This week’s top tennis picks are live again with the ongoing 2026 Mutua Madrid Open, which is featuring high-stakes drama on court on both ATP and WTA Tours. Alexander Bublik is scheduled for an unpredictable claycourt bout against the three-time Masters 1000 champion Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Manolo Santana Stadium.
Naomi Osaka, the former world No. 1, will square off against Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina after an intense opening round on the dirt. The Madrid Open continues to showcase a compelling lineup where top-seeded players and rising stars clash. Here we have our top five picks that would set the stage for unparalleled action through momentous swings and great surface dominance.
Top Tennis Picks and Best Bets
Alexander Bublik vs Stefanos Tsitsipas: Bublik in 3 sets (+290)
Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik is set to collide with the Greek, Stefanos Tsitsipas. Their overall head-to-head clash is led 2-0 by Tsitsipas; however, they clashed on fast surfaces previously. Bublik has since amplified his game, specifically on clay, and reached a career-high world No. 10, while Tsitsipas has rolled back to 80.
Bublik is renowned for his intense serves, and at the altitudes of Madrid, he could win. Greece’s Stefanos has, however, fallen short of making a dominant impact this year, starting with a modest 12-9 record, despite being a former finalist in Spain. With Bublik’s intense serve game and Tsitsipas’s comfort on clay, expect the Greek veteran to maintain a tight contest, but Bublik’s serve game should hand him a three-set win.
Naomi Osaka vs Anhelina Kalinina: Kalinina to win (+120)
Japan’s Naomi Osaka is all set to square off against Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina, with her superior “Clayomi” confidence that was proven in her bout against Camila Osorio. Osaka dispatched the Colombian in straight sets. Kalinina, however, has been hailed as the decisive clay veteran who has played in more than 20 consecutive matches on the dirt and bagged victory in most of them, the recent one being against Marie Bouzkova.
Osaka comes in with her first-strike power serve and with her prowess of ending bouts in a flash; however, clay rewards those with patience and a good defense plan, something that Kalinina has been holding onto for a really long time. Despite Osaka’s 1-0 head-to-head against Kalinina and her pedigree of straight-set wins, which suggests great confidence, Kalinina’s clay dominance and ability to play extended rallies should hand her a close but decisive win.
Alexander Zverev vs. Mariano Navone: Set Spread, Zverev -1.5 sets (-295)
Germany’s Alexander Zverev is entering the city where he has historically made an impact, and this time, he will face Argentina’s Mariano Navone. Zverev thrives on thin air that aids his serve and gives a great advantage to his flat groundstroke game. The world no. 45, Navone, however, is a claycourt expert and renowned for his baseline game.
Navone has proven his grit earlier this month by claiming the ATP title during the Tiriac Open and could drag the German to extended rallies. However, Zverev’s ability to shorten games with his massive serve could make it impossible for the Argentinian to find a rhythm for an extended gameplay, hence we can expect Zverev to bag a straight-set victory.
Aryna Sabalenka vs. Jaqueline Cristian: Sabalenka with straight-set win (-550)
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus will head to round 32 to defend her iron grip on Madrid against Romania’s Jacqueline Cristian. Sabalenka has been consistent with her recent dominant wins in Indian Wells and Miami and is known for her terrifying serve.
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