As we enter the dog days of summer, Ohio sportsbooks are rightly turning their attention to the prospects of both the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns, two NFL teams that have high hopes when Week 1 kicks off in just over a month.
But before NFL betting takes center stage in Ohio, a longtime signature sporting event makes its return to Cincinnati this Saturday, with a star-heavy lineup that is sure to entertain the masses before local attention fully turns to the gridiron.
The Western & Southern Open has gained notoriety as the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city, and players like Daniil Medvedev, Rafael Nadal and recent Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic are expected to compete for the ATP Masters hardcourt title.
With the event beginning Aug.13, BetOhio.com looked at the ATP players with the best performances at the event over their career, including appearances, record and earnings.
There are no Ohio sports betting apps legally offering odds on the tournament, but this data should help bettors once the state goes live Jan. 1.
And remember, BetOhio will have the best Ohio sportsbook promo codes well ahead of next year's Western & Southern Open.
Most Earnings Per Tournament At Western & Southern Open
Daniil Medvedev Takes Money Title
Despite having only appeared in Cincinnati five times so far in his career, Medvedev has made his mark in a relatively short time at the Western & Southern.
The lanky Russian took the individual men's title in 2019 over Belgian David Goffin in straight sets, then made a worthy title defense in 2020 when he lost in the quarterfinals to the Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut.
Medvedev is knocking on the door to become a repeat champion in Cincinnati, as last year he made it back to the semifinals, only to lose to fellow Russian Andrey Rublev.
Despite only one title at the event, Medvedev tops our list of average earnings per appearance at the Western & Southern, averaging $307,123 per tournament over his five appearances.
Medvedev over the past weekend claimed his first title of the season at the Abierto de Tenis Mifel in Los Cabos, the 26-year-old’s first triumph since last year’s US Open.
That current form, along with his past performance, should make him the favorite at the Western & Southern Open at sportsbooks like BetMGM.
BetMGM Sportsbook Ohio is expected to be one of the top operators to launch Jan. 1.
The Heavy Hitters
While Medvedev leads the pack, he's far from the only player with a strong resume in Cincinnati.
Djokovic unsurprisingly has the second highest average earnings per appearance at the Western & Southern ($258,536 over 14 appearances), along with two titles to go with it (2018 and 2020). While the Wimbledon champion is listed on the entry list for this year's edition, he has yet to confirm whether he'll return to Ohio this summer.
The German Alexander Zverev has the third highest average earnings per appearance, averaging $188,941 over seven appearances. In a bummer for local tennis fans, Zverev next week will be unable to defend his 2021 title after his gruesome injury at the French Open.
Rounding out the top five average earners at the Western & Southern are the Russian Rublev ($178,481 over five appearances, and runner-up to Zverev last year) and Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov ($150,385 over 11 appearances, and the 2017 champion.)
Two so-called "victims" of recent prize money bumps over the years at the Western & Southern? Legends Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
Nadal, the 2013 champ, won the event when the total prize pool for the entire men's field was $3,079,555. By 2019, that number was up to $6,056,280. Nadal averages $93,560 in earnings over his 12 appearances.
Federer has even more of a grievance when it comes to compensation, as the 20-time Grand Slam champion failed to crack our top 10 in average earnings, despite having won the Western & Southern seven times (but none since 2015).
Methodology
How did we get here?
BetOhio.com utilized the website ATPTour.com to obtain the information regarding performances of each player in the Western & Southern Open over the course of their career, including appearances, record and earnings.
For fans interested in how to bet on sports in Ohio, check back here each week for updates ahead of the 2023 launch.
