slams so many will feel she is the player to beat when it comes to all but the clay courts moving into the new season. She missed Wimbledon this year, else Sabalenka would likely be much closer to Iga Swiatek in the World Rankings with 2000 points separating them.

However, the WTA Race is much closer and there is every chance Aryna Sabalenka can close the year as the official World Number 1 if she can maintain her focus on the rest of the calendar year.

A first time US Open Men's Champion will also be crowned at the end of the tournament and the World Number 1 is looking to match Sabalenka by adding the title in New York City to the one won in Melbourne to kick off 2024.

Jannik Sinner has overcome controversy and continued shady comments from his peers, but this is a big opportunity for Taylor Fritz to take the next step in his career and the hope is that we see a competitive Final on Sunday afternoon.

Jannik Sinner-Taylor Fritz over 38.5 games: American fans have been used to home players performing well at the US Open when it comes to the women's tournament, but it has been a long time since the fans arrived at the last day of this Grand Slam with a home player to support.

The last time any American men's player reached the Final of the US Open was all the way back in 2006 when Andy Roddick made it that far, while the search for a home winner of this tournament has now surpassed twenty years. It is Roddick again who holds that last American US Open Winner tag as far as the men go, but that may all change this weekend when Taylor Fritz enters the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

He deservedly got the better of compatriot Frances Tiafoe in the Semi Final on Friday and the five sets played should not have sapped too much energy. The match was played into a fourth hour, but it was not a taxing one and Taylor Fritz is serving well enough to believe he can win the US Open this year.

Standing in his way is the World Number 1 Jannik Sinner who has overcome some off court controversy to work his way into the Final.

A solid win over Jack Draper in the Semi Final will have given Sinner a boost, although the one concern has to be the wrist issue that needed some attention during the match. He cannot afford to be struggling against an opponent who is playing as well as Taylor Fritz is and especially not with the lion's share of the crowd support also likely to be against the Italian.

This is something that will bother Jannik Sinner a lot less than his wrist and the World Number 1 has also found his serving form, which is a key part of any success a player is going to have on the faster surfaces. Without a doubt Sinner will feel he is the more effective return player of the two on the hard courts, which gives the favourite a real edge, but the feeling is that Taylor Fritz will make this very competitive.

Jannik Sinner's Semi Final win was competitive through the first two sets, but Fritz can certainly play the big points a little better than Jack Draper and that may see him at least earn a split of those sets. The British player had his chances in the Semi Final, and Taylor Fritz is a bit more experienced to just knuckle down when those big moments arrive.

Ultimately you have to believe Jannik Sinner will edge the contest, but Taylor Fritz is perhaps being a touch under-rated with the prices and the spread on offer. The American is going to be able to use the crowd support to just propel his tennis and the serving has been strong enough throughout this fortnight to believe Taylor Fritz can win at least a set even in a losing effort.

The total games line looks just appealing enough to be the better play than backing the underdog with a start and the two players can help combine for a memorable US Open Final as the Grand Slam season comes to a close in 2024.

MY PICK: Jannik Sinner-Taylor Fritz Over 38.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

US Open Update: 26-20, + 4.24 Units (92 Units Staked, + 4.61% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 14 Pick 2024- Men's Final (Sunday 14th July)

The attention of the nation might already have turned to the Euro 2024 Final, but tennis fans will at least have the opportunity to lead into that game by watching the Final of the Men's event at Wimbledon.

It looks like being a really good Final twelve months after Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic met in a five set classic in SW19 and both are going to be feeling good about their chances of success having eased through the Semi Final matches on Friday.

The tournament comes to a close, but the attention will quickly turn to the Olympic Games later this month before the players hop across the pond and prepare for the upcoming US Open which begins at the end of August as is traditional.

We should have some real interest in the Olympic Games with that tournament potentially being the last for Rafael Nadal on the famous courts of Roland Garros, while Andy Murray is another hoping to be fit enough to compete as a Singles player for the final time having missed Wimbledon to his own frustration.

The new Ladies Champion at Wimbledon is Barbora Krejcikova as we have yet another surprising winner of the tournament on the WTA side of things.

She now has as many Grand Slams as Aryna Sabalenka and more than both Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina, which is a real surprise, and Barbora Krejcikova will be heading back into the top ten of the World Rankings on Monday. It might give the former French Open Champion a chance to take some momentum into the Olympic Games back on the clay courts, but for now the Czech player will enjoy becoming Wimbledon Champion as her mentor Jana Novotna had managed to do in her career too.

Now the attention will turn to the big Men's Final between top of the top three players in the World and by the end one of the players will be holding two of the four Grand Slam titles.

Carlos Alcaraz-Novak Djokovic over 40.5 games: Twelve months ago, Carlos Alcaraz reached the Final at Wimbledon in somewhat surprising fashion considering he had been beaten relatively early at the French Open. He was the Queen's Champion, which is always a good indicator of the kind of successes a player can have at Wimbledon, but Alcaraz was the underdog against Novak Djokovic, the seven time Champion.

The Rematch is played this Sunday and this time it is the defending Champion Carlos Alcaraz set as the favourite against the former World Number 1.

A lot of Spanish fans will have eyes on this Wimbledon Final before the Euro 2024 Final is played later in the evening and they will be keen to see a Double. Despite not finding his best tennis consistently, Carlos Alcaraz has shown he has the character to come through some difficult moments in his run to the Wimbledon Final.

There is also a real feeling that Carlos Alcaraz has come through the tougher half of the draw with three wins over top 16 Ranked opponents, while the highest Ranked player Novak Djokovic has beaten is the World Number 15 Holger Rune.

Carlos Alcaraz will be the first to admit that even then, his level will have to be picked up if he is going to get the better of Novak Djokovic for a second time in a row at Wimbledon. His serving numbers have really not been up to the standard expected on a grass court and that is going to be tested by arguably the greatest return player in the history of the sport.

The Novak Djokovic return numbers have perhaps not been as strong as we have come to expect, but that might have something to do with a far more aggressive approach taken through this tournament. The knee is not one that Djokovic wants to have to take into long rallies as often as he has been known to do, and that aggression has led to more mistakes and looking to end points quicker than normal.

It is something that will likely have been noted by the Alcaraz team and they will be keen to not give too much away to Djokovic and force him into those rallies that the seven time Champion has been looking to avoid.

One area where Novak Djokovic has had more success is behind his serve with his follow up shot to that opening one looking to get into position to end points as soon as possible. His numbers have been strong throughout his run to the Final and even Lorenzo Musetti struggled to test Djokovic in the manner he would have hoped on this side of his tennis.

Novak Djokovic has only dropped serve five times throughout the fortnight at Wimbledon, whereas Carlos Alcaraz dropped serve five times in just his Third Round match. This might be key to the outcome of this match, as could the fact that Novak Djokovic has won the last two matches against the Spaniard since losing the Wimbledon Final in 2023.

Matches between the players have been intense, but Novak Djokovic has had the edge on the service numbers.

However, some of those numbers are influenced by the match at Roland Garros in 2023 when Carlos Alcaraz completely cramped up under the tension of the occasion. He is a much stronger player now and this has all of the makings of another Wimbledon epic.

There will be plenty of fans hoping the match is perhaps not quite as intense as the almost five hours spend on court last season (with the fear it would potentially begin to encroach towards the Euro 2024 Final kick off), but another four setter has to be the minimum expectation.

Last season there were two sets that ended in 6-1 scores, which could make it hard to cover the total line in this one if it does indeed conclude in four sets.

With the way both Alcaraz and Djokovic are playing, it would be a surprise if we do see those one-sided sets again, especially after their battle at Cincinnati last August.

Novak Djokovic perhaps looks an appealing underdog, but he has not really bettered too many of his rivals so far this season and this is a big step up compared with previous opponents played.

Being slightly more battle-hardened should aid Carlos Alcaraz, but the real expectation is for another very competitive match between players from different generations. They should both contribute to a strong Final in which both players will win a set and that should put this match well on the way to surpass the total games line in this one.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz-Novak Djokovic Over 40.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 21-21, - 5.44 Units (84 Units Staked, - 6.48% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 15 Pick 2024- Men's Final (Sunday 9th June)

Iga Swiatek won a fourth Roland Garros title and there is every reason to believe she will end her career with the most on the WTA Tour side of the sport, although Rafael Nadal's overall record is expected to be safe.

She dominated after allowing Jasmine Paolini to find an early break, but the Men's Final is expected to be a lot more competitive on Sunday.

Alexander Zverev-Carlos Alcaraz Over 37.5 Games: After making an out of court settlement regarding a trial for domestic abuse allegations, Alexander Zverev came from behind to cruise into his first French Open Final on Friday.

In seven previous Grand Slam Semi Finals, Alexander Zverev had been beaten six times so this is a big achievement for someone who might have felt the window had been closing when it comes to winning a maiden title at this level. He will need to erase memories of his only ever Grand Slam Final appearance when leading Dominic Thiem 2-0 in sets, but losing in the US Open Final in 2020.

Injury, off court issues and the German having some inconsistent performances at the business end of tournaments means it has been some wait for Alexander Zverev to return to a Slam Final. The performances here in Paris have been strong though and Zverev has also won the Rome Masters in the build up so he will not be lacking for confidence in this big match.

The opponent has won Grand Slam titles in New York City and London and Carlos Alcaraz can move into World Number 2 with a title win in Paris, meaning winning a Slam on all three surfaces used on the Tour. He will be opening Wimbledon as the defending Champion next month and this is an opportunity for the Spaniard to remind the Tour that he is still the man to beat of the next generation having had some of the shine taken away by Jannik Sinner.

The Italian was beaten in five sets in the Semi Final and Carlos Alcaraz will know that he will need to raise his level if he is going to see off Zverev in the Final.

Over the last twelve months, Carlos Alcaraz has gotten a little nearer to Alexander Zverev on the head to head with crushing wins in Madrid, at the US Open and in Indian Wells. However, during that run, Alexander Zverev holds wins over the Spaniard at the World Tour Finals and the Australian Open.

Two years ago Zverev beat Carlos Alcaraz in the Quarter Final at Roland Garros in what was an upset and there is a feeling that the underdog is a big price to win this title on Sunday.

Alexander Zverev has been serving well and that will put some pressure on Alcaraz, while the confidence will have been restored after two strong wins over Alex De Minaur and Casper Ruud. The wins at Grand Slam level means he will not be intimidated by the obvious talented player standing on the other side of the net, and this could be a really good Final.

There is a temptation in backing Zverev, but this is a Final that should need at least four sets to decide it when all is said and done.

With that in mind, the total games line looks a tad shorter than it should be- the US Open win that Carlos Alcaraz produced over Alexander Zverev last year ended in straight sets, but the other two Grand Slam meetings have gone at least four sets and needed 43 and 39 games played respectively before a winner could be determined and so backing the total to be surpassed might be the play with less stress compared with looking for a live underdog to come through.

The experience edge is surprisingly with the younger player in this one and Carlos Alcaraz will feel he can make that pay, but the form is with Alexander Zverev and the fans should be the ones who benefit the most on the day.

MY PICK: Alexander Zverev-Carlos Alcaraz Over 37.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

French Open Update: 22-9, + 16.98 Units (61 Units Staked, + 27.84% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 15 Pick 2024- Men's Final (Sunday 28th January)

It has been a good tournament for the fans to enjoy with plenty of drama throughout the fortnight.

Of course it has been much tougher to make predictions when there have been as many erratic results as we have seen in Melbourne in 2024.

While the Grand Slam tournaments will shut down until the end of May, there are plenty of big tournaments to be played between now and the French Open. I have set myself a target to achieve between now and then, but it will require some patience and better decision making, although also hoping that some of the margins lean back towards the selections having had so many Picks come close, but ultimately fail to cross the line over the last two weeks.

First off we have to round out this tournament and my thoughts about the Men's Final can be read below.

Jannik Sinner - 1.5 sets v Daniil Medvedev: It was a stunning Friday of tennis at the Australian Open and it will be a big surprise to many that Novak Djokovic is not playing for yet another title in Melbourne.

He had never lost a Semi Final at the Australian Open, but Novak Djokovic was crushed by Jannik Sinner, a player who so many have tipped up to win a major. Some will have believed that could happen in 2024, but Jannik Sinner deserves a lot of credit for making his way into his maiden Grand Slam Final.

The World Number 1 felt he had played his 'worst' Grand Slam match, but take nothing away from Sinner who served big and rallied from the disappointment of dropping the third set. The Italian became the first player to prevent Novak Djokovic from earning a single Break Point in a completed Grand Slam match and it is no surprise that Jannik Sinner is going into the Final as the favourite.

Inexperience is perhaps an issue, but Daniil Medvedev has invested so much of himself to make his third Australian Open Final as he looks to finally win a title here. A former US Open Champion, Daniil Medvedev will be hoping a day of rest is enough to have him ready to compete in the Final after needing over 4 hours, especially having invested so much physical and emotional energy to come from 2-0 down in sets to beat rival Alexander Zverev.

It is the second time in the Australian Open that Daniil Medvedev has come back from two sets down and the third time he has needed all five sets to be played before progressing. That has to have an impact, although Medvedev has shown a warrior spirit to battle through matches even when things are seemingly beyond him.

All of that will be needed if he is going to win his second Grand Slam title, but it is going to take a special effort.

Simply put, Daniil Medvedev has not found his best form at the Australian Open and it has been his mental strength that has really proven to be the difference. He served really well in the last three sets in the Semi Final, but making as slow a start will be punished by Jannik Sinner, who really has impressed in his run to the Final.

Only one set has been dropped and the serve has proven to be an immense weapon for the World Number 4, which is likely going to be the case again in the Final.

If this match was played at the US Open, you would have had to worry about the head to head- at that time, Daniil Medvedev had won all six previous matches against Jannik Sinner, including two wins in 2023. However, it is Jannik Sinner who has won three in a row against Medvedev since the end of the last Grand Slam of 2023 in Beijing, Vienna and Turin.

All of those have been in indoor hard court events, but it will give Sinner plenty of belief and this is a player who has massively improved in leaps and bounds.

In those three wins, Jannik Sinner has held 90% of service games played, which is significantly better than his 74% overall mark against Daniil Medvedev. And with a potentially very tired opponent in front of him, Jannik Sinner will feel he can get enough balls back in play and really exert a lot of pressure on the World Number 3.

Handling the nerves will be key, but Sinner looks more than capable of doing that and the accumulated fatigue on Daniil Medvedev may just catch up with him in this match.

MY PICK: Jannik Sinner - 1.5 Sets @ 1.72 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 23-49, - 57.34 Units (144 Units Staked, - 39.82% Yield)

US Open Day 14 Pick- Men's Final 2023 (September 10th)

A poor first week has proven to be costly for the Tennis Picks in the final Grand Slam of 2023, but it might have been saved if not for the last couple of days when a number of selections have been wrong.

Ultimately it could have been a lot worse after the start made to the tournament as we get ready to see the men's Final played on Sunday to conclude the event.

After this, the next set of Tennis Picks potentially will arrive at the big events being played in China with the Tour set to return for the first time since the Covid pandemic. The Shanghai Masters is back on the schedule, and we have an ATP 500 event in Beijing and then later in Tokyo.

The WTA Tour will also be heading back to Asia following the US Open and there are some big 500 and 1000 level events to be played in China and Japan. Coco Gauff was crowned as a new Grand Slam Singles Champion, but the Tour needs to begin backing those players a little better and it is no surprise that there are talks to merge the ATP and WTA Tours together.

It says a lot about the WTA that they have only just announced that their Finals will be played in Cancun.

That is for another day and the purpose of this thread is to offer thoughts on the US Open Final to be played on Sunday.

You can read that below as Daniil Medvedev and Novak Djokovic meet for the second time in three years for the final Slam of the season.

Daniil Medvedev-Novak Djokovic over 38.5 games: The 'dream' Final hopes collapsed at the last moment when an impressive Daniil Medvedev beat Carlos Alcaraz in four sets in the last of the Semi Final matches played on Day 12 at the US Open. You can see that Medvedev, a former US Open Champion in his own right, had been seething quietly about suggestions that the top two players in the world were destined to meet in a second Grand Slam Final in a row.

Instead he threw a spanner into the works and Daniil Medvedev will want to prove he is not as far away from Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic as some would think.

Beating both players to win the US Open title would do that, but the World Number 3 will know that this is going to be another considerable challenge for him. Daniil Medvedev has beaten Novak Djokovic in the US Open Final in 2021, but that was a Djokovic that is not nearly as fresh as he is going to be feeling going into this Final.

Two years ago, Novak Djokovic had won three Grand Slam titles, but had looked exhausted at the end of the Tokyo Olympic Games as his bid for a Golden Slam faltered. While he did get to the Final in Flushing Meadows, Djokovic had been involved in a back and forth five set win in the Semi Final against Alexander Zverev and his emotions even got the better of him during the Final as he struggled to compete with the hitting of Medvedev.

This time Novak Djokovic is not playing for a bit of history in terms of a Calendar Grand Slam, but he is chasing a twenty-fourth Grand Slam title which would see him sit alongside Margaret Court on an all-time record number. However, he has looked much more comfortable with that pressure than he looked at times in the 2021 tournament and Novak Djokovic came through a sticky third set to beat Ben Shelton in straight sets in his own Semi Final.

While the numbers have not been dominant, Novak Djokovic has performed at a consistently good level throughout this tournament and it has felt he has been keeping something ready for the Final. He might even have expected that to be against his new rival, Alcaraz, but Djokovic will be glad of any extra energy he has in reserve against an opponent who will be happy to get involved in long, drawn out rallies.

Both of these players will know they need to serve well and that has been the case in recent meetings between them.

Daniil Medvedev won the most recent in the Dubai Final, but that snapped a run of four consecutive defeats to the impending World Number 1. All of those four defeats have followed the US Open Final win in 2021, but matches have been competitive and it has been one or two points that have swung sets and ultimately the outcome of those matches.

Novak Djokovic does lead the head to head at Grand Slam level, but Daniil Medvedev is arguably at his best at the US Open of the four Slams and he is a player that will have a lot of belief in his own tennis.

Two years the Final ended in straight sets, but the level of both of these players suggest we may need at least four sets to separate them in this one and that should see them getting very close to covering this total games line. While the last two matches played in 2023 have both ended in straight sets win, one each for Medvedev and Djokovic, the previous three had all needed the full three sets to separate the players and this is a match that could end up having four pretty long sets at the least.

MY PICK: Daniil Medvedev-Novak Djokovic Over 38.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 14 Pick 2023- Gentlemen's Final (July 16th)

A new women's Grand Slam Champion was crowned on Saturday and not many would have picked Marketa Vondrousova to have been that player rather than Ons Jabeur.

All of the come from behind wins caught up with the higher Ranked player in the Final, but the match up with Vondrousova is clearly a bad one for Ons Jabeur who has lost all three times she has faced the Czech lefty this season.

The wait for a Grand Slam title will go on for Jabeur, but the hope is that Marketa Vondrousova can use this victory at Wimbledon to push her career forward having had it stagnated by injury.

She is back in the top ten when the Rankings are released and Vondrousova is in the top five when it comes to the WTA race.

The key for Marketa Vondrousova will be backing this success up- some recent winners have struggled with the new expectation that surrounds them after a big title win, but others have been able to spark their careers and that has to be hope for a talented young player.

The Ladies Final is in the books, but that leaves what many will hope could be a classic Wimbledon Final when the top two men's players meet one another on Sunday. Conditions should be perfect for tennis on Sunday afternoon and I would be extremely surprised if this is not a top Final with the way Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz approach their tennis.

After finding a winning play in the Ladies Final, I am looking for one more positive pick to end what has been a poor tournament for the Tennis Picks.

We will be moving into a clay court summer for the ATP players before some of the US hard court tennis preparation begins later this month.

There may be some selections made over the next few weeks before the Masters tournaments begin in the lead up to the US Open, but I will be using some tighter margins in a bid to put some positive numbers on the board.

Carlos Alcaraz- Novak Djokovic over 39.5 games: The tournament started thirteen days ago and everyone who had seen the Gentlemen's draw at Wimbledon would have been hoping that Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic would meet on the final Sunday of the 2023 event.

The majority of fans have gotten exactly what they wanted and both Alcaraz and Djokovic should have no worries in regards to the amount of tennis played to earn the spot in the Final.

After what we saw at the French Open when an over-emotional Carlos Alcaraz saw his body let him down in the Semi Final as he crumbled in the final two sets, the big question will be how the Spaniard can cope with facing Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon Final. A Grand Slam Semi Final is a stressful time to face arguably the best player of all time, but that stress is going to be ramped up in the Final and there will be a lot of eyes on the Alcaraz side of the court to see how he handles the occasion.

Carlos Alcaraz has noted what happened in Paris and has made it clear that he will try and approach this match differently to make sure he gives himself the best possible chance to win.

Of course the challenge is much different on the grass courts of Wimbledon compared with the clay courts of the French Open where Carlos Alcaraz was set as the favourite. Roles have reversed in this Wimbledon Final and that is not a surprise considering Novak Djokovic has not been beaten on Centre Court since the 2013 Wimbledon Final against Andy Murray.

The four time defending Champion has exuded his confidence in SW19 both on and off the court during this fortnight and it is no surprise that most will expect Novak Djokovic to win the title for an eighth time.

Novak Djokovic has done what is needed in his six wins in the tournament, but there will be chances for Carlos Alcaraz who has already won a title on the grass this year. The serve has been a big weapon for Djokovic, but Jannik Sinner showed there is a blueprint for Carlos Alcaraz to follow, although he will need to execute a little better at key moments where the Italian faltered.

As good as Novak Djokovic has been on the grass courts, his returning numbers at this tournament have not been quite up to the levels he has set in the past. This should be encouraging for Carlos Alcaraz who has been serving well at Wimbledon and throughout the last month on the grass, while the youngster has shown he can play some stunning tennis to work into breaks of serve.

Limited grass court and Wimbledon experience is against Carlos Alcaraz, but he should be reminded of his compatriot Rafael Nadal and what he was able to achieve early in his career on this surface.

The similarities are hard to ignore- Nadal had only won three matches at Wimbledon before reaching the Final in 2005 and pushing the defending Champion Roger Federer in a four set battle. Before this year, Carlos Alcaraz had won just four matches in SW19, but he has shown there is a confidence in his all-around tennis to be effective on all surfaces and he has the game to push the defending Champion in this 2023 Final.

Winning will be tough against Djokovic on this court, but Carlos Alcaraz will have the fans behind him and the two previous matches against the 23 time Grand Slam Champion have been competitive.

Even though he had limited movement in the final two sets of the Semi Final these two played in Paris, the total games reached thirty-five.

This Final should go at least four sets and the assumption is that Carlos Alcaraz will not suffer the same cramps and emotional rushes that he had to deal with in the French Open. That experience should have given him a better understanding of how to approach this match with Novak Djokovic and both of these players have served well enough at Wimbledon to expect this total games line to be surpassed.

MY PICK: Carlos Alcaraz-Novak Djokovic Over 39.5 Games @ 1.72 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 58-55, - 8.62 Units (226 Units Staked, - 3.81% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 15 Pick 2023- Men's Final (June 11th)

I have to say, this has been one of the toughest ends to a Grand Slam for my Picks in a long time and it has been as frustrating as it could have been.

Once again a player seemed in control, had all of the chances and I am not sure how Iga Swiatek blew her big lead and almost lost the French Open Final. Credit should rightly be given to Karolina Muchova, but at 2-6, 0-3, 30/30, I don't think the Czech player would have had a lot of belief herself and was very much helped by a nervous performance from Iga Swiatek.

Ultimately the Pole won the French Open title for the third time in four years and that will give her confidence as Swiatek prepares to go into the tough grass court season.

Before that we have the Men's Final to come and you can read my selection below.

I will be taking a short break from the Tennis Picks before Wimbledon just to analyse this tournament and see how I can improve for the third Grand Slam of the season. While some of the last few days is down to bad luck, there are always areas to improve with the selections and the short gap between now and Wimbledon is a good time to just have a look into how those improvements can be made.

Novak Djokovic - 5.5 games v Casper Ruud: The Men's French Open Final on Sunday will conclude the second Grand Slam of the 2023 season and we are going to be a little over three weeks away from the start of Wimbledon.

The defending Champion in SW19 is Novak Djokovic and he has the chance of winning a second Grand Slam in a row and overtaking Rafael Nadal to be in sole control of the most Singles Grand Slam titles won by a male player. Win at Wimbledon and he matches Margaret Court's overall record, but Djokovic will not be looking too far ahead and has to be focused as he tries to win a third French Open title.

This has been the 'least successful' Grand Slam for Novak Djokovic, even if he did set a new record of having reached seventeen Quarter Finals at Roland Garros. However, the Serb has won this title the fewest times, although Novak Djokovic has lost more US Open Finals than here in Paris.

It has been a remarkable career and one that looks far from over, even if Novak Djokovic is not playing at the same kind of level he has been in previous years. This level is still good enough to beat most players on the Tour, especially in the best of five setting, while the Semi Final proved that there is a huge mental challenge for anyone standing across the net from him.

Novak Djokovic was the first to admit that the Semi Final with Carlos Alcaraz was extremely competitive for two sets and that the Spaniard was the better player at the end of the second set, but tension, emotion and the opportunity to beat one of the all time greats clearly impacted the younger player. Seeing someone cramp up in the manner Alcaraz did was hugely surprising, but just backs up the feeling that all of the other players on the Tour are going into Grand Slam matches with Novak Djokovic with a lot of mental obstacles to overcome.

Now it is a test for Casper Ruud who was not expected to have this kind of run at the French Open having underperformed in the lead up events. The Runner Up from 2022 is clearly enjoying playing in the tournament and he has reached a third Grand Slam Final in twelve months, although Ruud has come up short against Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz previously.

The Norwegian would have certainly been hoping for an 'easier' challenge in the French Open Final in 2023, but Casper Ruud will be trying to focus on his own tennis, which has been peaking in the last four Rounds heading into the Final. His win over Alexander Zverev in the Semi Final was very impressive, but beating the likes of Zverev, Holger Rune and Nicolas Jarry may not a level that is enough to beat Novak Djokovic.

Casper Ruud has to serve well- ultimately this let him down in the Final twelve months ago when he allowed Rafael Nadal to pile up sixteen Break Points and lost serve eight times.

There is also a weakness in the backhand, which is likely going to be exploited by Novak Djokovic better than most, and I can see why this has been a poor match up for Casper Ruud so far in his career.

Novak Djokovic has won all four previous matches since September 2020 and two of those have been on the clay courts in Rome. The former World Number 1 has won 41% of return points played against Casper Ruud, but that number jumps a little to 42% in their clay court matches and it has seen Novak Djokovic break serve in 35% of return games played.

Compared to that, Casper Ruud has won 33% of return points and only broken in 10% of return games played on this surface against this opponent and their meeting in Rome in May 2022 was a more routine win for Novak Djokovic than the 6/4, 6/3 scoreline might have indicated.

The elbow issue is a concern for Novak Djokovic fans, but I think he is helped by the way the Semi Final ended and he does have an edge on the serve. He will know exactly how to prepare for this French Open Final, while Casper Ruud had not been returning as well in this tournament as his Break Point conversion rate would suggest prior to the win over Alexander Zverev in the Semi Final and I think it could be another tough afternoon in the spotlight on the final day at the French Open for the 24 year old.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 5.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

French Open Update: 39-33, - 0.02 Units (144 Units Staked, - 0% Yield)