The 2026 tennis season has moved into the Asian Swing, and we’ll be paying close attention to the ATP Masters 1000 in Shanghai and WTA 1000 in Wuhan. This is an interesting portion of the season, as nobody is thinking about Grand Slams. Everyone is simply jockeying for year-end positioning. The conditions are different, too. The courts and the humidity in China play differently than the North American hard courts, and that affects who can control rallies, who can hold serve, and who even has the physicality required to finish matches.
Fortunately for all of us, there’s no shortage of matches to break down as the week unfolds, and I’ll keep posting my tennis best bets daily. Because of the time difference, matches overnight in the US run across two calendar days. With that in mind, keep reading for my tennis best bets for Thursday, October 15 and Friday, October 16. Also, keep an eye on the new VSiN Community and the VSiN Pro Picks page for other plays.
NOTE: Gill Alexander, host of A Numbers Game, posts a bunch of tennis plays to the VSiN picks page. He does a great job handicapping tennis. That page is also where I post all of my Challenger-level picks + plays for all of the tournaments I’m not writing up daily.
Casper Ruud vs. Rafael Jodar
I only have one play for this overnight slate. I don’t see any value in the Wuhan card right now, and Tommy Paul-Daniil Medvedev is a tough read. So, I’m riding with Ruud and calling it a night (or morning).
Ruud is now up at a Performance Rating of 8.38 in Shanghai this tournament, while Jodar’s number is down at 8.15. Also, for as good as Jodar has been this season, he hasn’t had a single tournament in which he has topped the level we have seen from Ruud in Shanghai.
I understand Jodar is one of the most popular players in the sport now, and we’re all penciling him in as the next Grand Slam contender. However, Ruud is a top-10 player on the ATP Tour and has done way more in this sport than the Spaniard. It’s a little perplexing to see him as an underdog.
Ruud’s forehand will be the best shot on the court in this match — as it is in most matches — and I believe he’s a better server than Jodar. At the very least, those two weapons give him a great shot at winning this match. That’s enough for me to take the plus-money odds.
Bet: Ruud ML (+125 – 1.5 units)
Added Plays
I usually have A LOT MORE on the Pro Picks page. Those plays count towards my record and have been a big part of my success this season. Make sure you check them out. I’ll probably add a few more over there, so refresh that page throughout the day if you’re looking for action.
