Cincinnati Masters
The Cincinnati Open, 11 to 23 August, is the last significant hard-court test before the US Open, and unlike the Canadian Open it has everybody. Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz all sat out Montreal and all three play here. Here are our outright angles for both draws.
Men: The Alcaraz Question
Carlos Alcaraz is the defending champion and this is his comeback tournament after the wrist injury that removed him from Roland-Garros and Wimbledon. That is a genuinely difficult thing to price. A fit Alcaraz on a quick hard court is close to the best player in the draw; an Alcaraz who has not played a competitive match since April is not, and the market has to guess which one turns up. We would rather take him each way than at a short outright price.
Sinner is the more solid favourite: world No. 1, defending Wimbledon champion, and playing the surface that suits him best. The case against is scheduling, because he skipped Canada specifically to arrive fresh here and at Flushing Meadows.
Men: Where the Value Sits
The each-way market is the sensible way into a draw this deep. Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz both have the serve to shorten matches on a quick court, and both are playing at home in the middle of the American swing. Alexander Zverev won a maiden Grand Slam this year and has hard-court form to match.
The interesting outsider is Learner Tien. He has beaten Daniil Medvedev twice, taken out Shelton at Indian Wells and reached an Australian Open quarter-final, and his retrieval game drags bigger hitters into exactly the long matches they do not want in August humidity. He is short of a big serve, so treat him as an each-way play rather than an outright one.
Women: Swiatek Defends a Title on Her Terms
Iga Swiatek returns as defending champion and Aryna Sabalenka is the world No. 1, and between them they will head most outright markets. Elena Rybakina is the each-way pick: her serve is the single most valuable shot in the women’s draw on a fast hard court, and she has the power to beat anyone over three sets without needing a run of form to do it.
Two names are missing that would otherwise shape the market. Victoria Mboko and Naomi Osaka contested the Canadian Open final the week before and have both withdrawn, which removes two in-form hard-court players from the draw and opens the bottom half.
How We Would Play It
A deep field with a returning defending champion is a poor market for short outright prices and a good one for each-way. Back Alcaraz and Rybakina each way rather than to win, and treat Tien as the value outsider in the men’s draw. Compare prices across our best tennis betting sites and check the current tennis betting offers before placing anything.
Follow our tennis betting tips for more Cincinnati Open predictions, and see the Cincinnati Open hub for past champions and tournament facts.
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FAQ
Cincinnati Open 2026 Betting FAQs
Who is the favourite for the Cincinnati Open 2026?
Jannik Sinner heads most markets as world No. 1 and the defending Wimbledon champion, on the surface that suits him best. Defending Cincinnati champion Carlos Alcaraz is the other short price, though he is returning from a long injury lay-off.
Is Carlos Alcaraz fit for Cincinnati?
He is entered and has targeted Cincinnati as his return from the wrist injury that ruled him out of Roland-Garros and Wimbledon. He has not played a competitive match since April, which is why we prefer him each way rather than at a short outright price.
What is the Cincinnati Open prize money in 2026?
The total prize pool is $9,415,725 for the ATP event and $7,433,076 for the WTA event.
Where can I bet on the Cincinnati Open?
Compare prices and markets across our best tennis betting sites, and check the latest tennis betting offers before placing a bet. 18+, please gamble responsibly.
More Coverage
See our Cincinnati Open preview, the prize money breakdown, the list of champions and how to watch in the UK. Full coverage sits on our Cincinnati Open hub, every event we follow is in the tournaments index, and the dates are in the 2026 tennis calendar.