Tennis Tips Today – Today’s Matches on August 2
The ATP calendar is picking up the pace again! My tennis tips for today cover the most interesting main-draw matches at the Canadian Open in Montreal, before the US Open gets underway shortly.
Bookmakers offering cash-out have once again adjusted their odds overnight for the first-round matches in Montreal. In total, I’ve picked out six of them—including the match featuring Jan-Lennard Struff, who recently made a sensational run at Wimbledon.
Today’s tennis tips – August 2, 2026: Montreal preview
The Canadian Open is divided into two tournaments. The men are competing in the ATP tournament in Montreal, while the women are playing the WTA version of this competition in Vancouver.
The spotlight is on all the big names who will also be competing at the US Open in a few weeks. However, I think some of them might be in for a surprising first-round exit—more on that in a moment!
Montreal Picks for Today, August 2: Berrettini – Navone (6:30 p.m.)
This matchup has a pretty intense history. The two faced off as recently as April in Cagliari on clay—and there, Berrettini soundly defeated the Argentine in straight sets.
Navone literally struggled to cope with the Italian’s thunderous serves and simply couldn’t find a way through his game.
Of course, that’s exactly what Navone has in the back of his mind now. If Berrettini unleashes his whipping forehand again in Montreal and sets the pace, the Argentine will have to work extremely hard deep behind the baseline.
Although the Italian hasn’t played in a tournament since Wimbledon due to minor injuries, Navone has suffered several avoidable losses during that time against opponents ranked lower in the world—for example, in Kitzbühel and Bastad.
On the faster surface, Berrettini ultimately has the clear advantage and the psychological edge from their last meeting.
My pick: Berrettini’s powerful forehand will decide the match!
Montreal Picks Today, August 3: Baez – Bellucci (4:00 p.m.)
Baez is a natural ground-stroke specialist. The Argentine has incredible physicality, never gives up on a ball, and wears down his opponents with endlessly long rallies and extreme spin.
On the fast U.S. hard courts, however, he occasionally struggles against true power players, simply lacking the punch to break through.
That’s exactly where Bellucci plans to strike. The young Italian plays an extremely bold, aggressive left-handed game. With his whipping forehand and plenty of spin, he creates changes in direction designed to lure Baez out of his comfort zone.
In short: If Bellucci maintains a high first-serve percentage, he has a good chance of making the South American work incredibly hard.
My tip: Bellucci could prove to be a stumbling block!
Montreal Picks Today, Aug. 3: JM Cerundolo – Medjedovic (4:00 p.m.)
The younger Cerundolo brother, Juan Manuel, is challenging Hamad Medjedovic to a rematch, while his brother Francisco is surely still fuming over his recent quarterfinal exit in Los Cabos!
The two already went head-to-head on clay at Roland Garros 2025—back then, Medjedovic narrowly prevailed after a grueling four-set battle.
But on the fast hard courts in Canada, the dynamics shift dramatically once again: Medjedovic can fully unleash his thunderous serves and forehand bombs, while JM Cerundolo, as a tenacious left-handed defender, will have to work extremely hard.
If the Argentine doesn’t immediately disrupt the Serb’s rhythm with his venomous spin slices, Medjedovic will simply steamroll right over him. The court surface plays right into the hands of the Serbian’s power tennis anyway.
Especially since Medjedovic already advanced to the round of 16 in his last hard-court tournament this spring in Rotterdam, where he then lost narrowly to Auger-Aliassime.
My pick: Medjedovic’s serve will dictate the match!
Montreal Picks Today, Aug. 3: Carreno Busta – Royer (4:00 p.m.)
After his injury struggles, the Spaniard is rebuilding his game around extremely precise transition play and ironclad discipline at the baseline. He distributes the ball so cleverly that his opponent is constantly under pressure, without Carreno Busta having to take excessive risks.
Valentin Royer, on the other hand, represents the new wave. The Frenchman brings a lot of momentum from the Challenger events, boldly pushes forward, and fully relies on his offensive potential.
On faster courts, Royer can be extremely dangerous with his power, but in tight situations, he still tends to lose his composure when his opponent stoically returns the shots.
That’s exactly where the crux lies: If Carreno Busta entangles the Frenchman in long rallies, Royer will quickly fall into the patience trap and start overhitting. The Spaniard’s shrewd game management should prevail here.
My pick: Carreno Busta is a cut above when it comes to rallies!
Montreal Picks Today, August 3: Michelsen – Struff (4:00 p.m.)
For Struff, this is a rematch with a history: In April, Michelsen literally swept the Warsteiner off the court in Madrid, 6-2, 6-1.
At 21 years old, Michelsen brings the perfect mix of cool passing shots and ice-cold returns—exactly the kind of threat that completely derails Struff’s “serve-and-volley” style.
Add to that his current form: While Struff has recently struggled on clay, Michelsen just forced top-10 player Taylor Fritz to a third-set tiebreak in Washington.
On the fast hard court, however, Struff will again earn more free points with his serve, and at Wimbledon, I was already very impressed by his unyielding determination! With a generous odds of around 3.30, I’d therefore rather back the German here!
My pick: Struff will rise to the occasion!
Montreal Picks Today, August 3: Merida – Draxl (4:00 p.m.)
Merida arrives with plenty of momentum: After his ATP title in Umag and a strong run at the Challenger level, the 21-year-old has crept his way into the top 60.
His game thrives on a clean, extremely spin-heavy forehand, which he uses to dictate the pace and wear down opponents at the baseline.
Draxl, on the other hand, is the classic U.S. college workhorse who never gives up on a ball. He brings tremendous physicality and footwork to the court, covers vast distances defensively, and tries to stay in the match through grueling rallies.
On faster hard courts, however, the Canadian often comes up short against aggressive players once his opponent breaks his serve and closes in on the court.
Merida simply has the higher baseline level right now and the necessary firepower to consistently break through Draxl’s defensive wall.
My pick: Merida is riding a wave of momentum right now!
