Cincinnati Masters betting tips: Get on 9/4 Carlos Alcaraz to be the last man standing in Cincinnati
The expanded 12-day ATP Cincinnati Masters 1000 series tournament kicks off on Thursday, and it’s easy to see why the bookies want to keep Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz onside.
In this article, Sports News Blitz’s Bookie Basher pays homage to the Sincaraz era and delivers his outright picks for the Cincinnati Masters.
The rise of Sincaraz: Tennis’ next great rivalry
The duo - No. 1 and No. 2 in the world - have met in the final of the past three events they played together and were last seen duking it out on a sun-drenched Centre Court at the Wimbledon final.
Sinner was too good for his Spanish compatriot that day, and the Italian has fond memories of Cincinnati, having beaten Frances Tiafoe in the final to clinch the trophy here 12 months ago.
Sometimes in sport, you just know when a special rivalry has arrived.
You don’t need stats; you don’t need convincing. Your eyes tell you everything you need to know.
The Sincaraz era is upon us, and tennis fans should get ready for a new chapter in the sport following the era of the "Big Three."
Fire vs ice
The duo are fire and ice in terms of personality.
Sinner is like a cyborg out there for the most part due to his calm, collected demeanour, regardless of what is going on around him.
Alcaraz, on the other hand, is seen as ‘fire’ due to his impossibly energetic play, demonstrative celebrations and passionate displays of emotion.
Why Alcaraz offers more value than Sinner
Sinner is as short as 6/5 to win Cincinnati, even though it is Alcaraz who holds the upper hand in terms of their head-to-head.
The pair have faced each other 13 times since 2021, with Carlitos leading the rivalry 8-5, including a 3-2 record at majors and 3-2 in finals.
Of the past three events they have both played, the Italian and the Spaniard have met in the final each time, with Alcaraz taking the gold in Rome and Roland Garros before Sinner snapped a five-match losing streak against the Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final.
The duo have missed the first half of the North American hard court swing, but despite this, the layers fully expect them to mop up here.
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Time for redemption in Cincinnati
At the prices - and given his head-to-head record against Sinner - I actually like Alcaraz at 9/4.
The 2022 US Open champion prefers slower terrain but is no mug on this type of surface.
And he will never come as close to winning Cincy as he did a few years ago without actually holding the trophy aloft.
In 2023, Novak Djokovic fought back from a championship point down to beat Alcaraz 5-7, 7-6(7), 6-3 in an epic Cincinnati Open final that will go down as probably the best three-setter in the history of men’s tennis.
He was awful here last season, losing early to Gael Monfils and later described that contest as the 'worst match' he had played in his career.
Hopefully, then, he will have something to prove in 2025, and 9/4 looks more than fair given the Iberian’s extravagant gifts.
Don’t ignore Taylor Fritz
In terms of an each-way alternative, 20/1 looks big for fourth-seed Taylor Fritz. The American is in the top half of the draw with Sinner and has won an ATP title every year on hard court in America since 2022.
This season, he has two summer victories on grass (Eastbourne and Stuttgart), so is due a big showing on home soil.
The courts in Ohio are known for having a faster surface compared to some other hard court tournaments, and that will suit Fritz with his booming serve and heavy groundies.
Fritz has a tough journey as Lorenzo Sonego and Holger Rune are lurking in his quarter, but he starts as a healthy betting favourite against either of those two, and if his serve clicks over the next 12 days, he looks a legitimate each-way tickle at 20s.
Suggested Bet #1: Carlos Alcaraz to win the ATP Cincinnati Masters 1000 at 9/4 (Betfred)
Suggested Bet #2: Taylor Fritz (each-way) to win the ATP Cincinnati Masters 1000 at 20/1 (Paddy Power / Skybet)
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