The ATP Washington tournament continues with first-round play on Tuesday. This is the run-up to Canada and the heart of the summer North American hardcourt season, culminating with the U.S. Open at the end of August and the start of September. ATP Washington is a 500-point event, giving players incentive to not only get match play to readjust to hardcourts after several months on European clay or British grass, but to pick up points and better position themselves for the stretch run of the 2026 season. One big upset occurred on Monday in the first round. Local favorite Frances Tiafoe, who grew up in nearby Maryland, was bounced from the tournament by Terence Atmane. ATP players need to be on upset alert for Tuesday and beyond. LWOS has our best bets for three matches. Post your best bets and thoughts in the comments.
ATP Washington
Martin Damm – Ben Shelton: 14:30 EST
H2H: 0-0
Ben Shelton, who lost in the first round of Wimbledon and has been having a very difficult 2026 ATP season since his title at Munich several months ago, hits the North American hardcourts. ATP Washington offers a moment when Shelton can salvage his 2026 season. If he can start the summer hardcourt season with a title, that could completely reshape his outlook for Canada, Cincinnati, and the U.S. Open. Shelton has underperformed but still has the talent to do something special. Maybe Washington can kick-start his year and change the way he will think about 2026 when we get to December and the offseason.
Best Bet to Make
Welcome to our best bet section. You’re going to get a collection of bets to consider, also a confidence level which should guide how much you should invest in this match.
Parlay/hedge options: Shelton moneyline at 1.38 at @1xbet, Damm +3.5 games at 1.50 at @betsson
Confidence level on a scale of 1-10: 1 – You should not bet on this match.
We keep assigning low confidence levels for bettors because players are returning to action from Wimbledon. There’s rust in some cases, fatigue in others, and you just don’t know what you’re getting from various players. Consider Frances Tiafoe crashing out of what is essentially his home tournament in the first round. This is the start of a new swing (summer hardcourts) after the tour played on other surfaces. That transition makes it hard to trust just about anything right now. Better to sit back, take notes, and wait for better opportunities later. If you must bet, go with Shelton in straight sets.
That being said, betting on Shelton winning 2:0 is the best bet you can make.
Value bet/ the best odds: Shelton winning 2:0 at 2.10 @unibet
Trevor Svajda – Jakub Mensik: 15:30 EST
H2H: 0-0
This is Trevor Svajda, not Zach Svajda (who lost in the first round of ATP Washington on Monday). Trevor Svajda is ranked a lot lower than Zach, outside the top 400. Bettors need to be very clear about which Svajda they are betting on here.
Jakub Mensik did not have a good Wimbledon, but he did make the semifinals of Roland-Garros and took a clear step forward in his career. Now he moves to summer hardcourts, trying to build back his game for a run at the U.S. Open. This week could be a positive building block if he is able to make a deep run.
Best Bet to Make
Parlay/hedge options: Mensik moneyline at 1.27 at @1xbet, Zvajda +4.5 games at 1.65 at @interwetten
Confidence level on a scale of 1-10: 5 – You shouldn’t bet more than half a unit on this match but could consider two-thirds of a unit if you feel strongly about it.
We’re hesitant to bet big on matches in which players are returning to action after a post-Wimbledon break, but Mensik versus Trevor Svajda seems to be a mismatch on paper, the kind of match which will produce a straight-set win for a good return on investment. Don’t bet the farm, but you can bet something on Mensik getting the job done.
That being said, betting on Mensik winning 2:0 is the best bet you can make
Value bet/ the best odds: Mensik winning 2:0 @1.83 @coral
Alex De Minaur – Stefanos Tsitsipas: 18:00 EST
H2H: 2-14
The 14-2 head-to-head tally is the first thing tennis bettors will notice when sizing up Stefanos Tsitsipas versus Alex De Minaur. It’s one of the most lopsided head-to-heads on the ATP Tour not involving Novak Djokovic. However, one thing worth pointing out is that only one of the 16 matches occurred after 2024, and Tsitsipas is a noticeably worse player now than he was in 2024. Tsitsipas did win a 250-point title at ATP Gstaad earlier this summer, but is that enough to think he will beat De Minaur again? This is a really interesting match.
Best Bet to Make
Parlay/hedge options: Tsitsipas +1.5 sets at 1.48 at @unibet
Confidence level on a scale of 1-10: 4 – You should not bet more than half a unit on this match.
The fact that most of Tsitsipas’s wins over De Minaur came more than two years ago, when Tsitsipas was in the sweet spot of his career, seems like the relevant detail in this case. Tsitsipas isn’t the same player. De Minaur has had a horrible year, but he did just get married to WTA tennis player Katie Boulter. He has had a summer honeymoon and a chance to not only take time away from the tour, but enjoy his life a little and refocus. We think De Minaur will be mentally refreshed and ready to put in a good performance. Don’t bet a ton of money on it, but a small bet is certainly reasonable.
That being said, betting on De Minaur moneyline is the best bet you can make.
Value bet/ the best odds: De Minaur moneyline @1.75 @betfair
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
