Wunderkind Engel following in the footsteps of Boris Becker

Justin Engel is the man of the moment in German tennis. At just 17 years of age, the Nuremberg native is currently making very positive headlines at the ATP tournament in Stuttgart. In his first grass court tournament ever, the youngster has reached the quarterfinals at the first attempt. Incidentally, the last professional to reach the last eight at a grass court event at this age was Boris Becker. Forty (!) years ago, he went on to sensationally win Wimbledon… However, the DTB’s rising star still has a long way to go before he can claim a tournament victory. To reach the semi-finals, the tip on the clear underdog will have to pay off again on Friday when Engel faces Auger-Aliassime.

Although there are more than 200 places between the two pros in the world rankings, it is important to bear in mind when predicting Engel vs. Auger-Aliassime that matches on grass have their own unique character. Often, it is only nuances that determine whether one of the traditionally few break points on the opponent’s serve is taken or not. There is therefore always the potential for surprises on the fastest of all tennis surfaces.

Nevertheless, ahead of the seemingly uneven match between Engel and Auger-Aliassime, the odds are very clearly in favor of the Canadian, who has had a disappointing 2025 so far. In addition, his best performances on grass are already relatively long ago.

Justin Engel – Statistics & current form

Only the most dedicated tennis fans would have been familiar with the name Justin Engel a week ago. The protégé of former professional Phillip Kohlschreiber, who coaches him alongside Justin’s father Horst Engel, had previously played almost exclusively on the second-tier Challenger Tour or even in third-tier ITF tournaments. The 17-year-old first made a real impression four weeks ago when he eliminated Jan-Lennard Struff in straight sets in the first round of the clay court tournament in Hamburg and then only narrowly lost to top ten player Andrey Rublev.

Justin Engel: Carefree and with a top serve, on his way to the next sensation?

This week, the Nuremberg native, who is considered a top talent and is the second-youngest player in history to win a match on the ATP Tour behind the newly crowned French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz, has gone one better. Thanks to a first-round victory over James Duckworth and a sensational win over Alex Michelsen from the US, Justin Engel is already in the quarterfinals and will climb at least 50 places in the world rankings to 230.

On the one hand, the youngster is naturally characterized by his carefree attitude. Self-confidence plays a particularly important role on grass. On the other hand, the grass in Stuttgart seems to suit the strengths of the German hopeful perfectly. Against the world number 35, Axel Michelsen, Engel did not concede a single point on his first serve and did not allow a single break point – incredible!

If the surprise man can build on his performances on Friday and once again impress with good serving statistics, another upset cannot be ruled out. However, to adjust the risk somewhat to the starting position, it also makes sense to place a bet on a games handicap in favor of the German between Engel and Auger-Aliassime. VBET offers corresponding handicap bets.

Félix Auger-Aliassime – Statistics & current form

Compared to Justin Engel, Félix Auger-Aliassime is already an old hand on the tour. Although the 24-year-old Canadian is by no means an antique, he has already experienced a lot. FAA has reached at least the quarter-finals in three of the four major Grand Slam tournaments. In addition, he is currently ranked sixth in the world rankings, his best position to date.

Admittedly, however, his notable successes are also a thing of the past. Auger-Aliassime has not reached the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam tournament since 2022. Due in part to a number of injuries, he has also slipped to 29th in the world rankings. Nevertheless, the Canadian logically has the advantage in terms of experience and proven quality, which is also reflected in the Engel vs. Auger-Aliassime betting odds for the outcome of the match. At the top, only 1.22 is offered in the Betano app for a victory for the favorite.

Auger-Aliassime is currently going through a difficult phase in his career

Nevertheless, it must be said that grass is not necessarily the strongest surface for the seven-time ATP Tour winner. Despite being 1.93 meters tall, FAA likes to build his game from the baseline. His serve is certainly impressive, although the percentage of first serves could definitely be improved. It is not without reason that the 24-year-old has not won a single match on grass in the past two years.

At least Auger-Aliassime, who has won only 22 of 35 matches this season, was able to end his dry spell, which had lasted since 2022, at the French Open, where he was knocked out in the first round and lost five of his last eight singles matches on tour. The right-hander did not make the best impression in his 6-4, 6-4 victory over France’s Perricard. He ended up with just three aces and two double faults. Only about half of his first serves landed in the box, and FAA allowed four break points.

The former top ten player is a long way from the self-confidence and conviction of days gone by. All the more reason to perhaps use the Bet365 bonus before the Engel vs. Auger-Aliassime match to bet on the underdog winning the first set. The top odds here are an impressive 3.70, which I think offers value, especially on grass.

Justin Engel – Félix Auger-Aliassime Head-to-head record

Unsurprisingly, the two players are facing each other in a direct duel for the first time. Seven years, 250 world ranking places and around $13 million in prize money separate the professionals. The one-sidedness of the odds is therefore understandable, although grass often writes its own story. In addition, Engel can of course count on the support of the fans in Stuttgart at TC Weissenhof. Every point scored by the super teen is likely to be cheered frenetically.

Justin Engel – Félix Auger-Aliassime Tip

The name Justin Engel is currently on the lips of all tennis fans in Germany and possibly even around the world. The top talent is currently chasing records in many respects. Behind Carlos Alcaraz, Justin Engel is the youngest player ever to win a match on the ATP Tour. After Rafael Nadal, the Nuremberg native is also the youngest professional to have won at least one match in the highest category on all surfaces. The 17-year-old is the first player since Boris Becker in 1985 to reach a quarterfinal on grass. The hope of German tennis has already made history!

Ideally, the Cinderella story will continue on Friday. Then it’s on to the quarterfinals against Felix Auger-Aliassime, who won his first match on grass in three years on Thursday, but is not having a good 2025 overall, losing five of his last eight matches. Given the situation in the world rankings and his significantly greater experience, the Canadian is the clear favorite, but my Engel vs. Auger-Aliassime tip is for a games handicap in favor of the German. Engel (+3.5 games) is offering odds of 1.87 at VBET and is worth a bet of five units in my opinion.