The ATP and WTA Tours are fully into the North American hard-court swing, and this week brings our first true benchmark events with the 1000-level stops in Montreal and Toronto. With the US Open now on the horizon, this stretch is where contenders start to separate, dialing in their timing, adjusting to quicker conditions, and building real momentum against elite fields.
These tournaments carry 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. I’ll be posting my tennis best bets Monday through Friday, then rolling out my championship picks on the VSiN Pro Picks page for the weekend finals.
With that in mind, keep reading for my tennis best bets for the National Bank Open on Monday, August 10.
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.
Arthur Fils vs. Rafael Jodar
Fils heads into Monday’s meeting with Jodar having split wins in two matches in the H2H rivalry, but the real story is the context behind that one loss. When Jodar beat Fils in Washington D.C., the Frenchman was fresh off the lingering back/hip issues he has been dealing with for several seasons now. That’s why I ended up backing Jodar in that match. Well, Fils has now had a couple of weeks to get some practice and matches under his belt, so he enters this meeting in much better form.
It’s also hard to win back-to-back matches in tight, evenly-matched rivalries like this one. On top of that, it’s never a bad thing fading recency bias, as it’s likely we’ll see a ton of bettors on Jodar because of what we saw last tournament.
There’s also very little Jodar does that Fils can’t do. These are two wildly talented players, and I’d argue that Fils is the one with the bigger game and upside when he’s not banged up.
Bet: Fils ML (-109 – 1.5 units)
Diana Shnaider vs. Iga Swiatek
Ekaterina Alexandrova vs. Elina Svitolina
Swiatek’s aggressive, heavy-topspin baseline game and superior movement give her a clear edge over Shnaider, whose lefty flat-hitting style relies on timing and can be neutralized by depth and variety. Swiatek beat her in Madrid a few months ago and now gets her on a hard court, a surface that further amplifies her serve and forehand advantages. Meanwhile, Svitolina holds a 3-1 career edge over Alexandrova and seems to have the answer to the Russian’s flat, quick-strike style. Svitolina’s elite defensive footwork and ability to redirect pace neutralize the power game Alexandrova wants to impose. Current form also favors Svitolina, even with Alexandrova playing much better tennis since arriving in Canada. Overall, pairing these two players makes a ton of sense on Monday.
PARLAY: Swiatek ML & Svitolina ML (-112)
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.
