The Grand Slam calendar of 2026 reaches its final stop as the US Open 2026 is set to kick off at Flushing Meadows, New York, from 30 August to 13 September. As always, action is set for the outdoor hard courts of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the host venue from 1978. This year it arrives with a record $108 million prize purse — a 20% jump from 2025, with $5.5 million on hold for each singles champ. Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka return as the reigning champions set to defend their crowns. JTNDc2NyaXB0JTIwdHlwZSUzRCUyMnRleHQlMkZqYXZhc2NyaXB0JTIyJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZqcy43YmV0LnBhcnRuZXJzJTJGamF2YXNjcmlwdC5waHAlM0ZwcmVmaXglM0RnMHRwcEFNSVpFbTdqUEZ6Ml9HckFXTmQ3WmdxZFJMayUyNmFtcCUzQm1lZGlhJTNENDczJTI2YW1wJTNCY2FtcGFpZ24lM0Q0MCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRnNjcmlwdCUzRQ==Alcaraz returns from...
Meet Povilas Mančinskas
Povilas Mancinskas
It all started with a basketball. I picked up the sport at around age eight, and from that point on, sports wasn’t just a hobby. It was much more like a way of life. My dad played a huge part in that — introducing me to everything from hoops and football, to Formula 1, boxing and UFC — and an active group of friends did the rest. By the time I was a teenager, I was already the one people turned to when they needed a match preview or a team breakdown that actually made sense.
Areas of Expertise
UFC & MMA
NFL
Online Slots & Casino
Betting Strategy
Tennis
F 1
Writing Approach
Before a single word gets written, I ask myself one question: “Would this actually be useful to me if I were the reader?” If the answer is no, it goes back in the oven.
My goal with every piece — whether it’s a slot review, a UFC preview or a betting strategy guide — is to give readers something they couldn’t get simply by scanning the first three Google results. That means drawing on first-hand experience, staying current with regulations and market trends, and being honest when something is a poor deal rather than dressing it in nice slogans.
Responsible gambling sits at the heart of everything I write on the betting and casino side. Every guide and review includes practical, non-preachy responsible gaming guidance — because the aim is to help people enjoy these things sustainably, not just to drive clicks.
Style wise, I try to be a chameleon and adapt to the environment, but I do allow myself one or two vivid expressions from time to time.
How Do You Stay Up to Date?
The short answer: constant scrolling. Mom always yelled – “GET OFF THE PHONE!”, and I pleaded, “But mom, I’m reading the SPORTS section!!!”
The longer answer involves a fairly well-worn combination of tools, sources and habits that I’ve refined over years of working in fast-moving sports and iGaming content.
- Stats & analytics platforms: Sofascore (the daily essential), Basketball Reference for NBA deep-dives, Tapology and Sherdog for MMA records and fighter histories, official league data is useful, too.
- Official sources: com, NBA.com, Premier League and UEFA official sites for the stuff that actually matters — official injury updates, confirmed lineups and rule changes. Historical analysis as well.
- Breaking news: X (formerly Twitter) is the fastest lane for sports news, full stop. Fabrizio Romano for football transfers, Sky Sports and BBC Sport for UK-focused breaking news, and MMA-specific accounts for fight announcements. Some time is needed to sift through fake news and rumours pulled out of thin air, I cannot lie…
- Podcasts: The MMA Hour (Ariel Helwani), ESPN’s First Take and various football podcasts for longer-form analysis and industry perspective.
- Communities: Reddit is genuinely useful when you know which subreddits to use. They all help feel the pulse of the crowd and surface interesting angles along with reader questions that help shape better content.
- Live events: Watching the actual sport is non-negotiable. You can’t write authentically about something you’re only reading about second-hand. Luckily, my wife didn’t kick me out for watching too much Premiership and late night PPV boxing just yet.
- iGaming industry news: Forums, specialised slot sites and the good ol’ UKGC site and Gambling Insider for regulatory updates, new game launches and market trends.
Featured Work & Quick Facts
Education & Languages
- Bachelor of Arts in Marketing, Vytautas Magnus University
- English: Native-level proficiency
- Lithuanian: Native speaker
- Polish: Intermediate
