Tennis betting tips: Preview and best bets for ATP Tour action at Eastbourne and Mallorca

Tennis betting tips: ATP Tour

1pt e.w. Raphael Collignon in the Lexus Eastbourne Open at 18/1 (Sky Bet, Paddy Power, Betfair)

1pt e.w. Ugo Humbert in the Lexus Eastbourne Open at 14/1 (Betfred, William Hill)

0.5pt e.w. Miomir Kecmanovic in the Vanda Pharmaceuticals Mallorca Championships at 40/1 (General)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook | Free bets

Lexus Eastbourne Open

• Eastbourne, England (outdoor grass)

Taylor Fritz has dominated this event in recent years, winning on four of his last five visits.

I remember putting him up here last season for a winner but I won’t be doing so again in 2026.

For a start, he’s only 2/1 this time, as opposed to 7/2, but, more importantly, Fritz has played a lot of tennis in the past two weeks, reaching the final in both Stuttgart and Halle, and I’m not convinced he’ll make the start line here.

The American has had real issues with knee tendinitis and you have to question whether three solid weeks of tennis heading into Wimbledon is really the best preparation.

Fritz enjoyed a terrific grasscourt season 12 months ago, which culminated in a semi-final in SW19 but, even then, an early exit at Queen’s had at least given him a breather.

It hasn’t been easy either this past fortnight. At time of writing (ahead of the Halle final), five of his seven grasscourt contests have gone to a deciding set.

It’s not hard to see a withdrawal or a half-hearted effort if he does turn up.

I’m also unconvinced that Francisco Cerundolo will be here.

The third seed is, like Fritz, a former Eastbourne champion but having reached the final at Queen’s Club, another deep week just before a major doesn’t seem that likely.

I’d much prefer to look elsewhere and will do so be taking one in the top half – in which both Fritz and Cerundolo currently reside – and one in the bottom section of the draw.

Up at the top, I’m going to side with a player I’ve mentioned on plenty of occasions over the past 12 months on these pages and that’s RAPHAEL COLLIGNON.

That’s mostly been in relation to match bets but this week could well be the one in which the rising star reaches his first ATP Tour final.

The Belgian has been something of a late bloomer and so, despite being 24, he remains fairly inexperienced on grass.

However, he enjoyed a good week in Halle where he qualified and then reached the quarter-finals, only losing to top seed Alex Zverev in two tie-breaks.

He served great at the German event and only lost serve twice in his five matches. A repeat would make him very dangerous here.

Collignon came to the fore with a series of high-profile wins in the second half of 2025 but consistency has been his recent trend – he arrives here having won 16 of his last 20 matches at all levels.

He’ll open against Juan Manuel Cerundolo with the winner facing another Argentine, Roman Andres Burruchaga, or wild card Arthur Fery. Then could come the other Cerundolo brother and Fritz, although as already explained I’m doubtful about either actually being in the draw come that stage.

Let’s try Collignon at 18/1.

The bottom half see the return of Jack Draper after his latest two-month injury lay-off.

He’s now working with one of the bets grasscourt players of the past 20 years, Andy Murray, and clearly has the ability to contend here.

That said, it’s hard to see him being match sharp given he’s played so little tennis – his recent absence is only one of many and he’s actually played just 12 matches in the past 12 months.

Draper is also on record saying he’s yet to get to grips with the grass (I remember having a big winner when Marin Cilic beat him at Wimbledon last year).

All things considered, I can’t have him as the third favourite this week.

I’m also happy to swerve the second favourite, Joao Fonseca, who is just 5-8 lifetime on grass.

Instead, I’m going to take a bit of a risk and back UGO HUMBERT.

He’s a player who’s let me down a lot in the past but he remains a big threat on the faster surfaces, as he showed again when making the semis at Queen’s Club last week.

The Frenchman was also a semi-finalist here 12 months ago so should be happy with these courts.

An important factor in weeks such as these is a proven track record of giving 100 per cent in the week before a Grand Slam and Humbert also ticks that box.

He made the final in Adelaide the week before this year’s Australian Open, while one of his seven ATP titles came in Auckland in the same week in the calendar back in 2020.

Humbert has been something of a streaky player in his career, with plenty of peaks and troughs, but right now he looks in decent nick and is playing in conditions conducive to his attacking game.

His first-serve points won numbers have been impressive over the past two weeks on the grass, with his second deal also holding up well against everyone bar Tommy Paul.

There aren’t many in Paul’s class in this field though and I think an each-way bet on Humbert at 14/1 is worth taking.

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Mallorca Championships

• Santa Ponsa, Mallorca, Spain (outdoor grass)

The grasscourts of Mallorca will be sun baked once again this year with temperatures expected to remain around 33C all week.

The courts are usually firmer than their counterparts at the tour venues further north, with the ball kicking up a bit more.

That probably explains why the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alejandro Tabilo have won here but nowhere else on grass.

So, we’re not necessarily looking for someone with grasscourt pedigree but someone with a record of performing in a pre-Slam week would be good, not to mention a player fully motivated.

It’s hard to see someone like third seed Frances Tiafoe putting in 100 per cent effort this week given his just won in Halle. Two full weeks of tennis – one in sweltering temperatures – doesn’t look a good idea for a player who will now fancy his chances of a deep run at Wimbledon.

I think it’s worth chancing an outsider and so I’m going to try a punt on 40/1 outsider MIOMIR KECMANOVIC.

The Serb hasn’t enjoyed the best of seasons so far but he did win on the Challenger Tour last month to boost his form and I’m sure he’ll be given his all this week in a bid to continue in that groove.

Possessing a decent first serve, he’s done OK on grass in the past, picking up a few wins at Wimbledon where he’s been unlucky to run into Novak Djokovic (twice) and Jannik Sinner in the last four years.

What’s interesting is that Kecmanovic has made the final in this week of the season before – when this pre-Wimbledon stop was in Antalya, Turkey.

That’s another venue were the temperatures can be pretty brutal and so he may well adapt well to Mallorca.

The key for him could be winning his first-round match as he’s got a tricky one against compatriot Hamad Medjedovic, who was serving well at Queen’s Club last week, going unbroken in his two matches.

However, conditions here will be quite different, while he’s also going up against a player who will know his game pretty well – these two are Davis Cup team-mates and will have practised together on many occasions.

Victory in that one could open up a decent path through the draw with Lorenzo Sonego, a player who has won only three of his last 11 matches, to follow and then perhaps former champion Tabilo, who was thrashed in his first match at Queen’s last week.

It’s definitely a long shot but in what looks a very open draw, Kecmanovic looks worth a small punt.

Posted at 15:20 BST on 21/06/26

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling.

Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.