This article is part of our Tennis Picks series.
The Canadian Open, also known as the National Bank Open, begins Monday, August 7. This ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 event kicks off a stretch of three major hard-court tournaments in North America. It will be immediately followed by the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati, then the US Open in New York later this month. The men and women swap locations at the Canadian Open annually, with the men set to play in Toronto in 2023 while the women play in Montreal.
Both the men and women will have 56-player draws, with the top eight seeds getting byes directly into the second round. All matches at the Canadian Open will be best-of-three sets, which is par for the course in the WTA game but different from the best-of-five format in men's Grand Slams.
Four-time Canadian Open champion Novak Djokovic won't be in the field this year, citing fatigue, and Rafael Nadal will remain sidelined for the remainder of 2023 by a hip injury. Other notable absences on the men's side include local favorite Denis Shapovalov (knee), Karen Khachanov (back), Nick Kyrgios (wrist), Marin Cilic (knee), Pablo Carreno Busta (elbow) and Jenson Brooksby (wrist). Reigning Canadian Open women's champion Simona Halep (suspension) won't have the chance to defend her title, and other key women who won't be in the draw include Ons Jabeur (knee), Barbora Krejcikova (ankle), Veronika Kudermetova (hip), Garbine Muguruza (personal) and Sofia Kenin (thigh).
Canadian Open title odds are up on major mobile sportsbooks such as DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook, BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbook, and you can also use those mobile betting apps to wager on individual matches. The title odds below are pulled from DraftKings Sportsbook. We offer exclusive sign-up bonuses for various sportsbooks, including DraftKings Sportsbook.
Canadian Open Picks: Men's Tournament
The Favorite
Carlos Alcaraz (+140) - Without Djokovic or Nadal in the draw, Alcaraz is the clear favorite here. The recently crowned Wimbledon champion holds the world No. 1 ranking and has a tremendous 47-4 record in 2023. He's a bargain at longer than even money odds to win the title.
In the Mix
Daniil Medvedev (+450) - Medvedev's a top-tier hard court player. He has a 29-3 record on the surface in 2023 and has played in the final of three of the last five hard-court Grand Slams, winning one. The No. 2 seed is favored to reach the final, but Medvedev will have a hard time winning this title if he faces Alcaraz in the championship match. Alcaraz has won all five sets the two have played against each other in 2023, with Medvedev winning no more than three games in any set.
Jannik Sinner (+1000) - Sinner's still searching for his first career Masters 1000 title, though he came tantalizingly close on the hard courts of Miami earlier this year, beating Alcaraz in the semifinals before losing to Medvedev in the final. His title odds here would likely be better if not for Sinner's difficult path, as the No. 7 seed would likely have to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alcaraz and Medvedev back-to-back to win this tournament.
Sleepers
Stefanos Tsitsipas (+1300) - Tsitsipas is coming off an impressive showing at the Los Cabos Open, where he posted straight-set wins over John Isner, Borna Coric and Alex de Minaur en route to the title. The 2023 Australian Open finalist is certainly among the best hard court players participating in the National Bank Open, though Tsitsipas will have to navigate a tough draw after his first-round bye. The second round could bring him a rematch with Christopher Eubanks, who upset Tsitsipas at Wimbledon, and the No. 4 seed could face a Sinner-Alcaraz-Medvedev gauntlet from the quarterfinals onward.
Holger Rune (+2200) - Rune already has a hard-court Masters 1000 title in his young career, and the world No. 6 has won 37 of 50 matches in 2023. He's been nursing a lower-back injury, but if Rune's healed, he could present one of the toughest obstacles to Alcaraz's title hopes here. The pair of 20-year-olds could meet in the quarterfinals here.
Christopher Eubanks (+10000) - Eubanks is playing the best tennis of his career at age 27, making him an enticing deep sleeper here. The American's big serve and aggressive playstyle helped him reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals, where he pushed Medvedev to five sets. While Eubanks' game appears best suited to grass, he's also posted some nice hard-court results in 2023, having reached the quarterfinals in Miami as a qualifier before losing to Medvedev. He's on the opposite side of the draw from Medvedev this time around, and Eubanks should have plenty of confidence for a potential second-round clash against Tsitsipas, whom Eubanks defeated at Wimbledon.
Fade
Alexander Zverev (+1600) - Zverev's odds are bolstered by being in the section with the weakest of the top four seeds in No. 3 Casper Ruud, but the German hasn't shown much on hard courts this year that suggests he's capable of contending for this title. He's just 8-9 on hard courts in 2023, and while Zverev's coming off a clay-court title in Hamburg, he won that event without facing a top-50 opponent. Zverev has also lost to Ruud the last two times they faced off, so he's far from guaranteed to advance should they meet in the Round of 16.
Canadian Open Picks: Women's Tournament
The Favorite
Iga Swiatek (+210) - Swiatek has the best title odds in the women's draw but is a clear underdog against the field. The world No. 1 has a tricky draw after her first-round bye. Former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova is a possible second-round opponent for Swiatek, followed by a possible rematch of the French Open final against Karolina Muchova, and then a potential rematch against Elina Svitolina, who defeated Swiatek at Wimbledon. Swiatek hasn't won any of the four biggest hard-court tournaments played so far in 2023 (Australian Open, Dubai, Indian Wells and Miami), but she's the reigning US Open champion.
In the Mix
Aryna Sabalenka (+380) - Sabalenka won the Australian Open on hard courts earlier this year and has made the semifinals at the other two Grand Slams in 2023. She's hot on Swiatek's heals in the race for world No. 1 and actually leads the year-to-date WTA rankings race. Sabalenka's 40-8 in 2022 and has a decent early draw, though she's in the same half of the draw as No. 3 seed Elena Rybakina.
Elena Rybakina (+450) - Rybakina's the third member of the big three in the women's game, who have separated themselves from the pack, especially on hard courts. She has reached the final of three of the four biggest hard-court events in 2023 and took home the title in Indian Wells. The only time Rybakina came short of the final was in Dubai, where she withdrew mid-tournament due to an injury. Potentially having to beat Sabalenka and Swiatek back-to-back to win this title is a daunting task, though Rybakina has had Swiatek's number this year with a 3-0 head-to-head edge in 2023.
Sleepers
Marketa Vondrousova (+2500) - Fresh off her Wimbledon title, Vondrousova's now firmly entrenched as a title contender in every tournament she enters. She's no slouch on hard courts, having reached the final of the Olympics on this surface in 2021. Seeded ninth here, Vondrousova's in the only quarter of the draw without a member of the big three. Her path to the semifinals involves a potential matchup with Coco Gauff in the Round of 16 followed by a quarterfinal showdown against either Jessica Pegula or Madison Keys.
Elina Svitolina (+3500) - Svitolina's back to being the top-five player she was before her pregnancy, even though her ranking is still playing catch-up, so she's unseeded here. The Ukrainian reached the quarterfinals of the French Open and the semis at Wimbledon. She'll have to get through Maria Sakkari and possible Beatriz Haddad Maia to set up a quarterfinal rematch with Swiatek, but Svitolina's certainly capable of navigating this difficult draw.
Caroline Wozniacki (+13000) - I'd be remiss not to mention Wozniacki here as she begins her comeback in her first WTA match since the 2020 Australian Open. The former world No. 1 will likely have some rust to shake off as she returns to the tour after spending a couple years in the commentary booth, but the 33-year-old Dane is an intriguing choice as far as deep sleepers go. A potential Wozniacki-Vondrousova clash in the second round would be a match to watch. In the same vein as Wozniacki, Jennifer Brady (+13000) is also a deep sleeper returning from a lengthy layoff, though the American's absence was injury-related. Last week's Citi Open appearance was the first tour-level tournament in nearly two years for Brady, who was the runner-up at the 2021 Australian Open.
Fade
Jessica Pegula (+1100) - Pegula has come close in plenty of big tournaments, but she just hasn't had what it takes to beat top players on the biggest stage. The fourth-ranked American is 0-6 in Grand Slam quarterfinals in her career. She's had similar struggles late in WTA 1000 events, though Pegula did win one such title at the Guadalajara Open last year.
Picks to Win the Canadian Open
This tournament is Alcaraz's to lose on the men's side, and it would be surprising if he didn't win the title. His title odds should be closer to -140 than +140. If Rune beats Alcaraz in the quarterfinals, that could give the Dane enough confidence to carry him the rest of the way through the draw. Should Alcaraz lose to somebody else, Medvedev will likely take advantage of having an easier matchup in the final and claim his seventh career Masters 1000 title.
Look for one of the big three to get it done on the women's side. Rybakina has been slightly more consistent than the other two on hard courts in 2023, so the big server makes for the best bet of the bunch, especially since she has longer odds than Swiatek or Sabalenka.
