Ladbrokes Daily US Open Tips & Predictions deliver expert analysis, match previews and up-to-date tennis betting odds, giving tennis fans trusted Wimbledon predictions throughout the tournament.
Read on for our 2026 US Open Day 3 preview and best bets!
Gutsy Aussie veteran Thanasi Kokkinakis is searching for a first-round upset at the US Open as he takes on 12th seed Rafael Jodar.
Ranked outside the top 400, big-serving Kokkinakis has never been beyond the third round of a major, but he has won eight of his last 10 first-round slam matches.
The injury-prone 30-year-old has had a limited build-up since his five-set loss to Alexander Bublik in the first round at Wimbledon. But his serve was as formidable as ever in a super-tight three-set loss to Nuno Borges at the Cincinnati Masters.
Jodar has exploded this season, winning a maiden ATP title on clay in Morocco and reaching the French Open quarters. The 19-year-old has displayed his hard-court chops recent with runs to the Washington Open final and the Canadian Masters semis.
This is Jodar’s US Open debut, but he already has a handy 7-3 grand slam record. Kokkinakis’ serve presents a significant challenge for the tyro, however, and should ensure it’s no blowout – even if Jodar does take it out in straight sets.
Prediction: BACK KOKKINAKIS TO COVER THE GAMES HANDICAP (+6.5) @ $2.25
Australian sixth seed Alex de Minaur is expected to make short work of grand slam debutant Andrea Guerreieri in the first round of the US Open.
Three of de Minaur’s seven grand slam quarterfinal appearances have come at Flushing Meadows, reaching the last eight here in 2020 and 2024-25.
He is 5-3 on this hard-court swing so far, suffering losses to Brandon Nakashima, Cameron Norrie and Arthur Fils.
World No.187 Guerrieri won his maiden Challenger title on clay in April. The 27-year-old reached a hard-court Challenger final in Poland in August.
While the jury remains out on de Minaur’s ability to go further than he has previously at a grand slam, he hasn’t lost in the first round of a hard-court major since the 2021 US Open (when he had the misfortune to be drawn against Taylor Fritz) and should have no problems here.
Prediction: BACK UNDER 29.5 TOTAL GAMES @ $1.73
Flying the Australian flag at the US Open, Daria Kasatkina renews her rivalry with fellow former top-10 star Paula Badosa in the first round.
Kasatkina leads the head-to-head 4-3, having won their last two encounters – at the 2024 Ningbo Open and the 2025 French Open. Badosa won their only other grand slam clash (Wimbledon 2024). Kasatkina has won four of their five hard-court matches.
World No.61 Kasatkina reached the third round at the French Open and Wimbledon earlier this year but is 1-3 in main draw matches on the North American swing so far. She reached the Round of 16 here in 2017 and 2023.
Currently ranked 87th, Badosa was a US Open quarterfinalist in 2024. She won the Nordea Open and reached the Iasi Open final and the Hamburg Open quarters in a fruitful July. But the injury-prone Spaniard has not been sighted in the past five weeks.
Against a potentially underdone opponent who she has a good record against, Kasatkina – who has lost in the first round just once in the past 14 grand slams – shapes as the value pick in this one.
Prediction: BACK KASATKINA TO WIN @ $2.10
American dark horse and 14th seed Iva Jovic faces a tricky first-up assignment at the US Open in the form of world No.41 Magdalena Frech.
Eighteen-year-old phenom Jovic reached the Australian Open quarters and Wimbledon’s Round of 16 earlier this season. She lost in the second round of the past two US Opens – albeit to seeded opponents both times.
Jovic had a stunted build-up to this tournament, going 2-2 and losing to Alina Korneeva at the Canadian Masters and Marie Bouzkova in Cincinnati.
Frech reached the third round here for the first time in 2025, while her best slam result was a Round of 16 appearance at the 2024 Australian Open.
It’s been a modest 17-21 season for the Polish 28-year-old, but she beat Jelena Ostapenko and was competitive in a loss to Elena Rybakina at the Cincinnati Masters.
There will be fair bit of expectation on Jovic’s shoulders at her home slam. She has handled the big stage well in 2026, though, and a victory in two close sets appears likely.
Prediction: BACK JOVIC TO WIN 2-0 @ $1.73