Canadian Open 2026: Nicolas Mejia vs Lorenzo Musetti Preview
The Canadian Open rolls on with one of the cleaner matchups of the early rounds on Wednesday. Montreal’s hard courts are producing exactly the kind of results you’d expect from a Masters 1000 field stacked with clay-to-hard transition players navigating a demanding surface. Jannik Sinner defended his title last year, and the bar for quality here is set high. The question in this match is how far Mejia’s ceiling stretches against a top-15 opponent who carries genuine title credentials.
Nicolas Mejia
Mejia is a Colombian qualifier-level grinder who has carved his career out of clay courts and South American Challengers. He competes with relentless effort and works the baseline well enough to trouble mid-tier opponents, but hard courts represent a step into unfamiliar territory. His game lacks the pace and first-strike ability that dominates at Masters 1000 level on a fast surface. He gets opportunities through hustle and consistency, not by dictating points. At 7/1, the market is correctly framing him as a significant underdog, and that’s not a mispricing.
Lorenzo Musetti
Lorenzo Musetti arrives in Montreal ranked ATP #11 in the world with 3,115 ranking points. The Italian has matured considerably over the past 18 months, converting from a flashy clay-court prodigy into a genuinely complete player capable of competing deep in hard-court Masters events. His one-handed backhand and creative shotmaking give him options that most players his age don’t have, and his movement has improved enough that he no longer looks out of place on fast surfaces. At 11, his ranking reflects earned consistency, not a hot streak. He belongs at this level.
His game carries some volatility. The all-court flair that makes him dangerous can also produce loose errors under pressure, and there are days when his level dips in ways a top-5 player’s wouldn’t. But against Mejia, the gap in class and surface comfort is wide enough that those tendencies are unlikely to be tested in a meaningful way.
Head-to-Head
This is a first-time meeting between the two players. There is no historical H2H to draw from, which removes one variable from the equation. What that means in practice is the analysis falls squarely on the rankings gap and surface dynamics, both of which point firmly in Musetti’s direction.
Surface and Conditions
Montreal hard courts tend to play at a medium-fast pace. That suits players who can generate clean winners off both wings, and Musetti’s ball-striking is absolutely capable of that. For Mejia, the surface offers less margin. His clay-court strengths, namely heavy topspin and high-bounce defense, lose some bite when the ball skids through faster. He will have to earn every game the hard way, and Musetti has more than enough tools to make that a miserable task.
Betting Angles
Musetti is priced at 13/100, which translates to an implied probability of roughly 88.5%. That is steep, but it is not indefensible for a top-15 player against a Challenger-level opponent on hard courts. The question bettors need to ask is whether 88.5% accurately reflects the actual win probability. Given the ranking gap, surface mismatch, and no H2H history to complicate things, the answer is probably yes, and possibly conservative.
Mejia at 7/1 is a flyer price that would require either a Musetti retirement, an injury scare, or a level of sustained excellence Mejia has not shown at this stage of a hard-court Masters. None of those scenarios are worth backing speculatively at that price without a specific trigger.
The smarter angle, if you want to play this match, is to look at game handicaps or set betting markets where Musetti -4.5 games or a 2-0 victory at a stretched price offers better returns than laying the flat 13/100. A straight Musetti win is the correct call, but the value delivery mechanism matters when the odds are this short.
- Musetti flat: 13/100 (implied 88.5% win probability)
- Mejia upset: 7/1 (no credible data to support backing this)
- Better value route: set betting or game handicap markets on Musetti
Our Pick
This is a straightforward professional dispatching an outgunned opponent on a surface that doesn’t suit the underdog. Musetti wins, and he should win without serious alarm. The flat price is short but accurate. If your book offers Musetti -4.5 games or -1.5 sets with a handicap, that’s the sharper play. Otherwise, the flat win is still the correct position.
Odds: 13/100
Musetti is a top-15 player on a hard court facing a Challenger-level grinder with no H2H history to complicate the read. The price is short, but it reflects reality. Back the favourite, and look for set betting or game handicap markets to extract better value from what should be a comfortable Musetti victory.
🎁 LiveScore Bet Offer
Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets
Claim Offer at LiveScore Bet →New customers only. Opt in & bet £10 (odds 2.00+) within 3 days of sign up. Get £20 free sportsbook bet + £10 Bet Builder free bet. 14 days to use. Stake not returned. T&Cs apply. 18+ BeGambleAware.org
Like This? Get More Picks Free
Weekly free bets, odds picks and betting guides — straight to your inbox.