The ATP Winston-Salem is the famous last pit stop before the US Open, giving ATP players one more chance to accumulate minutes and confidence. There will be no shortage of entertaining matches on Day 1 of the tournament, and we here at LWOT have every match covered in our daily predictions, including Mackenzie McDonald vs Brandon Holt. Who will advance?
ATP Winston-Salem Day 1 Predictions
David Goffin vs Pedro Martinez
Head-to-head: first meeting
While Goffin may be past his peak, he’s still capable of producing the odd deep run in a Tour-level tournament almost every season. The Belgian’s durability appears to be his biggest hurdle these days, and Martinez will look to wear him down. The Spaniard produced some solid tennis in beating Nicolas Jarry in Cincinnati, but his lack of wins on hard courts means Goffin might have enough to take this.
Prediction: Goffin in 3
Arthur Rinderknech vs Hamad Medjedovic
Head-to-head: first meeting
It took Arthur Rinderknech three tries before he scored his first win in Winston-Salem last season. While Hamad Medjedovic has never played in this tournament before, he’ll look to carry his momentum from Cincinnati, where he produced a spirited performance in a tight straight-sets defeat to Carlos Alcaraz. Rinderknech has steady hands, but it doesn’t always feel like he dictates matches. Medjedovic can take the initiative, and he has the higher upside between them.
Prediction: Medjedovic in 3
Chun Hsin Tseng vs Yunchaokete Bu
Head-to-head: first meeting
Bu won 40 matches on hard courts last year in a breakout season. He has a meagre six match wins on the same surface this year, although he has significantly cut down his participation in Challenger-level tournaments. Tseng’s struggles are also evident with five wins from 12 matches on hard courts. Bu is the reliable player who can physically overmatch and overpower Tseng on a quick court.
Prediction: Bu in 2
Yoshihito Nishioka vs Pablo Carreno Busta
Head-to-head: Carreno Busta 1-0 Nishioka
This is a tricky one to pick a winner given where both players are at right now, but Carreno Busta has a tremendous track record in Winston-Salem. He’s a former champion and even during an injury-hit 2024 season, he stormed to the semifinals before retiring against Alex Michelsen. Nishioka has an equally messy injury record and has six documented retirements this season. Their tennis demands a lot out of them physically. The first set is crucial as it could dictate the outcome, and Carreno Busta’s record in this tournament gives him a significant edge.
Prediction: Carreno Busta in 2
Main Photo Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
