The US Open got off to a fantastic start on Monday, and the order of play is unbelievable!
Of Monday's matchups, I felt two were worthwhile: Frech vs Minnen and Maria vs Sierra.
Read on for our predictions for the U.S. Open on Monday, August 26th.
Note: Match times are subject to change. For tips on watching tennis matches and finding tennis odds, click here.
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Magdalena Fletch (-156) vs Griet Minnen (+130)
12:30pm ET
Despite losing in three sets to Emma Navarro in the Monterrey (hard) quarterfinals, Magdalena Fletch is 19-12 on hard courts this year and 6-3 this summer. Fletch's career record on hard courts is 192-141.
Fletch is an intelligent and agile player who is consistent from the baseline. The Pole has great depth in his groundstrokes and is able to spread the court wide to deliver the ball to a precise target. Fletch excels at hitting the ball on angles and keeping the ball out of the strike zone.
Additionally, the 26-year-old is able to absorb pace effectively and counterpunch as well as neutralize points, making Fletch difficult to get past during baseline exchanges.
Griet Minnen lost to Ana Bogdan in the round of 16 in Cleveland (hard court) and her hard court record dropped to 13-15 in 2024. In the summer hard court season in particular, the Belgian is 5-4 and has a professional record of 206-117 on this surface.
Minen plays an aggressive style and looks to get the first point, being very targeted with his serves and adding pace with his groundstrokes, especially his forehand. The 27-year-old is not afraid to come forward and try to cut time off his opponents.
But Minnen's backhand is a weak spot, and the Belgian sometimes gets frustrated on court, unable to endure rallies and overhitting from the ground.
This is a good matchup for Fletch. She has the defensive skills to blunt Minnen's attacks. Plus, the Pole has the tennis IQ and groundstroke placement to target Minnen's backhand, the weakest shot on the court.
Fleisch's ability to spread the court and keep the ball out of the opponent's strike zone should frustrate Minnen, and the Belgian will likely lose patience and take shots at the wrong ball.
As the match progresses, the Belgian makes more unforced errors and we can expect Frek to tire Minnen out in this match.
Pick: Frech -2.5 games (-110 via FanDuel)
Tatiana Maria (-125) vs Solana Sierra (+104)
1pm ET
Tatjana Maria comes into the U.S. Open with a record of just 10-12 on hard courts this season, after going just 3-3 during the summer hard court season. Overall, since reaching the Surbiton final in June, the German has won just four of her last 14 matches across all three surfaces.
There's a reason Maria has a solid professional record on hard courts: 339-281. At her best, she was targeted with her serve, commanding with her forehand, sharp with her backhand slice and versatile. But while the (declined) form remains, at 37, she's a far cry from her former self.
Maria's movement is not as good as it used to be, her ability to hit targets is declining, her rally resistance is declining — and that doesn't take into account that a warm, muggy day in Flushing Meadows could exacerbate these issues.
Solana Sierra has qualified for the U.S. Open, improving her hard court record to 11-7 in 2024. Sierra has compiled an impressive 35-14 record on hard courts over the course of her career, but most of that has come at the lower levels of the sport.
Sierra has adapted well to hard courts. She is quick, has a high tennis IQ, is very consistent from the baseline and maintains consistent depth with her groundstrokes. The Argentine does not have overwhelming power, but she can hit with speed when the opportunity arises, especially off the forehand wing.
The 20-year-old is physically fit and capable of playing long matches, having worn down Usue Maitane Arconada in the final qualifying round.
This is a matchup between two players who are going in opposite directions. Sierra is the better conditioned of the two and has played three matches locally so should be pretty accustomed to the heat and humidity of New York City, especially the court conditions.
Sierra also has the rally resistance to tire an aging Maria from the baseline, and the speed and tennis IQ to track and neutralize her versatility.
Pick: Sierra ML (+104, via FanDuel)
About the Author
David Gertler is the Action Network's Women's Tennis Contributor, writing about WTA matches around the world. He is a longtime tennis writer and previously contributed to All About Tennis Blog, Last Word on Tennis and Cracked Racquets. He joined Action in 2022.
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