The action will heat up Tuesday at the 2026 Citi Open, and there are 10 matches on the order of play in the ATP 500 men’s draw in Washington, D.C. LWOT has all the predictions for the first week of the North American hard court swing, with this set of predictions featuring Alex de Minaur.
ATP Washington Day 2 Predictions
Alex Michelsen vs Mackenzie McDonald
Head-to-head: Michelsen 1-0
A lucky loser in the draw, McDonald is 31 and has an 8-8 record at this tournament–his big moment in the United States capital was an appearance in the 2021 final, where he lost to Jannik Sinner. Michelsen, on Sunday, hoisted an ATP Challenger Tour trophy in Michigan, so it’ll be a tough turnaround for the rising American. Still, Michelsen has the bigger upside between the two, and he hits his backhand flawlessly. McDonald had a puzzling loss to Trevor Svadja in qualifying, ranked outside the Top 400, and this could be too big a challenge for the veteran.
Prediction: Michelsen in 3
Trevor Svadja vs Jakub Mensik
Head-to-head: First meeting
Mensik is 24-14 on Tour in 2026, as these upcoming hard court tournaments will mark a big opportunity for the Czech star to rise the rankings. Svadja is yet to win an ATP Tour main-draw match, but the 20-year-old is coming off an ITF title earlier in July. Svadja will have the home crowd behind him, but Mensik should be too solid.
Prediction: Mensik in 2
Alex De Minaur vs Stefanos Tsitsipas
Head-to-head: Tsitsipas 12-1
All eyes will be on this primetime matchup Tuesday in Washington, with Tsitsipas dominating the head-to-head against the No. 1 seed. De Minaur is the defending champion at this tournament, while Tsitsipas is on a winning run; he claimed his first ATP title in over a year at the ATP Gstaad event.
Tsitsipas has largely used his power to outhit De Minaur in their past matches, and even in the Greek’s inconsistent 2026, he managed to defeat De Minaur in straight sets at the Miami ATP 1000 tournament. With momentum on Tsitsipas’ side and pressure on de Minaur to defend a title, I’m picking the upset. Tsitsipas will win this match if he can control the points with his forehand, but de Minaur will fancy his chances if he can return well, aiming for the Greek’s backhand.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 3
Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
