Tennis returns to the USA for the Cincinnati Open (now called the Western & Southern Open for sponsorship reasons) this month in preparation for the US Open.
A host of the best players in the world are confirmed to be competing in Cincinnati in the final big warm-up tournament before the final Grand Slam tournament of the year, and fans will be casting a keen eye to see who is going into the big one with a hot hand.
We'll take a look at the field and break down their chances of success while handing out our best free betting picks for the tournament to see if we can earn you some extra cash.
| Cincinatti Open 2022 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Daniil Medvedev | +300 | +300 |
| Rafael Nadal | +500 | +500 |
| Carlos Alcaraz | +600 | +600 |
| Stefanos Tsitsipas | +1400 | +1400 |
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2022 Western & Southern Open tennis tournament details
- August 13 - 21st, 2022
- Lindner Family Tennis Centre, Cincinnati, Ohio
- 64 players
- Hard court surface
- $6.28m prize money
Tournament favorites
Daniil Medvedev (+300)
The player who many consider the favorite is Medvedev, who will have a fresh set of legs after being forced to sit out of Wimbledon due to circumstances out of his control when they banned Russian and Belarusian players following the invasion of Ukraine.
Last year’s US Open champion will look to repeat and fight off some tough competition, but he’s had a relatively good year so far. He will also be looking to win this tournament again, having won it in 2019 when he beat David Goffin in straight sets in the final
He’s won his first competition of the year two weeks ago when he defeated Cameron Norrie at the Los Cabos Open, but his performances have seen him ranked at number one in the world since February, and he’s 31-10 for the calendar year 2022.
He’ll be well rested, though and will have a point to prove, so don’t look past him too quickly when scanning the field..
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Carlos Alcaraz (+600)
It isn’t easy to gauge Alcaraz’s chances at Cincinatti, but Alcaraz is a top talent and should never be ruled out of winning a competition again for a long while yet.
Alcaraz has been given a bye in the opening round of this tournament and will face Mackenzie McDonald in the last 32, a match he should win comfortably. So long as he gets through that, then the field really opens up for him.
Though Alcaraz has proven he can beat the best in the world with wins over Nadal and Djokovic in consecutive matches in Madrid earlier this year, and to win this tournament he may have to go through Casper Ruud, Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev consecutively so it won't be easy at all.
While we do not expect Alcaraz to beat them in a row, it wouldn't be the biggest shock of the tournament by any stretch and if he can do that then he will be able to go all the way too.
Andy Murray (+2000)
While we won't be betting on Andy Murray to win the Western & Southern Open, it is worth keeping an eye on the wily veteran, who must smell a huge opportunity to win this tournament for the third time after successes in 2008 and 2011.
The one-time world number one has struggled to get back to his best since having hip replacement surgery but has shown an ability to win games against tough opposition in spite of that.
The 35-year-old is now ranked at number 48 in the world, climbing his way back after a long period out to show just how good he once was. It's unlikely he wins this because the next generation is now better than him. But who wouldn't want to see him sign off with one last swan song?
Stefanos Tsitsipas (+1400)
The world number five Tsitsipas has not had the greatest of years so far when it comes to tennis, but he's still managed to win two titles and has a calendar year record of 42-14 so far.
He started the year reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open before falling to world number two Daniil Medvedev in a thrilling four-set clash.
He then progressed to the final of the ATP Rotterdam tournament, where he was beaten by Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets in what was a disappointing performance.
Tsitsipas has never won the Cincinnati Open before in his career and never made a final, and his poor performance at Wimbledon where was eliminated at the Round of 32 by eventual finalist Nick Kyrgios.
It seems pretty unlikely that he comes out on top for the first time in a stacked field, but stranger things have happened in the tennis world.
Rafael Nadal (+500)
Nadal has been around the block for quite some time, and there was doubt that he'd even make it to this tournament after being forced to withdraw from Wimbledon at the semi-final stage due to an abdominal tear.
The primary issue with him comes from a physical standpoint, as he’s 36, and his body has proven problematic from time to time. Despite winning the French Open and Australian Open already this year and getting to the semi-finals of Wimbledon before injury cost him, there seems to be doubt about his ability.
Having previously won in Cincinnati once back in 2013, it was the only time he's ever reached the final here. It seems unlikely that he'd get here at this stage of his career, but he's been brilliant this year so don't rule it out.
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