<p>In a competition played on clay courts, the Argentinian has been unbeatable in the last two editions. And, with many of the world's best taking to the outdoor hard-courts of Qatar, he may feel his path is clear to win this event for a third time.</p> <p>Still, he'll have to overcome some big names. Lorenzo Musetti, Francisco Cerundolo, Luciano Darderi, Joao Fonseca, and Daniel Altmaier are just a handful of those set to play. Alexandre Muller will also be involved, whom Baez defeated in last year's final, 6-2, 6-3. He won his first title by defeating Mariano Navone 6-2, 6-1, with his fellow Argentine set to appear this year once again.</p> <h2>When Is the 2026 ATP 500 Rio?</h2> <p>The 2026 ATP 500 Rio event will take place between Monday, February 16 and Sunday, February 22, with times yet to be determined.</p> <h2>Where Is the 2026 ATP 500 Rio Held?</h2> <p>This event will be played on outdoor clay courts at Jockey Club Brasileiro. Understanding <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/misc/other-news/tennis-surfaces-clay--vs-grass--vs-hard-court-differences">tennis surfaces explained</a> can help punters appreciate why certain players thrive in Rio.</p> <h2>2026 ATP 500 Rio de Janeiro Prize Money?</h2> <p>A total of $2,469,450 (AU$3,488,737) is on offer at the 2026 ATP 500 Rio de Janeiro, making this a hugely lucrative tournament.</p> <p>In addition to 500 ranking points, the winner will also receive $448,090 (AU$633,016).</p> <h2>How To Bet On the 2026 ATP 500 Rio de Janeiro</h2> <p>At Sportsbet, we continually offer some of the best tennis betting options around. You can access these by visiting our <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/tennis">tennis betting section</a>, where you'll find all of the latest odds for the ATP 500 Rio de Janeiro event.</p> <p>To place a bet on this (and all the other tennis markets available), simply head over to our tennis page, find the match you want to bet on and click on the odds that you believe offer value. Once you do, these will be added to your betting slip, where you can enter your stake and then hit 'Place Bet' to confirm it. For more detailed guidance, check out our guide on <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/punter-iq/guide/how-to-bet-on-tennis">how to bet on tennis</a>.</p> <h2>2026 ATP 500 Rio: Betting Preview</h2> <p>We've outlined our top 2026 ATP 500 Rio de Janeiro betting predictions below:</p> <p>We <strong>think it is likely that Lorenzo Musetti wins</strong> this event. The Italian has been nothing short of exceptional in outdoor clay competitions, going 19-4 (83%) over the last 52 weeks. Overall, he boasts a career 72-39 record (65% win rate) on this surface. His aggressive baseline game is one of the most effective <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/tennis/tennis-news/tennis-playing-styles-explained">tennis playing styles explained</a> for clay court success.</p> <p>Still, we also think there is good value in<strong> Baez as a likely contender</strong>. On clay, he is 73-36 since 2022 (most Tour-wide) and has 10 straight Rio wins entering 2026. He has six clay titles (seven overall), and being South American, he'll be accustomed to the conditions that the players will face.</p> <h2>Keep Reading</h2> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/tennis/tennis-news/how-tennis-scoring-works">Love, deuce, and tiebreaks — tennis scoring finally explained</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/australian-open/news/australian-open-betting-guide">Everything you need to know before betting on the Australian Open</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/tennis/predictions/davis-cup-vs-laver-cup-what-is-the-difference">The key differences between tennis's biggest team events</a></li> </ul>