The 2026 tennis season is fully into the North American hard-court swing, and this week brings our final 1000-level tune-up event with the ATP and WTA Tour stops in Cincinnati. With the US Open now on the horizon, this is where contenders continue to separate, dialing in their timing, adjusting to quicker conditions, and building real momentum against elite fields.
This tournament carries significant weight on both tours, giving us a strong read on form, fitness, and potential title paths heading into New York. There’s no shortage of high-level matches to break down, so we’ll have plenty to work with as the week unfolds. That said, I’ll be posting my tennis best bets daily.
With that in mind, keep reading for my tennis best bets for the Cincinnati Open on Friday, August 21.
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.
Frances Tiafoe vs. Lorenzo Musetti
Marta Kostyuk vs. Coco Gauff
Of course, Tiafoe ended up being the player to burn me and my Felix Auger-Aliassime futures. Big Foe is just a different player on American soil, even when playing only a week removed from a minor surgery on his hand. However, even if Tiafoe wins his match on Friday, I strongly believe Musetti will force him to scratch and claw his way to a victory. It’s just starting to look like the Italian is recapturing his top-10 form, and I really value his steady baseline play in this specific matchup. He has so many different ways he can get to opponents, and he should be able to do some damage against Tiafoe in this one. So, on a day in which I really don’t have much, I’m taking Musetti on an alternate set spread of +1.5.
To get a better price with Musetti, I’m also taking Gauff on an alternate set spread of +1.5. I always worry about the American’s serve breaking down in big matches, but I never worry about her returning, ability to grind from the baseline, and willingness to fight. The returning is the big one here. Kostyuk has a shaky serve, so Gauff should be able to give herself a ton of break point chances. I expect her to cash in enough to take a set — and I ultimately do like her to win this match.
PARLAY: Musetti Alt +1.5 Sets & Gauff Alt +1.5 Sets (-152 – 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.
