Frances Tiafoe of the United States celebrates during a men's singles match against Terence Atmane of France on day one of the Mubadala Citi DC Open 2026 at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Washington, DC, on Monday, July 27, 2026. (2026 Getty Images) Getty Images See more of our coverage in your search results.
Add The New York Post on Google Frances Tiafoe is just a few weeks removed from winning the title at ATP Halle, but the American is still searching for his first breakthrough in a “big” event.
Of Tiafoe’s four career titles, three were 250-level events, and one was a 500, so we’re still waiting for the Maryland native to find his defining moment.
The conditions at the Canadian Masters should suit Tiafoe, and the 28-year-old could hardly have asked for a better draw this week.
Tiafoe is a -196 favorite to get by the ageless Marin Cilic on Tuesday night.
A former US Open winner, Cilic is a one-note player at this stage of his career. His serve remains an elite weapon, and he can win matches by leaning into it, but if the Croatian is even a little bit out of sync, he’s in big trouble.
Cilic was able to overpower Sho Shimabukuro in the first round, but that win ended a three-match losing streak and was just his fifth since the beginning of April. The 37-year-old has had an especially tough time against top-20 opponents recently, as he’s 0-10 against them in the last calendar year.
Tiafoe, currently the World No. 20, comes into this match on the heels of a disappointing loss to Terence Atmane in his hometown event at ATP Washington, but he shouldn’t have much of an issue with Cilic.
Marin Cilic of Croatia plays a forehand against Sho Shimabukuro of Japan. Getty Images Not only does Tiafoe boast better first-serve numbers than Cilic this season, but he brings a much more diverse arsenal to the court than the underdog in this tilt. Tiafoe’s power may be his calling card, but he’s a terrific shot-maker and has a relentless motor.
Tiafoe has quietly put together his best win rate (69 percent) in 2026, and I think we’ll see that number tick up with ease on Tuesday evening.
The Play: Tiafoe -1.5 sets (+130, FanDuel)
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
