An outdoor hard court tournament as part of the ATP Tour 500 series, the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championship takes place at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo from October 3 to 9. It is the 47th edition of the tournament and first since 2019.

The field for the tournament took a hit with several players, including Jenson Brooksby and Cameron Norrie, opting to withdraw at the last minute. Still, it has four top-20 players (Casper Ruud, Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, and Nick Kyrgios) as well as several other high-profile players. Let’s take a closer look at the upcoming  Japan Open tournament so you can bet against the ATP Odds.

Tennis Betting Preview for the ATP 500: 2022 Rakuten Japan Open Championship

Opening Outright Betting Odds

• Nick Kyrgios +400
• Taylor Fritz +450
• Casper Ruud +600
• Frances Tiafoe +600
• Alex de Minaur +1100

Ruud and Tiafoe Looking to Build on US Open Momentum

Ruud, 23, is now the world No. 3 after losing in the quarter-finals to Yoshihito Nishioka last week in Seoul, South Korea. He was ranked No. 2 after the US Open, where he reached the final before falling to Carlos Alcaraz. 

Ruud opens the Japan Open with what should be a relatively easy match against Spain’s Jaume Munar, but could face Alex de Minaur in the quarter-finals, so it’s not exactly an easy path to the semis. The Australian is 1-0 against Ruud, with their only match occurring at the 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals in Italy.

Tiafoe, meanwhile, played the tournament of his life in New York, reaching the semifinals before dropping a five-set thriller against Alcaraz. He’s a career-best No. 19 in the ATP Rankings and is hoping to build upon that in Japan. He opened his tournament early Monday morning with a straight-set win over qualifier Yasutaka Uchiyama. 

Shapovalov Returning to Form

It has mostly been a tough season for 23-year-old Canadian Denis Shapovalov. Once considered a breakthrough talent with the possibility of winning Grand Slams, he has just one career ATP Tour title and has yet to win this year. He’s 24-20, but has performed well since the US Open.

Shapovalov lost to Andrey Rublev in a five-set tiebreaker in the third round at the US Open, but showed signs he was returning to the form he displayed a couple of years ago. He continued his improved play in Korea, where he reached the finals of the Korea Open before losing to Yoshihito Nishioka. 

Shapovalov is due to face American Steve Johnson in the Round of 32 Tuesday morning and could be a sleeper pick to win in Japan.

Early Round Betting Pick

Soonwoo Kwon (+300) takes on Alex de Minaur (-400) tonight (tomorrow morning in Japan) in one of the last first-round matches. Kwon recently defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Davis Cup but doesn’t have any other notable victories this season. Stick with the favorite de Minaur, who has one title and a 40-20 record this season. Expect the Australian to finish it in two sets.

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